Saturday, July 02, 2016

JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: A READER COMMENT ON A REPORT OF PUTIN'S REMARK ABOUT CAMERON MAYBE BLACKMAILING EUROPE - OBTUSE COLD WAR THINKING STILL SURVIVES - AMERICA'S REAL INTERESTS


Comment to another reader’s comment:


“Why don't you ask the Ukrainians, the Poles, the Lithuanians, the Latvians etc what they think of Russia.”

Actually, your comment is exceptionally obtuse.

Those countries have old sore spots and antipathies from the days of the USSR, but I hardly think it wise to build a future on those.

The United States understands exactly how to manipulate those old feelings, and it does so.

Of course, anyone interested in peace, genuine peace, would not do so.

But the American establishment is interested only in control and manipulation for its own strategic interests.

Strong positive relations between Russia and Europe would not only bring stability and peace, everyone would be richer with greatly increased trade and prospects. Russia has immense resources, both human and mineral, to work with Europe's more advanced economy.

The classical economics argument for the EU’s existence, expansion of trade for all and increased wealth, goes double for the case of Russia.

So apart from threatening peace, the US position is quite literally making Europeans poorer and missing opportunities in the name of "containing" Russia.

Just pathetically stupid.