What is our relationship with Russia like now?

I don't know why the media is doing a blackout on Russia's relationship with us. I get constant email updates from stratfor telling me all about what's going on in Russia and in other parts in the world. I'm just curious what our relationship with Russia is right now and like really just why there is a total blackout in the news media about their resurgence.

Funny- I remember being upset recently because Georgia and Russia were at war. And I either got 'Oh, that sux!" or 'Georgia, You mean in America? What???"

But, I must admit I owe it all to Joel Rosenberg's 'Epicenter' - I heard the guy on Glen Beck and appeared to be very intelligent and versatile - I dont agree with some of his 'friends', so to speak, but regardless- He's already suggested Russia's rise and complete control. I get updates sometimes when it regards Russia.
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I noticed that too, everyone was like OH Russia's killing people over there? We should fight them.
OR
Georgia? Lol?

Regardless, we really have been kept in the dark about the whole thing, it probably has something to do with Putin saying he'd present evidence that US and NATO were the instigators of the entire conflict.

reply to post by Mr Headshot


Stratfor has been saying they've been dealing with Venezuela and they've been performing military exercises in Latin America.

I'm really curious as to why the media isn't covering this.

US/Russian relations? Well I would have to stay that they certainly are not friends. Both being respected powers I would have to say that they are in a positions where they cannot piss each other off out in the open.

Neither country can afford a war at this time. Reports and articles are crazy. Just remember that there is a human sitting there writing these things.

I saw a great documentary about US-Russian relations on the BBC the other night, I'll try and dig out the name of it.

The gist of it was that if you look at the world from Russian eyes, the Nato-isation of former USSR states and the installation of nuclear defense shields in Poland etc is viewed as a huge threat, and not just by the government but by the people. Most people in Russia would like to put communism behind them and move on (they've embraced capitalism in a big way and a lot of Russians are quite well off these days). But the argument is that if NATO isn't there as a deterrent to Russia, then what's it for? Therefore if NATO builds missile defense systems on Russia's doorstep of course they're going to have something to say about it.

There's no doubt in my mind that Russia is going to emerge as a rival superpower to the US in the next 5-10 years, and on most points Mr Putin's ideologies seems to fit with those of the US: Free trade and enterprise and freedom of the individual within the rule of law. The key difference is the D word, which many Russians don't seem to care about much anyway. People I've seen interviewed adore Putin and think he's the best thing to happen to the country in 50 years.

Maybe some people would prefer a strong and capable leader to a bunch of elected beaurocrats?

I'm fairly sure that if Putin and the next occupant of the Whitehouse were to sit down and have a few beers and put the world to rights, you wouldn't find much ideological difference between them. Which makes all the current anomosity a bit sad and dare I say it unnecessary, in my humble opinion.

What's also interesting is the different perspectives on the war with Georgia. Speak to a Western politician and it was a vile and blatant demonstration of old-style Russian military oppression. Speak to a Russian (or a Russian Ossetian for example) and you'll get a completely different story where actually Georgia was the aggressor and Russia took the only action available which was to defend its own people against what it saw as ethnic cleansing.

I guess the truth always lies somewhere between two peoples' opinions and the only way to find it is through discourse and attempting to understand (and sometimes challenge) each other's world views.

Well, at least we live in interesting times

I am personally under an impression that certain circles in US and current Russian leadership play for the same cause. Russia wants to become even more centralized and US military industry wants to sell more costly systems that terror threat won't push from congress. So even officials are criticizing each other no real damaging hostile actions are taken.
Also, from US/China/EU and Russian federation, Russia is the weakest and has minimal chances to be a side in bipolar world by itself. Its economy is weak and under government corporations (especially with low oil prices), population is smallest and technology and infrastructure inadequate. So to be a major player they will have to ally with someone ,and China that a lot here make automatically Russian ally ,is probably their last option. China considers large and rich part of Russia its own territory. I see no long term alliance between those guys.