March 20, 2007
IS ANYONE LESS REALISTIC THAN A REALIST?:
The icon and the eagle (Henry A. Kissinger 3/20/07, Tribune Media Services)
Ambivalence characterizes relations between Russia and the United States. President Vladimir Putin snipes at American conduct and policies, while his foreign minister reaffirms Russia's interest in a partnership with the United States. Washington seeks Russian assistance on nonproliferation while pursuing policies on Russia's borders that Moscow and many Russians consider highly provocative.In the meantime, both countries are threatened by radical Islam; cooperation between the nuclear powers of the world is imperative, and an emerging set of issues -- like environment and climate change -- can only be solved on a global basis.
Given the extent to which their national interests have become interconnected, neither side can want or, indeed, afford a new Cold War.
Actually, we aren't much threatened by even radical Islam while Russia is unlikely to survive moderate Islam for demographic reasons. Russia needs us. We don't need them. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 20, 2007 1:00 PM
I strongly agree.
What we are seeing is a redefinintion of sovereignty and a redefinition of empire.
Posted by: Lou Gots at March 20, 2007 1:44 PMHow about China? Do we need it? Does it need us?
Posted by: greg at March 20, 2007 3:05 PMThe problem with the Realists is that they assume that national borders are static (kind of how the Global Warming crowd thinks that there must be a correct permanent temperature). There has always been a Russia, there must always be a Russia. Of course, there hasn't always been a Russia, which means that there must not always be a Russia.
Still, we must be patient with Mr. Kissinger. He still hasn't come to grips with the fact that there isn't a Soviet Politburo to negotiate the next round of detente.
Posted by: Dreadnought at March 20, 2007 3:07 PMChina needs us to consume their goods. They go as far as financing our consumption. They loan us the money by running a trade surplus with us, we'll pay them somewhere down the line, if ever, with our much devalued greenbacks. If they dumped our greenbacks, then they would destroy their reserves, which they cannot do. The only way to get rid of the greenbacks is to buy from us, or from someone who buy from us.
Posted by: ic at March 20, 2007 3:39 PMChina is one of our manufacturing centers at the present time. As soon as they become too prosperous to do the low paid mindless jobs we require, we'll move on to other cheap labor and they'll go on to the next level of development.
Posted by: erp at March 20, 2007 5:15 PMBack to the Weekly,
Back to the Weekly,
Back to the Weekly Stan-dard....