Czarina Titus

Or perhaps you prefer the "T" spelling .... look, I know you consider yourself the Wizard of Moscow within our forum regarding all things Rusky. And hey, I'll give you your kudos for having earned that arrogance. Your advanced credits probably rival mine in number and every bit of them was geared towards being a Sovietologist. Add to that you actually lived there for two years (good Lord, you are probably on some US government list in the back of Baker's closet ... or his predecessor), walked the streets of Moscow herself, and bedded an (undoubtedly taught) Russian babe. I get all that and I have, with few exceptions, regarded your fascination with that country as healthy. But your last post spoke of "threats posed" as if we were still dealing with the USSR. We are not. That "threat" you spoke of is NOT a shooting war, it just isn't, thus Jambo's "and what the hell are you going to do about it" attitude. What we are talking about is a good ol' fashioned CIA phrase - "spheres of influence." Bush and company are everywhere it must seem to Putin's Russia. We are turning two despotic nations in the energy crucial Near East into potential allies. We already have great sway with Turkey, we virtually own NATO's course and direction, NAFTA has made the fortunes of South America and Canada's inseparable from our own and then here we go, making what amounts to military alliances with nation's on Russia's back door step. But that is what we are SUPPOSED TO DO, from an American standpoint. The next ass backwards nation that needs to be invaded or bombed, the next sanction that needs to be imposed, the next G8 leverage we have, is enhanced by these Eastern European states being indebted to us via security. And Iran is not just a cover story as to why we are pursuing these missile agreements. 9 real life reasons were demonstrated yesterday and every one of them was launched from Persian soil. And if nothing else Bush and co respect the inevitability of Russia's return to world class reckoning, thus he is pursuing such a bold course. There is an argument to be made that we should do the opposite, make Russia our #2, to use a Dr. Evil term, but Bush by my best estimation has tried that and had his hand slapped by Putin every time. Their national interests, according to Vlad it would seem, do not jive with America's post 9/11 direction, and it is their right to act accordingly ... as it is ours to make pacts with their neighbors.

Perhaps I read you wrong, text can cause that versus live interaction, but your disbelief at why the rest of us can't see why Russia reads this as a "threat" leads me to believe that you are in fact reading this in Cold War terms which are inherently laden heavy with the threat of a shooting war. Again, this is not the case - sphere's of geopolitical influence is what this is about. And look, I don't blame Russia for being pissed over the missile agreements, I would expect them to be. But what I also expect is for my government - given I believe wholeheartedly in the liberty guarding principles that guide them - to increase the reach of US Marines (and military missiles) world wide. And it would do the Russian Defense Minister good to act a little more maturely - democracies should disagree over policy civilly, not threaten each other with direct military force. Do we threaten them every time they re up an energy or commodities deal with Iran? No ... we seek out their neighbors and hand out some ICBM cover ... he,he. Now THAT is how a mature democracy deals with his unruly friends (or comrades) in liberty.... rather then do the Russian version of "yo mamma."

They should take note.