Russia Will Be a Troublemaker in 2009

Real Clear Politics ^ | 01/19/2009 | Ian Bremmer

[fiscon1]

The world enters 2009 with Russia in play in a way it hasn't seen in decades. The relevant comparison isn't 1998, when the Russians engaged in default and devaluation but remained within the bounds of their existing political and economic system (as Lenin said, two steps forward, one step back). The history to consider is 1989--as key aspects of the Russian system could change for the worse.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin certainly isn't a risk taker. The carefully managed "transition" to President Dmitry Medvedev and the extension of presidential terms to six years underscore that Putin prefers to leave as little as possible to chance. That's more ominously obvious in the recent tightening of laws on treason.

[lilylangtree]

Russia knows a weak leader, and the US fits the mold with an unqualified, illegal & fraudulent leader like obozo & bidet.

[MrLee]

I assume the messiah knows where the white flag is that Reagan thought he’d gotten rid of.......

[Brilliant]

I can’t imagine that the Russians would dare challenge the American strongman, Barack Obama.

[wheelgun]

I would take this several steps further. Russia and China will use this golden opportunity to respectively restore and fortify their militaries as Obama moves quickly to redeploy our troops from Iraq to Afghanistan and the “hunt for Bin Laden”. Iran will go nuclear in the next four years, joining North Korea. Israel, Taiwan, and the former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe will discover to their chagrin that the Obama administration has no intention of providing diminishing American military resources to protect them in the 21st century. This assumes that the defense budget will be slashed to help finance massive bailouts and new/revitalized social programs promised during the campaign.

Please tell me what I’ve missed.