The Uncommonly Soft Hardness of the USA

THE UNCOMMONLY SOFT HARDNESS OF THE UNITED STATES

The Americans will admonish Russia, shake their finger at Russia, but that’s about where it will end.

“I was very tough with Vladimir Putin,” confirmed George W. Bush before his flight from Beijing, reporting his conversation with the Russian leader. What was it exactly that the American president said to his fellow leader in the conversation; just that “violence is unacceptable.”

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev somehow were not that bothered by Bush’s words and it’s not just because Bush, soon departing from the White House, is more of a lame duck rather than a politician, who doesn’t have a lot left to say on the international field. Yet, history shows that international politics is a sphere where in the end, lame ducks can have significant influence on events.

The problem lies somewhere else. America is presently a little too tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan to have the strength and resources to seriously engage in activities elsewhere. The war in these two countries, as well as the conflict with Iran are absorbing the administration so much that barely has time even to focus on maintaining its interests in the Middle East, and even in this respect, they are already working on autopilot. Also, America is very aware that in such serious matters as this, it is better not to enrage members of the Security Council such as Russia or China. In addition, America needs the Russians to help in such matters as pressuring Iran.

To this we should add the fact that from the very beginning, George W. Bush’s administration has lived under illusions about the goodness of Vladimir Putin’s intentions (even though Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, is familiar with Soviet ideologies). An understanding of the administration’s trust gives a full picture of the situation.

The picture gets worse when one realizes that America’s actions have forced Georgia to take more extensive measures against Russia. It was in fact the United States who recently tried to force the idea of opening a road for this country toward NATO. It was Washington that trained and armed the Georgian army and Special Forces. It was the Americans who yesterday transported 2,000 Georgian soldiers from Iraq back to Georgia, so that they could fight Russia.

“It is essential that Russia be stopped right now through the mobilization of a common global initiative against the Russian invasion,” stated the advisor to the former US President Jimmy Carter. The only question is who will mobilize the West to such an initiative? America?