"We Are Not Beginning a New Cold War, We Are Well Into It": Stephen Cohen on Russia-Ukraine Crisis
“For the first time in my lifetime, since the Cuban missile crisis, hot war with Russia is imaginable,” Nation contributing editor Stephen Cohen told Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman on Thursday. Cohen, a Russia historian and expert on US-Russia relations, slammed the Obama administration for suggesting that the crisis in Ukraine was exclusively due to “Putin’s meddling,” and warned against a build-up of NATO forces near Russia’s borders. In an effort to end the crisis, Russia, Ukraine, the US and the European Union will begin talks today in Geneva. “Putin will compromise at these negotiations,” Cohen warned, “but he will not back off if confronted militarily.”
—Sam Adler-Bell
http://www.thenation.com/blog/179399/stephen-cohen-new-cold-war-already-underway
Transcript
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/4/17/we_are_not_beginning_a_new
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Both countries are run by oligarchs (U.S. and Russia) Keeping their citizens in fear is needed by both countries. Putins popularity was
dropping before this incident, now it is at 80%.. neither country wants its citizens to peek behind their curtain.
IMO, Obama has (at least) made terrible choices in dealing with Russia. Unless, of course, this is just more Kabuki theater to distract citizens from what is becoming evident and officially reported ("Study proves America is now officially Oligarchy not Democracy"
. Now Obama "wants to save face" over his previous ultimatums to Russia (including the aggressive sanctions) yet he had no problem negotiating away universal health care for Americans before the official "negotiations" even began.
Either this administration is creating an environment charged for a "hot war" with Russia (another cold war has already began) or it is increasing the Kabuki theater in an attempt to stall the inevitable realization (by the masses) of Americas status as a non-democratic oligarchy.
We don't see this type of behavior coming from Sweden, Germany, Iceland, etc. These countries are Democratic and answerable to their citizens. America and Russia (each with outlandish military arsenals and starving citizens) are answerable to their corporate and military masters. "Our" SCOTUS has codified this (finally). It was happening illegally prior to their decision to bring the corporate masters
into a "legal person-hood status."
Democracy in America is dead. I am not particularly blaming Obama, it would've eventually become evident to the masses anyway.
I can only hope that the masses will realize this and protest by the millions to change it. I believe that if we had a gop administration it would be worse and probably slower surfacing or surfacing at the end of a gun.
