to Preserve Stalin’s Legacy?
Many Americans blame George W. Bush for the disastrous state of U.S. foreign policy in the region, but to be fair, the blame should go to the older Bush and Clinton as well...
It looks like the Western leaders, and especially two U.S. Presidential hopefuls, Barack Obama and John McCain, are trying to outdo one other in condemning Russia’s recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Meanwhile, an impressive armada of U.S. and NATO military ships is docking in the Georgian port of Batumi or is on the way to the Black sea while Russia also sent three missile boats to show the flag. At the same time, British foreign secretary David Milliband has arrived to Ukraine to promote the idea of building some kind of anti-Russian coalition, and other EU leaders are making very tough statements too.
There is a great danger that if this verbal war continues at some point the inflammatory rhetoric will get out of control. To save face the West might be forced to follow words with deeds and we would arrive not just at the new edition of the Cold War but to something much hotter, perhaps close to 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, or even worse.
Statue of Soviet dictator Jossif Vissarionovich Dhzugazvili (Stalin) in his home town of Gori
So isn’t it time to cool it? Especially if one takes into account that all sides had their share of (mildly speaking) mistakes. One could use stronger words, of course, but we do not want to spill more oil into the fire.
Most of objective observers agree that in this case Russia acted as a good student of America, and did almost exactly the same as the U.S. did in Kosovo. I say “almost” because both Abkhazia and South Ossetia have more legal and historical rights for independence than did Kosovo which became a part of Serbia at the end of the 11th century. South Ossetia and Abkhazia, however, were never a part of Georgia until Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian, handed over these territories as a generous gift to his native land. South Ossetia was turned over to Georgia in 1922 (obviously with the approval of another world criminal, Vladimir Lenin) and Abkhazia in 1931. Stalin’s huge 50ft statue, probably the last one on the whole former Soviet space, still dominates the town of Gori, the dictator’s birthplace. So, is the West ready to fight for preserving Stalin’s and Lenin’s legacies?
Many Americans blame George Bush for the disastrous state of U.S. foreign policy in the region, but to be fair, the blame should go to the older Bush and Clinton as well.
No one else but conservative Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation, believes that this is the case. In 1989 and 1990 I helped to organize several trips to Moscow for Paul and his colleagues to see what was going on the scene and to explore the idea of Russia joining NATO after the collapse of communism which we correctly believed was imminent. On the Russian side our interlocutor was the secretary of the Interregional Group in the old Soviet parliament, Arkady Murashev. This was the most pro-Western group of parliamentarians which included Nobel Laureate Andrei Sakharov, Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov, and other democrats. Arkady brought the American group to President of Russia Boris Yeltsin who explicitly indicated that he was open to the idea of bringing Russia into NATO.
Weyrich had access to the White House and he brought this message directly to the Oval Office. As Paul recalls, President George H. W. Bush was not very impressed, probably because his advisers, one of them Condoleezza Rice, were absolutely against it. “If he had had the foresight to disregard their counsel and push for Russia’s integration with NATO how different history very probably would be today,” tells Weyrich.
What we got instead was Clinton’s later and disastrous agenda of NATO expansion without Russia, something that George Bush, Sr. had solemnly promised Mikhail Gorbachev not to do. We abrogated the 1972 ABM Treaty and did not invite the Russians to join the effort of building a Global Missile Defense, which they were also ready to do. Putin was expecting some reciprocity for joining the anti-terrorist coalition and for his very impressive help to America in Afghanistan after 9/11. What he got instead was further NATO expansion into Russia’s backyard and aggressive pipeline policy to weaken the Russian position in the energy market.
Today, the main thing on Bush’s and Condi’s agenda is how to punish Russia for its behavior in Georgia. Unfortunately, this idea of punishment is becoming a popular theme in the Western political circles and the media. So far, we did not hear too many confessions that such behavior was a direct result of the U.S.’ injurious line of treating Russia as a defeated power, based on the false assumption that it will always be weak and would have no choice but to swallow its pride, no matter what was pushed down its throat.
Well, as everyone knows things have changed dramatically, and before America takes some drastic actions let us take a deep breath and consider the following points:
1. Do we need Russia’s help to put pressure on Iran and to prevent WMD proliferation – or can we handle it all by ourselves? That also applies to North Korea.
2. Shall we continue to ignore Russia’s legitimate interests and think that what is good for the West is automatically good for Russia – and if it is not, it is just Russia’s bad luck?
3. Will the U.S. efforts to punish Russia backfire? Will they further destabilize a global order already facing rising threats from conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider Middle East?
It looks to some in Russia as if the West practically has abandoned the idea of having Russia as a strategic partner and is pushing very hard to make it an enemy instead. Why else would NATO, they think, keep encircling Russia and squeezing her out of the oil-rich Caspian region? The saddest story is that, judging from McCain or Obama rhetoric, neither of them has any clue how to extricate us from this mess. America badly needs someone with a greater vision of the world, but there is no one on the horizon, at least in the 2008 presidential elections.
Edward Lozansky is President of the American University in Moscow.
Comments
"Many Americans blame George Bush for the disastrous state of U.S. foreign policy in the region, but to be fair, the blame should go to the older Bush and Clinton as well. No one else but conservative Paul Weyrich, chairman of Free Congress Foundation, believes that this is the case."
I do. Lissen, just because the American people have allowed the media to control their thinking processes for at least 35 years, doesn't mean that we all just fall in a line, like dominoes. All you have to do is use your head for more than a hatrack to see how hypocritical the condemnation of Russia is. Unfortunately, most Americans would rather use their heads as support for football helmets...
Posted by: Meg | August 29, 2008 5:01 PM
Putan might just be crazy enough to use their Nuclear warheads to bluff us. The question is are we willing to call them?
Check this link out....
http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.hmong/browse_thread/thread/ad38f4d984b8c641/a8de1626657b79e8?hl=en&lnk=st&q=me_hmong+russia#a8de1626657b79e8
Posted by: Eddie | August 29, 2008 8:10 PM
Meg, luckily we have freedom of speech in USA and lots of opportunities for you to speak out against what you believe is unjust. As a Georgian-American, I am sad to see Americans all over trying to advance their own agenda and political views at the expense of Georgia. First, if you believe that US is wrong for starting wars in the Middle East, then you cannot possibly think that Russia is in the right in this situation! Please read this story to learn more about the Georgian situation: http://michaeltotten.com/ Second, Russia's actions are NOTHING like US actions. Georgia is a democratic country and is not attacking anyone - it is literally trying to hang on to its existance and is defending itself. Georgia's president has been democratically elected and is not some type of tyrant who has murdered thousands of people. Georgia also do not have extremist religious groups or suicide bombers nor does it harbor terrorists. etc etc. Please try to learn more about Georgia before you speak out. Thats's all I ask.
Posted by: Natalie Khvitia | August 30, 2008 2:47 PM
RE: Post by Eddie
Although its good to read fictiononce in a while but try to look at reality once in a while!
I think what made me laugh the most in the entire piece was these two quotes:
"It all started in the year 2044 Russian’s national debt is
$34,500,000,000 trillion in US dollar"... "They declare war on the US because they realize
that they will never be able to catch up to the US and it allies
economically"
Like I said take a look at reality and some facts:
1. It is 2008
2. While the American economy is struggling on the brink of recession, the Russian economy has been booming year on year
3. Even after the collapse of the Russian economy in 1998. The Russian economy has performed the greatest economic turn around in the history of the world.
4. Russia now holds the 3rd largest reserves in the the world (behind China and Japan).
While the U.S. has a $9 trillion debt!
As far as your mis-guided beliefs go, "Putan" and the Russian people are not as crazy or blood thirsty as you might believe them to be.
Posted by: A.A. | August 31, 2008 4:01 AM
It is fair to suggest that relations between Russia and the West could have been quite different had the West extended NATO membership to Russia in the 1990's. I'd like to think there is still hope for this to become a reality, if/when Russia is able to reform to allow and incorporate free democratic principles of government. What is known is that hundreds of billions of dollars were given to Russia in the form of aid in the 1990's, for purposes of supporting partnership and democracy, only to have resulted in a Russia that it is today, belligerent, obstructionist and firmly autocratic.
Suggesting the pro-Kremlin line that Russia action in Georgia is a close parallel to Western action in Kosovo and is supported by majority of objective observers is quite false. There's just too much free media available around the world to ignore the historical facts that the West sought to resolve the conflict and massive genocide carried out by ex-Soviet puppet Milosovich for a decade with international support and UN resolutions prior to the use of NATO force. Fact is, Russia Government sat on the sidelines as belligerent and obstructionist then as they continue to be now.
So to answer the questions from my perspective:
1. The West has not been able to count on Russia's support to effectively pressure Iran and prevent WMD proliferation for years now. Instead, the Russian Autocratic State is supporting Iran with Arms, civil Nuclear technology and condoning the same brand of Kremlin belligerence and obstructionism to Free peoples around the world. Any hopes that the Russian Autocratic State can be counted on in the future is probably not even worth trying. Free peoples of the world must now seek alternative solutions, both diplomatically, economically and through advanced technology, to minimize/eliminate the threat to WMD proliferation by belligerent and irresponsible governments.
2. Russian legitimate interests should never be ignored. The keyword there however, is "legitimate".
3. US efforts to punish Russia??? Even Cuba, Venezuala, Iran and Belarus have not enthusiastically embraced Russia action and continued military presence inside Georgian territory. The US is not punishing Russia, the Russian Autocratic State is punishing Russia.
Posted by: Cris Sabo | August 31, 2008 11:45 AM
If Russia insists on the 'independence' of Abkhazia and Ossetia, why can't it give a proper Independence to Chechnya? As usual, there is no logic whatsoever in the ruskies propaganda.
Also, all that crazy sums of money that their 'oligarkhs', startng with Putin himself, stashed up in the western bank accounts, as they do not trust the very people who, they claim have elected them? Why not stop the accounts and put their stolen money into a fund to pay up a proper compensation to everyone affected by the soviet revolution first? pay back everything you have stolen from the people first, comrades. Your 'communist dream' was just a big lie/ Fine, we never thought any different. But, your predecessors have killed and robbed millions of families for that silly dream, so, you wish to be respectable and respected? Pay up! If not, why can't we just rob you of your money? We might nave a jolly good dream of a new, fairer system too, even without any mass murders! Howzzat?
Posted by: Bagratiani | September 2, 2008 2:44 PM
Why does no one want to acknowledge the obvious? Georgia, most assuredly, shelled an undefended college town for HOURS. After Russia properly intervened and saved countless Ossetian, Abkhazi, and even Georgian loves, the Republicans in the US saw what they thought was an opportunity to revive the cold war and bolster the chances of that embalmed zombie, McCain, for election.
The sad thing for the Republicans is that they've told so many lies already that nobody's listening anymore. McCain said "we are all Georgians," and maybe HE is-he does love to attack the defenseless, after all. The REST of us are realists, and more and more of us understand exactly who is to blame for the Ossetian situation.
Posted by: JollyRoger | September 2, 2008 7:30 PM
To Bagratiani
Perhaps there is no sense to give independence to Chechnya, because of an absence of this wishes today. I think, you don't consider illeagal terrorstic movements, as this wishes. Or I wrong?
Certainly, its very easy to turn around in the past constantly, but in this case, it is possible to overlook the future situation. And stereotypic ways, which used for analys of this problems, only promote it.
Posted by: S.S. | September 2, 2008 11:14 PM