Russian Star Wars Offer is Golden Opportunity

Frustrated with the Bush administration’s desire to put parts of an unworkable and nonfunctioning missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russian President and Chekist Vladimir Putin offered the US and its allies use of a Russian-controlled radar center in Azerbaijan as part of the overall system. The White House appears to be thinking about the proposal, which a wise man would grab with both hands. The essential point isn’t that the missile defense system will change the global strategic balance. The important thing is to have the Russians in the tent rather than outside it.

One cannot hope to understand the Russian political mind without an understanding of Russian history, which largely involves being invaded, losing millions of lives, and then watching the invader freeze to death. In other words, winning costs the Russians a great deal, and it would be better if the whole thing could be avoided. The Russians, like most people, don’t want to be surrounded by rivals, let alone enemies. Indeed, they’d prefer not to be surrounded at all. The Warsaw Pact was significant to the former Soviet Union because it guaranteed any attack from the West would be countered before Russia proper got hit.

America figures heavily in Russian security considerations these days. Mr. Bush is seen as an aggressive individual (if not an aggressor), and presents a danger to the well-being of the Russian state. Ditto the Chinese who remain communists and don’t seem to have all the economic and social troubles of Russia. To outsiders, this view (which Mr. Putin no doubt held as a member of the KGB) is mildly paranoid. To those in the Kremlin, it is merely a realistic assessment of risk.

Russia, therefore, becomes more problematic for its neighbors and the world as it feels more insecure. One does well to remember that while Mr. Bush is worried about an Iranian nuke, Russia has over 10,000 of them. If, as Mr. Bush said, the Russians are not America’s enemies, they ought to be treated more as friends. This is not an argument for appeasement, but instead is a recognition that Russia can help make America more secure if the US is prepared to embrace the Russians rather than ignore them.

The technical wizards say that the Azeri radar site at Gabala can’t be used as Mr. Putin suggests (what difference, though, since the system Mr. Bush wants can’t work anyway). Others will point out that the natural secretiveness of American and Russian military types will derail any cooperation (as it has in the past – World War II notwithstanding). Countless other reasons may exist for continuing the confrontational approach that both Washington and Moscow have adopted of late. However, the benefits of an entente cordiale between the two nations far outweigh the risks of trying to improve relations. As LBJ said of J. Edgar Hoover, “It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.” Same goes for Mr. Putin.

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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