Why is Russia our enemy? 2/3
Hey Jordan —
Timely question given Flynn news this week.
You really should read that Economist piece. I’ve just started reading The Economist and I’ve become a big fan. Really thoughtful weekly. There’s also a good Frontline on Putin. That said, my hot take is this:
- Russia seems to be one of the world’s most aggressive kleptocracies. Putin, a lifelong government employee, might be one of the world’s richest men, and his circle of friends have become the richest in Russia. China might have more widespread corruption, but the brazenness and degree of it in Russia, seems to be staggering.
- There seems to be pretty good evidence that Putin has imprisoned and/or murdered a number of members of the press, dissenters, and potential business complicators. For obvious reasons, this stuff is a bit murky and hard to disentangle. There’s been a lot of reporting (which I’m sure you’d put in quotes) on it, so either it’s a very, very long and elaborate con or scary stuff.
- Russia seems to be an authoritarian state that uses nationalism and some amount of foreign intervention to help distract its population from the numerous fundamental problems with the economy. Foreign incursions and conflicts are used to reshape the national narrative of the moment. Certainly, they’re not the only country that does this.
Does that make Russia evil? Of course not. An ally of the United States/the West? I’m not so sure.
A few distinctions that are important to note based on how you framed this question/conversation:
Obama actually entered eight years ago with the same idea: he wanted to reset relations with Russia and enlist them as an ally. This seemed to be unsuccessful and he was (rightly?) criticized for his naiveté/being soft and for having gotten played by Russia. This idea of “make Russia/America friends” is not a new thought.
Why is Trump getting so much more heat than Obama? I think because he’s praised Putin to a degree that is unprecedented (he called him a better leader than Obama). And, of course, that is compounded by the degree to which there are many questions about Trump’s relationship with Russia. Does he owe money to those close to the government (real estate relies on loans)? Does he want to do some deals there (this has been discussed for years) and want to curry favor? Does Russia have blackmail material on him? Then, of course, there’s the hacking and all of that. You hand-waved it away, but, really, i think it’s context that matters for why many (myself, included) see smoke, and therefore, worry about fire.
Finally, it’s not the 1980’s. As you also know, then Russia was *the* enemy. The bogeyman that was an existential threat to the U.S. ISIS/”Radical Islam” and (sometimes) China play that role today. Instead, Russia is viewed as a troubling actor on the world stage and that we should be careful not to play into their hands. That doesn’t rule out “becoming friendlier.” There’s just real concern about ensuring we do so with eyes open, with pure motives, and smartly.
surya
