The Bear Resurgent

The recent move by Russia in the Caucus region is very alarming and does beg the question, what's the deal with this country that has as many nuclear weapons as America? The West responded to the Georgian conflict with threats of international isolation, and military might was displayed by both sides. This was a scary development very reminiscent of the Cold War. Highlighting this recent Russian resurgence is a great article by the BBC. The article takes a look at the other areas of possible conflict between Russia and former Soviet states. It’s a great illustration of the multiple situations in which Russia could expand its influence further. Russia has long sought to turn away from the shame and chaos of the post-soviet 90’s and as seen in Georgia, it’s now in a position to do so. How should the West respond to Russia who is happily flexing its petro-dollar- fueled muscles on the world stage? I say engage Russia; let us not head down the path of attempted isolation, that just won't work for Russia at this point. If we can, we just might peer through the bullshit and vagaries of international relations and find we can accomplish more together when dialogue is employed. This is especially evident on issues, like Iran, where America needs Russian support at the UN Security Council. With Russia supplying more than half of Europe’s energy, the ability to achieve unity in the EU is made a lot more difficult. This makes establishing any kind of isolation challenging and in my mind useless. The next Administration should think long and hard about how best to approach Putin’s policies. Now more than ever we need insight and depth in the White House. The Bush style of foreign policy just won’t work in the world of tomorrow.

BBC World News