http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20000204_1367.html notice the last paragraph....sure seems to me that the ole` russians may be looking `beyond` chechnia. not surprised if it turns out to be a `bigger` grab. [sorry about no link.]

-- mutter (murmur@ya.com), February 04, 2000

Answers

Link To Story

-- Zguy (ita@bubble.con), February 04, 2000.

Mutter,

It is pretty scary when they come out with that stuff, but OTOH their economy's terrible. I could see an "action" to unify the country, but why would they nuke something if they couldn't afford to occupy it later? Ideas??

Z, thanks for the link.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.com), February 04, 2000.

Has Russia given up it's desire to join EU and G7? If so, why? I believe it was a smokescreen to buy time. Whether they appear to be capable of it or not, their desire to rule the Middle East will never die.

-- Kyle (fordtbonly@aol.com), February 04, 2000.

A "terrible economy" is often exactly the reason why a war is started. It gets their economy going and may yield new resources to fuel further economic expansion!

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 04, 2000.

Make a distinction between Russian and Communist - The Russian people have feared invasions from the West since Napoleon, WWI and WWII - The Communists fear capitalist encirclement - NATO and the Nato- friendly Arab countries pose an encirclement threat to Communism - NATO and the former Warsaw Pact countries that are friendly to NATO stir the Russian fear of an invasion from the West - Now since the former Soviet Union is fractured,the military is demonstrating that it is no longer a conventional superpower(at least for now), and communists are now coming back into vogue since the experiment with liberalism failed, it is little wonder that the Russian/Communists are espousing the Clausewitzian military philosphy of destroying the enemy by "...the utmost use of force...and by all available means." I believe the Russians/Communists are trying to save face and yet modernize their military thinking by getting in tune with their enemies - After all did we not invent "Brinkmanship" and neutron weapons? - Anyway, it is frightening to place such a virulent philosophical strain into the hands of country that is being pulled into different directions because Clausewitzian military philosophy taken to its logical extreme means only one thing: Total War

-- Bob (bmoss3@prodigy.net), February 04, 2000.

I suspect that this new policy will be signed by the president du jour...

And, yes, it could be an effort to reunite more of the old USSR republics with "mother Russia." Another fine mess to monitor...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 05, 2000.

Are we still sending them $20 million a week in hard cash for foreign aid?

-- goldenokie (garland@clnk.com), February 05, 2000.

It`s rather depressing to think about. Due to Russia`s non economic conversion to capitalism, the younger Russians, who once appeared receptive to democratic/capitalistic ideals, are apparently becoming steadily indoctrinated (once again) to the underlying strongly held communist philosophy. The strategic resistance in place, demonstrated by the hard-liners who have continually been in power, will never allow a conversion to democracy/capitalism, slowly or otherwise, without a fight to the death. It boils down to one major obstacle- POWER! Those in authoritarian positions or positions of power will not relinquish that power for anything. The only alternative they see is poverty- which is not an option.

-- NoJo (RSKeiper@aol.com), February 05, 2000.

Russia never truly did convert to a capitalist system - they inadvertantly (to the general polulation) converted to an oligarchy, a rule by the rich. As the USSR broke up, wealthy people in the right places and with the right connections bought all the choice state-run facilities and so on. The leadership basically took a big leap sideways.

An oligarchy is often far worse than a communist regime in terms of suffering. Hunger for power sometimes pales in comparison to hunger for posessions.

I feel sorry for those people over there but they're screwed. It will literally take winning a planet-wide war to repair their country.

O d d O n e, who thinks it doesn't matter where you are any more...

-- OddOne (mocklamer_1999@yahoo.com), February 06, 2000.