New Cold War?

[Ellipsis]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7234817.stm

Hmmm...well US foreign policy has yet again messed up.

Then again this could lead to technological investment and a new space race (Physics degrees could be worth more once again)...it could also help me accomplish my goal of world domination...maybe go Peter Wiggin on the world and internet.

[thod]

Its all bluster. Russia is a shadow of the old soviet empire. Its got neither the population nor the tech. The new Russia is simply a 3rd world gas supplier to Europe and nothing more. They are hoping to gain some status as they get crushed between Europe and China.

[Rhu]

Childish.

"We're going to improve our ability to take unilateral action by installing and maintaining missile defense systems for everyone willing to take a bribe."

Instead of any sort of classy diplomacy in the form of stirring speeches to turn populations against the idea of being pawns of NATO, we get, "OH YEAH?! Well, well... We're going to build better missiles!" An idle threat from a country with neither the capital nor the infrastructure to back it up.

[C.J.Woolf]

Russia has been a great power for the last 300 years and she gets persnickety when she isn't treated as such. She had a low of low points in the past but always came back from them. We underestimate Russia at our peril.

[Rhu]

Bah. When the old bear shows signs of coming out of its hibernation, then I'll proudly delete my above post.

Right now, though? The cited article is a prime example of how to be ineffective in a diplomatic battle. The BBC article's secondary purpose was clearly to state, "Russia just made a threat they couldn't possibly back it up." The American media spin machine is going to make a joke out of Putin, if they bother to mention this at all. Or maybe they'll make him sound confused and harmless. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305460,00.html?sPage=fnc.world/europe)

[C.J.Woolf]

Bah. When the old bear shows signs of coming out of its hibernation, then I'll proudly delete my above post.

Right now, though? The cited article is a prime example of how to be ineffective in a diplomatic battle.
I assume he didn't intend it as diplomacy; it was for domestic consumption.

[Rhu]

Russians have TVs and Internets?!

[immortalmack]

I don't think it's a cold,but I do think in light of Americas loss of influence in the world, I think we are gearing up to kick a lot of ass and just plain destabilize mf's.

[Ferrus]

Its all bluster. Russia is a shadow of the old soviet empire. Its got neither the population nor the tech. The new Russia is simply a 3rd world gas supplier to Europe and nothing more. They are hoping to gain some status as they get crushed between Europe and China.
Don't forget the oil to Europe as well, which is providing the momentum behind their economic growth.

[Antares]

Childish.

Putin? No way!

We've seen stories like this consistently over the last three or four years. As long as America continues feeding its military-industrial complex, Russia will respond in the only capacity it can: generalities and idle threats.

[INThoughtPolice]

The US is showing disatisfaction with the recent anti-westernism in Russian politics and business. The move is also a buffer to western Europe. I wouldn't doubt if the recent rise in European adoption of alternative energy sources was motivated by a desire to curb Russian growth through oil sales as well as a legitimate concern for climate change.

[Ellipsis]

The US is showing disatisfaction with the recent anti-westernism in Russian politics and business. The move is also a buffer to western Europe. I wouldn't doubt if the recent rise in European adoption of alternative energy sources was motivated by a desire to curb Russian growth through oil sales as well as a legitimate concern for climate change.

Well that and gas being crazy expensive...

[INThoughtPolice]

Well that and gas being crazy expensive...
Of course, which is lining many a Russian pocket. I'm anxious to see if the increasing Indian and Chinese oil demand will mean military operations as increasing US demand has/is. China is currently only using diplomatic negotiations in dealing with many African nations in efforts to maintain its supply.

[Hustler]

Russians have TVs and Internets?!

They definitely have internets. I can tell you that the worst online poker players are Russian. So, what little money is left in that country is being gathered up by the mobsters and degenerates and then dumped to people overseas in online poker games.