The 'second' Cold war

this makes me nervous...

Had a discussion in class, then heard a huge discussion on the radio. And then I found this...
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060710/cohen

To say the least this makes me nervous, but partially I agree with Russias motives. The US has been throwing its weight around little to much.

128,739 views 60 replies
Reply #1 Top
a Cold war would indicate a standoff. there is no such standoff.

but since I'm too lazy, do tell what the article is about.
The US has been throwing its weight around little to much.

its not like we have another choice. its the nature of the beast.
Reply #2 Top
beast.


Exactly

Read the article, all the tail-tale signs are there. I mean TOTAL take over of the nations broadcasting companies. I smell communism.
Reply #3 Top
Read the article

(I feel childishness coming on)

make me!
I mean TOTAL take over of the nations broadcasting companies. I smell communism.

which nation. good ol' Russy?
well, go figure.
Reply #4 Top
which nation. good ol' Russy?
well, go figure.


I take that as an offense!!
I mean a democracy with power over the media is worse then a communism. Think how horrible all the campaign speaches will be now!!
Reply #5 Top
a democracy with power over the media is only communism in a different package.

and besides, the speaches are bad enough already.
Reply #6 Top
Exactly, think about it. At least here the candidates need some winning issue and a bunch of insults about the other candidate. There with complete media contol....
Reply #7 Top
you know, this article is nothing but a shocker article (I've read about the first four pages, its not all that interesting...)
especially the part about how we "lost the arms race last time". that... well that made me laugh.

but more importantly I did this:
  
anyway. most of its bogus. yes the dissociation of russia would suck, yes russia's terrible guarding of their rediculous number of weapons is shitty. but Russia collapsing? not yet anyway.
Reply #8 Top
I thought Russia couldn't find half of its weapons..But our troops find them being used against them in the middle east.
Reply #9 Top
funny. last time I heard, the terrorists were using RPGs and IEDs, not any chemical/biological/nuclear weaponry.
if you're talking about AK-47s etc. thats black market stuff.
Reply #10 Top
terrible guarding of their rediculous number of weapons is shitty.


Ehem, its far from terrible. Most of our 'opperational' weaponry is never even seen by anyone, its quite well hidden. If we had such 'shitty' protection we would not be intrusted by the UN to keep Hydrogen bombs in a secure facility somewhere in Mid-Asia.

but Russia collapsing? not yet anyway.


We are already collapsed. We are rebuilding. Democracy destroyed our economics, our industry and our infastructure, as well as bringing corruption. Dont get me wrong I am an advocator of right and liberties, but such a radical movement from one end of the spectrum to the other is never productive.



Reply #11 Top
its quite well hidden

thats not the issue
russia has purified nuclear material that is stored in a crappy way (there are a lot of small petri-dish looking capsuls that hold purified nuclear-fit material) it could easily be smuggled.
We are already collapsed

well duh.
but the growth (slow growth comparitively) will not create the overflow that the last time did, and it probably (unless it makes more stupid mistakes) will not pull the commi collapse trick either
Democracy destroyed our economics, our industry and our infastructure

no no no, your own economy infrsastructure and industry destroyed themselves, you guys have too focused an economy (on oil and metals) to pull the rapid expansion that was attempted 40 years ago. you tried to expand way faster than your infrastructure could handle. thats what caused your collapse
Democracy moved in on a side note.
and dont tell me corruption was OUR fault, the corruption that preexisted expanded due to the massive power vacum.
Reply #12 Top
no no no, your own economy infrsastructure and industry destroyed themselves, you guys have too focused an economy (on oil and metals) to pull the rapid expansion that was attempted 40 years ago. you tried to expand way faster than your infrastructure could handle. thats what caused your collapse


Um wrong...
We did get into trouble in the early 80s, but it was Democracy that dealt the biggest blow. Trust me everything was quite peachy until 1989.

well duh.
but the growth (slow growth comparitively) will not create the overflow that the last time did, and it probably (unless it makes more stupid mistakes) will not pull the commi collapse trick either


Its not slow, we have something the world wants now. But, then again it matters what section of the country your talking abut.
Reply #13 Top
Yeah for democracy. WWW Link
Reply #14 Top
Trust me everything was quite peachy until 1989.

economy will do that.
Its not slow

its WAY slower than last time.

trust me, the Soviets didn't collapse because of the influences of Democracy. it may have had a small influence, but the largest part was because your infrastructure was not capable of holding the expansion that was occuring.
Reply #15 Top
trust me, the Soviets didn't collapse because of the influences of Democracy. it may have had a small influence, but the largest part was because your infrastructure was not capable of holding the expansion that was occuring.


Wrong, were you there?
Have you lived there?
No, all you know about Russia is what your government allows to be in history books. History is written by the victors Schem.
Reply #16 Top
No, all you know about Russia is what your government allows to be in history books

and DAMN, why should I trust the freaking HISTORIANS!!! those conniving bastards, trying to make up stories so that they can fool our youth...
History is written by the victors Schem.

and what is YOUR retort written by? the loser perhaps?

and dont tell me that living there as a child (or living there at all) gives you a historical PHD in the history of your nation.
Reply #17 Top
No ofcourse it doesnt, but at least I have access to both sides of the arguement. You have just one side.

Okay, lets see. When I was born, in the dieing moments of the Soviet Union we had food, clothes, transportation, and electricity. Soviet Union collapsed, nothing, hospitols all closed down for months, bus companies disappeared, cars werent sold anymore, electric plants that were funded by the government shut down, food that was rationed and carefully controlled was now nowhere to be found. Democracy resumes, everything is stolen by the politicians, my parents both government employees had the government owe them thousands of dollars(not Rubles, actual dollars), they still do. In the end we had to move here, I am not complaining, I like it here. But, the fact that everyone think that "Oh, the Soviet Union collapsed because of itself" is a horribly scewd few of it.

Yes I blame Democracy, and to a lesser amount McDonalds, but thats a different story.
Reply #18 Top
You have just one side.

and at least I'm impartial. you quite obviously aren't.
and besides. it still doesnt give you any more knowledge just because you walked the streets. that has nothing to do with this
and to a lesser amount McDonalds

this is right
Yes I blame Democracy

this is wrong
remind me how democracy finds its way into this anyhow?
Okay, lets see. When I was born, in the dieing moments of the Soviet Union we had food, clothes, transportation, and electricity. Soviet Union collapsed, nothing, hospitols all closed down for months, bus companies disappeared, cars werent sold anymore, electric plants that were funded by the government shut down, food that was rationed and carefully controlled was now nowhere to be found

all signs of economic failure. prosperity followed by extreme poverty and government weakness and withdrawl.
But, the fact that everyone think that "Oh, the Soviet Union collapsed because of itself" is a horribly scewd few of it.

I dont even know if this is supposed to be english.
Reply #19 Top
all signs of economic failure. prosperity followed by extreme poverty and government weakness and withdrawl.


Your not getting what I am saying, this all happened after the revolution, after Democracy was established. And it gets better, our politicians now had acess to money, and did they follow righteous views. Nope, they lined their pockets and ran away, most likely to this country.

And to the last comment, I will use one of your excueses. It was late




Reply #20 Top
And to the last comment, I will use one of your excueses. It was late

lovely little excuse, isn't it?
Your not getting what I am saying, this all happened after the revolution, after Democracy was established. And it gets better, our politicians now had acess to money, and did they follow righteous views. Nope, they lined their pockets and ran away, most likely to this country.

power vacum. the same thing would have happened under any government
especially the money part, where does the money go when there isn't any system to channel it? first to the people, then to the politicians.
Reply #21 Top
first to the people, then to the politicians.


Funny you should say this, we barely get a penny of it anymore. At least under Communism we had some guarantees and standards of life. Now all we have are rights that arent even protected.
Reply #22 Top
again, would have been the same under communism.
the only difference is the lack of massive expansion.
Reply #23 Top
again, would have been the same under communism.
the only difference is the lack of massive expansion.


But, it wasnt.
Reply #24 Top
key word "was"
the country didn't collapse because it was communist, and it didnt have shiny benefits because it was communist. it was prosperous because of the absolutely reckless expansion.
you're mistaking correlation for causation.
Reply #25 Top
Not really, I did have shiny benefits and as long as you didnt proetest in the governments face you had as many rights as anyone else in the world.

I am not saying it was the 'right' government, but neither is Democracy. The nation is just too large for that, even as a Federation it can not function. The only reason we are comming out of the slum now is because the government has nationalized the oil reserves, and because they have European investors in biochemistry and atomonical engineering.