Almost a Great Trip in Moscow

When there are two kids on the school playground who are supposedly equal in fighting prowess, mutual respect peppered with a fear-driven hatred exists. Coalescing around the two strong boys are weaker ones whose interests are not so much for the betterment of their "strong boy" but rather for self-preservation.

In some cases, one of the strong boys may prove to be a fair and somewhat fatherly "leader" in the vein of Napolean: doling out just punishment to his followers only when they threaten disent within his ranks. The other strong boy may be a leader in the vein of Stalin: abusive, disrepectful and ever unpredictable meting out 'justice" in cold and vicious ways striking fear in the hearts of friends and foes.

One strong boy, unexpectedly, finds himself beat up by a lesser foe and from that moment forward, his former followers, sensing his weakened state, race for the protecting arms of strong boy two: the undefeated one. Strong boy one, beaten and lost, stumbles into a period of internal chaos; he is mocked and he is resentful. He knows that his strength is real but, poisoned by hubris, he over-reached and he was smashed and beaten by a foe unknown, weaker even, yet now victorious.

This is pretty much what happened when the Soviet Union collapsed. Not only did most of Eastern Europe and the former-Soviet Republics seek comfort in the expanding reaches of the United States; but, even so many Russia's citizens wanted to find a positive and permenant place in the eye of the victor. Pax Americana settled upon the world, upon a chaotic, poor and demotivated Russia. Many Russians were relieved and now hoped for the best.

Too Much Vodka

Say what you will about Yeltsin, a promoter of democratic freedoms, a stalwart against the communists who refused to die, but, most Russians are utterly embarassed by him. He was so drunk once he could not leave the plane after it had landed in Ireland. Russia was privatized by bandits and an oligarchy was born allegedly stealing the nation's biggest prizes from the people.

With the arrival of Putin, Russia very quickly put the Yeltsin era behind itself. Rising oil prices played into his hand of nationalism and today, the Russian nation, is once again proud, angry and as usual, it's own worst enemy. Of course, "all foreigners" are to blame with America leading the way, so says Putin. However, and trust me when I say that my emotions are more lined with extreme-frustration at their pettiness and wastefulness, than with any great love, our US government does nothing to make them feel any safer.

Putin has truly manipulated facts and suppressed all opposition to the point where what appears on TV here, in the papers, on the radio and in the mouthes of famous actors and entertainers is actually an even more effective and precise propaganda tool than it was 30 years ago.

Back then, everyone knew it was all lies but nowadays, the "truth" is veiled in the shroud of economic freedoms and so, Russians, having gained some experience of the outside world, now just put their conspiracy theories and disgust for governments onto all the world's governments; they believe that the conspiracies sold by Putin about the nefarious doings of other nations; after all, they reason, "all governments are probably like ours and so they would be expect nothing less from a foreign government."

This said, W's complete disregard for their national inferiority complex, although tough and cowboy-like, did nothing to ease tensions in the world. It didn't make our so-called "war on terror" any more effective as Russia was always dealing behind our backs--something as a nation they are really adept at (this is why they are master chess players).

With them not Without them

Progress with Iran cannot be had without Russia being in agreement with us. The moment President Obama arrived yesterday and started to talk about joint-cooperation, started to put Russia into a "regional" and even "world" power role it had not experienced since the late 1980's, amazingly, the main TV stations, the internet and the newspapers started to talk of a threat from Iran. President Medvedev told the nation that "the world is getting dangerous because of these rogue powers and together Russia and America must stop them."

The change in the government-backed rhetoric was so fast that even after I tried to bookmark one article to share with people, this morning, the page could not be opened. Perhaps, someone noticed that maybe the speed at their turnabout was simply too dizzying.

And today, as I ironed my shirt for worked and watched the Russia Today channel, government-backed propaganda but in English, my iron dropped and I nearly burned my shirt: President Obama was planning on meeting with opposition leaders in Russia and leaders of non-governmenal organizations (NGO).

Why would he jeopardize the success of the trip so that he could rub Putin's nose in the fact that, whether he considered Kasparov a legitimate politician or not, we do; and, we plan on meeting with him. Putin has effectively silenced all voices that are not lockstep with his party line.

Kasparov was made out to almost be a terrorist by the media. His supporters have been regulary beaten up by the police when and if they should meet. I have seen these beatings and they are disgusting, however, by meeting with Kasparov here in Moscow, President Obama will do absolutely no good for anyone.

Not Everyone wants to be an American

The naive and arrogant belief that the rest of the world wants to be "Americans" is one of our greatest downfalls in world affairs. Why do we believe that we can go to another country, friend or foe, and lecture people on how they should run their internal affairs. Yes, there are things that should be protested if they go against our core values but how can we come to a nation, sit with the president and prime minister of that nation and then meet with a politician they have a rabid fear of? How can we expect that that might do some good for an already strained relationship?

Kasparov is to Putin as Limbaugh is to Obama. Imagine President Medvedev leaving the meeting with President Obama in the US so that he could meet republican leaders of congress, Micheal Steele and fat-white Rush? Putin simultaneously would be telling black jokes with the head of the KKK; or better yet, meeting with some known, radical Muslim clerics. This is how the Russian leadership looks at the likes of Kasparov.

President Obama also met with leaders from an assortment of non-governmental organizations. Putin believes in his heart of cold-KGB-hearts that NGO's and civil society are the nicotine in the revolutionary cancers that have brought Ukraine, Georgia and other nations to their knees. He does not want his citizens solving problems; he does not want international organizations giving his people money so that they can provide for things that he is not capable of providing.

Putin travels to America and meets with Anarchists for America or the American Communist Party. Wouldn't all of the nation's press be up in arms? Wouldn't all Americans be protesting about such brazen behavior?

Why are we allowed to act as if other nation's historical nuances and paranoia's don't exist? Probably because we think everyone wants to be one of us, citizens of America, and it is our messianic duty to aid their transition along--just don't try to immigrate.

President Obama, this was a wrong move and whoever advised you on this should be fired. I await to see just who it shall be. Building bridges in international affairs to deal with terrorists and rogue states is great idea. It is wonderful idea compared to the idiocy of W's foreign policy mistakes/tragedies. Today, you built a bridge and mined it at the same time. Don't blow it up.

Tomorrow, the propaganda will start anew. Putin was made a fool today.