What is Russia doing?

[R.James]

Russia is:

A. Selling Uranium to Iran.
B. Developing missiles to penetrate any US missile defense system.

Is Putin trying to start the cold war again? Is M.A.D. (mutually assured destruction) still seen as a good thing in Russia? I am perplexed, Russia certainly isn't on the US enemy list like it once was.

 

[Redneck]

Lets put LASERS on satellites in space. You can't out run a beam of light.

 

[xXLurkerXx]

About B:

That one is easy to answer imho.

I am 100% sure that the USA would try to develop better weapons immediately in the same situation.
What would you think if the russians would have a working missile defence system and the USA wouldn´t (+you would not possess missiles to penetrate it)?
Would you be happy about an invulnerable russia, even if you are not enemies at the moment? You do not know what will happen in the future. Will you always be friends?

If I were a russian I would believe that M.A.D. (never heard of it before) is better than being vulnerable to american missiles without the ability to shoot back. This makes you susceptible to US blackmail...

At the moment your defence system is not really working, is it? But the russians seem to think it will work in the future, interesting.

About A:
I don´t now.

 

[Kal'thzar]

M.A.D is the theorey describing what happens if one country nukes another...

Its got a very good name IMO.

 

[Redneck]

So this is after we took away their main source of revenue right?

 

[Sors]

I am confused also. With the current political climate I do not understand the current need for Mutually Assured Destruction. It made sense not to develop the star wars program during the cold war. Such technology would give us first strike opportunities, and possibly cause a preimitive strike on the United States by the Soviet Union. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War, this theory should be dead.

Where is Milla when you need him?

MILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[the Colonel]

Russia still fears (or at least very much does not like) American hegemony. Of course, there is still the desire to show America that it's still "got it" and will not be overshadowed. Part of this is to impress the 2nd and 3rd world that they're still a legitimate soarce of leading edge military technology. This also leads to influence on these nations who buy such technology.

 

[k]

Maybe countries like Russia and Iran understand that the US does not invade countries that actually have WMD that is a viable threat to American soil. If I saw a bully on the block breaking into people's houses who didn't have bars on the windows I might be inclined to get some bars.

 

[Grey Eminence]

Russia has political considerations beyond the US. Can you say China.

 

[Glaz]

They're just kissing Irans butt hoping the Iranians don't hand out nukes to the Chechens.

 

[the Colonel]

Maybe countries like Russia and Iran understand that the US does not invade countries that actually have WMD that is a viable threat to American soil. If I saw a bully on the block breaking into people's houses who didn't have bars on the windows I might be inclined to get some bars.

Obviously, this is a consideration as well. But, of course, Iran should also know that pursuing such a course of action will invite "extreme scrutiny" on the part of the US. However, they very well may believe they have nothing to lose.

 

[k]

Obviously, this is a consideration as well. But, of course, Iran should also know that pursuing such a course of action will invite "extreme scrutiny" on the part of the US. However, they very well may believe they have nothing to lose.

I think Iran may be playing the "nothing to lose" aspect highlighted here because a few years ago their country was named as one of the "Axis of Evil" and this was before there was an ostensible pursuit for nuclear power. (Actually, Bush's speech was a basic repeat of an essay written by Condi Rice in 1999 naming Iran, so going on at least 6 years, people in the Bush admin seem to have sights set on that country). In addition, since that now famous speech, Iran is looking at US military presence on both sides of their borders. They might be feeling some pressure, even though nothing has been officially stated about action in Iran.

 

[kurabrhm]

Russia is:

A. Selling Uranium to Iran.
B. Developing missiles to penetrate any US missile defense system.

Is Putin trying to start the cold war again? Is M.A.D. (mutually assured destruction) still seen as a good thing in Russia? I am perplexed, Russia certainly isn't on the US enemy list like it once was.

Surely, as far as the United States and Russia is concerned, one rather good way for America to get into the former Soviet Union in the post cold war age is to knock on Tehran''s door first. Of course, Tehran is a different sort of customer to Moscow. So its probably best for America to knock on their door lightly using mild mannered diplomats like Condoleeza Rice.

We're surely witnessing a gradual move away from Iraq to Iran, as far as the focus of American foreign policy is concerned.

Of course, its a much more subtle move by comparison to the move from Afghanistan to Iraq.

Who's next on "The Bride's" list? Maybe the next customer is Pyongyang.

 

[the Colonel]

Great discussion, folks.

 

[k]

Who's next on "The Bride's" list? Maybe the next customer is Pyongyang.

You know, that is something that has been a lurking question, at least for me. N.K. is well known for their crimes against humanity and nuclear weapons. For roughly the past 30 years the major human rights organizations have ranked N.K. at the top of the list. They were included in the Axis of Evil speech.

Yet, we hardly hear anything about what the US is doing to stop the evil tortures, murders, rapes, and illegal imprisonments of the people in N.K.

Not trying to get off thread topic, but I do see it directly relating to what Russia and Iran are doing because there are some clear international hard lined positions.

 

[QustantinahQuaker]

So they don't delude themselves and end up as has beens. Any nation would do the same. What, since the Cold War is over Russia has to be America's whipping boys?

 

[Jaruzelski]

They're just kissing Irans butt hoping the Iranians don't hand out nukes to the Chechens.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

 

[Doorak]

So they don't delude themselves and end up as has beens. Any nation would do the same. What, since the Cold War is over Russia has to be America's whipping boys?

Mate this is about the jist of the whole issue. Any proud people (anywere around the world) who are as influencial as any nation would do exactly that. What was good about the cold war? Only the fact that two political entities who had as much influence around the globe as eachother and had enough power to blow the globe up themselves was precicely that. They could blow life to nonexistence. So it was a face off. And neither was going to flinch and neither wanted to end life. Therefor neither would have a premptive strike if their country wasn't going to exist the next day. That to me was the only real good thing that the soviets possesed, the ability to instill a political and nuclear stalemate.

I'd never want to see one country so far ahead technologically that they could wage nuclear war (or anything at that scale) without being completely vulnerable themselves, hence their inability or unwillingness to engage in nuclear warfare since the end of the second world war.

 

[jurand]

Russia is engaging in bad games... They still consider post-Yaltan order as something good and desirable... something won by the Red Army. Word of apology will never come out of their mouth.

 

[Canada_Girl]

Russia is:

A. Selling Uranium to Iran.
B. Developing missiles to penetrate any US missile defense system.

Is Putin trying to start the cold war again? Is M.A.D. (mutually assured destruction) still seen as a good thing in Russia? I am perplexed, Russia certainly isn't on the US enemy list like it once was.

So the US should be the only world power to possess WMDs? Perhaps it was the US that was perceived to be the "rogue" state in its unprovoked war against Iraq, a sovereign nation, and other nations want to be equipped for self-defence? Just in case the US should have a hankering to invade another sovereign nation. Of course it's no secret that war is a great boon to the economy, and the military industrial complex is its most central generator of converting tax payers money into arms for trade and destruction. War is a big business and offers immense profits to those in the game...just as long as the "collateral damage" is done in someone else's country.

And don't get me started on the Bush-PNAC agenda for Strategic Missile Defence and their desire to test their space junk over Canada.