Why make an enemy of Russia?

iht.com ^ | Wednesday, April 13, 2005 | William Pfaff

[Destro]

Why make an enemy of Russia?

William Pfaff

Wednesday, April 13, 200

PARIS U.S. and European Union policies toward Russia are more dangerous than they may seem. What has been happening on Russia's borders could reasonably be interpreted by the government of President Vladimir Putin as a Western campaign to detach and alienate the neighboring states that Moscow describes as its "Near Abroad."

In an important respect, Putin's government has invited this interference on its frontier. It has combined complacence with complaisance in corrupt leadership in Belarus, Ukraine and the former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

When the Soviet Union was dissolved by Boris Yeltsin in 1991, time should have been up for the whole system. Yeltsin told the leaders of the former Soviet states to take as much freedom as they could manage. In fact, most took as much power, and as much of their states' wealth and resources, as they could.

They did roughly what was being done in Russia itself, to Western approval. "Democracy" was being installed there, but it was the form of democracy described by the oligarch Boris Berezovsky when he said "democracy everywhere is the rule of big money."

A system of swindling, robbery, asset-stripping and appropriation of public resources was created then that Putin is now trying to reverse. Thus his arrest of the politically ambitious oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which continues to be described in the West as an attack on market freedom.

It no doubt was that, but is also intended by Putin to make the state prevail over the oligarchs' version of capitalism, and to resist the international criminal forces that have infiltrated the existing system and are capable, if unchecked, of destroying civil power in modern Russia.

[Numbers Guy]

Pfaff isn't exactly the most credible source of advice for the U.S. He's on a level with Robert Fisk.

[Cicero]

I agree that we should try to be on good terms with Russia and strengthen an alliance with them against Islam and potentially against China.

But Putin is making it difficult or impossible to move things forward.

Earlier, most of the problems were clinton's fault, because of his war against the Serbs and constant insults to the Russians. But now I think the shoe is on the other foot, and Putin is mostly to blame. It's really too bad.

[Destro]

What has Putin done to be thus considered?

[JasonC]

Ah yes, those famous international criminal forces, the elders of Zot. Russia makes enemies and does so deliberately - it only takes one. How is the reactor and uranium business? The missile business? Ever met an anti-US terrorist you wouldn't arm or fund?

[Destro]

How is the reactor and uranium business?

Ask our ally Pakistan.

[JasonC]

So the Russians have stopped? Oops.

[RWR8189]

Sounds like Putin has been activating 20 year old contracts with Western journalists lately...

[Destro]

Russia wasn't the problem - U.S. ally Pakistan was.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Reason #1:Iraq

Reason #2: Iran

Reason #3: North Korea

Reason #4: Hugo Chavez

Reason #5: Lukashenko

[TapTheSource]

This article has got it ass backwards. "Russia" has made an enemy out of the US.

[JasonC]

Past tense doesn't work. Somebody is still a problem. All sorts of people have been problems - George the IIIrd, Kaiser Bill - but aren't anymore. And some still are - the mad mullahs, Kim the ridiculous. Guess which set the Russians are in, given Putin's present freely chosen behavior?

[jb6]

the BS on this thread is getting thick. We've got TapThe(BS)Source and Tailgunner (McCarthy) Joe tag teaming.

[sergey1973]

"A system of swindling, robbery, asset-stripping and appropriation of public resources was created then that Putin is now trying to reverse. Thus his arrest of the politically ambitious oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which continues to be described in the West as an attack on market freedom. "

How destroying YUKOS and redistributing the assets to Putin Administration Controlled companies creates market freedom ? It sounds more like super mafia clan kills weaker clans and taking all their property under its wing. Remember "God Father" and Don Michael Corleone ?

[A. Pole]

How destroying YUKOS and redistributing the assets to Putin Administration Controlled companies creates market freedom ? It sounds more like super mafia clan kills weaker clans and taking all their property under its wing.

The difference is that Putin administration is a legitimate government of Russia. Yukos "owners" are not, thanks God.

[JasonC]

Personally I don't care in the slightest how they manage their economy. Just don't default on government or international obligations, export criminal behavior etc. Not hard, no serious issue with them today. No, it is the security behavior of Russia that matters. Their free and sovereign government can decide any way it likes who their friends are and who to support. But when they just happen to pick all our worst enemies, they make themselves our enemy. Freely, of their own accord. Nobody put a gun to Putin's head and forced him to arm Syria, help Iran with nukes, prop up monsters like Kim Ill - he just decided it'd be great. Fine, then the US is his enemy. His choice, now live with the consequences.

[A. Pole]

His choice, now live with the consequences.

What "consequences"?

[JasonC]

That everyone and his brother knows Putin is a snake, and none of their soft soap spin plays, anymore. That all their clients will be taken down anyway. That nobody is going to listen to them, or change anything we do because of any Russian's opinion on any subject. Deliberately make an enemy and you have an enemy. It is not complicated.

[A. Pole]

Akisn again: what "consequences"? Helping Islamists in Chechnya? Bombing Serbs?

[anonymoussierra]

I do will write what"jb6"do have had write"the BS on this thread is getting thick. We've got TapThe(BS)Source and Tailgunner (McCarthy) Joe tag teaming."Thank you I have had enough!!!