Sheldon Richman
fff.org
March 5, 2014
With Russia and the United States confronting each other over Ukraine, the world is at a dangerous juncture. While the chances of war between the two behemoths seem small — these are, after all, nuclear powers that have avoided war for over 60 years — nothing can be taken for granted. No one wanted the Great War that began in central Europe a century ago this year either, but things can get out of control. Governments are run by human beings who, perhaps more than others, are tainted by arrogance, vainglory, and the fear of humiliation.
What’s most worrisome is not what Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing in Crimea and threatening to do in eastern Ukraine. Not that Putin’s actions are good or justified — they are neither. What’s most worrisome are the actions of the U.S. government, which could aggravate the conflict.
U.S. regimes from George H.W. Bush onward have done their utmost to demean Russia and its rulers. In violation of Bush’s promise to Mikhail Gorbachev, NATO expanded its membership to include states formerly part of the defunct Soviet Union’s empire and publicly talked about admitting both Ukraine and another former Soviet republic, Georgia. The United States has also cut deals with former Soviet republics in central Asia, further putting Russian rulers on edge.
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