Moscow Leaves Washington with a Bitter Taste Once More

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently issued a warning to the U.S., saying that it must forever abandon any “illusions in connection with the possibility of eliminating the Syrian problem” through military intervention. He also emphasized that it will be important to “liquidate the growing threat from extremist and terrorist groups for the welfare of the Syrian Arab Republic and stability in the entire region.”

The warning from Moscow shows that Russia will not allow the White House to perpetually give clandestine support to Russian anti-government organizations and public support to anti-government demonstrations in Red Square or continue its hypocritical statements on Russian human rights, elections and politics. Quite the contrary, Russia itself is capable of blocking the White House’s plans to utilize military action in Syria, thus stopping Washington short of that point of no return. During the Cold War, the White House shared a deep enmity with the former Soviet Union due to events, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Moscow’s daring to taunt the U.S. over the Syrian issue has left officials in Washington with a bitter taste in their mouths.

After World War II, two events occurred that were cause for celebration in Washington. The first was the Bretton Woods Conference that affirmed the dollar as the dominant trade and global reserve currency. Although the agreement resulted in a guarantee from Washington that the dollar would be fixed at $35 per ounce of gold, the rule had no legal efficacy, and the U.S. quickly turned its back on that promise by devaluing the dollar on multiple occasions as was convenient, thereby shrinking many countries’ reserves. Doing so allowed the U.S. to weather multiple crises and procure immense economic benefits for itself, as well as decades of prosperity as a consequence. The second event was the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, when the Russian economy collapsed and the value of the ruble plummeted. Yeltsin collapsed drunk in the middle of the night on Pennsylvania Avenue, and it was clear that Russia was no longer the adversary of the U.S., which then became the sole hegemon of the world.

Putin Pulls Obama from the Fire

Each time societal conflict in the U.S. reaches a certain level, popular dissatisfaction with the White House intensifies and gives rise to a series of protests. To divert this frustration among the populace, the president often seeks excuses at these times, creates news internationally or even starts a war. Former U.S. Presidents Johnson, Reagan, Clinton, Bush (senior) and George W. Bush have all used such means. Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, but is impatient all the same to use military force in Syria, having already sent aircraft carriers and battle groups armed with cruise missiles off the war-torn country’s coast in preparation for war without waiting for a consensus in the Security Council or the approval of the U.S. Congress. The rest of the world can practically smell the acrid scent of gunpowder wafting from Obama’s threat-laden televised speeches.

At present, the U.S. economic recovery is flagging and the housing market fragile, the deficit has marked new highs, the military and schools have been shaken due to a lack of funding, and the monitoring of personal communications has also inflamed the populace. Out of options, Obama wished, like his predecessors, to use the magic pill of war to solve his problems. The U.S. and other countries drafted a resolution for military action against Syria in the Security Council, but it obviously could not be passed in the face of Chinese and Russian opposition. Putin resolved the crisis by suggesting the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons, thus saving Obama from embarrassment. For if the U.S. invades Syria, it will be repeating the same disastrous policies as George W. Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq, placing the U.S. once more into an inextricable quagmire. It is entirely within the bounds of reason to say that it is Chinese and Russian cooperation that has wrested Obama back from sinking into this morass once more.

The Age of “The Word of the U.S. is Law” is Over

The U.S. is the only nuclear superpower in the world capable of striking any location in the world with a nuclear missile within two hours. Russia and China, on the other hand, have the capability to utilize mobile and underwater missile platforms for a nuclear retaliation against the U.S. After Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the Communist Party, Putin dispatched a special envoy to Beijing, which succeeded in convincing Xi Jinping to accept an invitation for a state visit to Moscow. Obama, on the other hand, lagged half a step behind. Although he initially phoned Xi Jinping to congratulate him on his election as president, the first offer for Xi to visit Washington was rebuffed. Xi’s decision to visit Russia instead struck a sensitive nerve for Obama, who immediately sent a special envoy to Beijing to engage in a round of amicable exchange, demonstrating Obama’s anxiety over closer ties between China and Russia.

On Washington’s Capitol Hill, there is an unwritten rule for weighing the White House’s political accomplishments. If Sino-Russian relations are tense, then the White House earns top marks; conversely, frequent exchange and amiable relations between the Asian powers are seen as a failure. Despite America’s status as a nuclear superpower, it is no longer the case that the outcomes of all issues around the globe are decided in Washington. If Beijing and Moscow do not play ball, then the U.S. is all bark and no bite. The U.S. is gradually but relentlessly pressing harder against Russia in Eastern Europe and placing missiles and next-generation radar systems in Japan under the pretext of warding off North Korea, all with the end goal of being directed against Moscow and Beijing. The U.S. has also played an extremely unsavory part in egging Japan on in the Diaoyu dispute, but while it has caused more problems for China, it has also prompted China and Russia to work together more closely against the White House.