Russia - Movement in our Peripheral Field of View

It is an unfortunate reality of the "complex" composed of (i) the mainstream press and (ii) those with their hands on the levels of power in Washington, that only one thing can be the focus of attention at any one time. With talk of nationalizing the major banks, the Dow testing new lows and GM and Chrysler accompanying their business plans (which were required in connection with their previous bailout) with a new request for billions, there is no doubt that the focus is on the economy.

Unfortunately for America, independent actors around the world are constantly assessing, and reassessing, their chances of advancing their own agendas. Often, their best chance is when the US is distracted by other things.

The current US economic situation has no obvious solution (other than time) and pretty much everything that anyone has suggested that the federal government do, has been tried. But we are incapable of turning our attention to other things while the remedies which have just been approved are given a reasonable period of time to suceed or fail. We must continue to stare at the problem to the exclusion of our other myriad interests. The economy is the "mother" of all distractions.

Nevertheless, if we try to attend to the information streaming in from peripheral fields of view, and try to make sense of the information, some pretty troubling things come to mind.

Let me briefly discuss one: Russia. In the recent past, Russia has:

• Fought a war with one of its small neighbors (that used to be part of the empire) and occupied a portion of its territory and "recognized" the sovereign independence of two regions thereof (while at the same time issuing Russian passports to persons resident in those areas, which suggests incorporation into the new Russian Empire, not independence). This country has a vital oil pipeline crossing its territory which is owned by western (i.e. non-Russian) interests carrying Azeri oil to western markets. This pipeline was built at great expense, and with massive American diplomatic support, precisely because it would afford a transportation route for the oil that did not run through Russian territory.

• Induced another former part of its empire, through a combination of threats and the promise of remuneration, to close down a NATO airbase that is vital for operations in Afghanistan.

• Demonstrated to Europe, for the second time, its total dependence on Russia for energy supplies by turning off the taps, while bringing to its economic knees a former Soviet Republic that dared to seek incorporation within western organizations (EU and NATO).

• Threatened two eastern European countries who had agreed to base US anti-ballistic missiles (designed to protect the US and Europe from Iranian nuclear attack) that it would install nuclear missiles in Kaliningrad (on the Baltic) and aim those missiles at those two countries.

• Proceeded full bore with its plan to supply Iran with nuclear material for a nuclear reactor which will produce waste that can be made into weapons grade material.

• Sold weapons and provided other forms of encouragement to the South American country which is doing the most to promote anti-Americanism in the region and which is seeking to undermine democratic governments in the region by massive infusions of money to leftist politicians running for high office.

• Triggered a global struggle for resources in the Arctic oceans with provocative acts such as planting Russian flags on remote islands and even the seabed.

And that is just the stuff we know about. We are not attuned to the myriad things passing under the radar: pressure on oil-producing Kazakhstan, energy deals with China in return for China remaining ineffective with respect to reigning in North Korea, massive interference in the internal politics of Ukraine and Moldova, theft and confiscation of western economic interests in Russian industry and energy production, and heavy-handed pressure on western majority owners of the CPC Pipeline to cede effective management control of the only oil pipeline to transit Russian territory not within state control.

A few years ago people were wringing their hands about identifying a new mission for NATO. We need to remember the original mission; the job is not done.

What I have outlined above would be sufficient to establish Russia as the number one threat to American interests around the globe without even considering the harm wrought to American interests by the American response to such provocations. That response is less than anemic. Our policy toward Russia (started by Bush and heightened by Obama/Biden/Clinton) is to treat Russia as a slightly wayward friend who is not smart enough to perceive that its own best interest lies with alignment with the US. A wayward friend whose help needs to be solicited (and purchased) with respect to a major problem: Iran. The Russians are happy to continue playing the Iran card and collecting concessions about as long as The Great Leader is prepared to play the nuclear card and collect round after round of economic bribes from the US and South Korea.

The world is a tough neighborhood. You have to pay attention and have your wits about you. If your mental construct of the world is fundamentally flawed, you are not equipped to make sense out of the actions of others, let alone anticipate their next move. If you can not think three or four or five moves ahead, you are destined to lose; it’s just a matter of time.

Maybe we should make a concerted effort to enlist our best and brightest (and most experienced) to focus on our international interests, not just our most politically ambitious.