Russia – Natural Ally

I watched a movie last night that got me thinking about Russia and naturally the Russians.  I studied Russia as both a high school and college student and have always been fascinated by their intriguing and rich history.  I really enjoyed the competition at the Olympics, from Valery Borzov sprinting, the infamous Russian basketball win with Alexander Belov’s seemingly impossible basket, to the miracle on ice – it was a great rivalry. When I joined the Army at the height of the Cold War the Russians immediately became enemy number one and I trained very hard on the best ways to kill them.  I kind of like the Russia that has emerged from the ashes of the Soviet Union.  They went through and in some instances are still going through some incredibly tough times but I love the Russian spirit.  I really believe they are America’s most natural ally.  The US made a mistake by dismissing them as irrelevant when the depth of the incompetence of the USSR was revealed.  We are still paying for that slight – the last thing the Russians will ever be is irrelevant.  As we move deeper into the 21^st Century and get to know each other better I honestly believe they should be equal partners with us.  Russians and Americans are so much alike it’s kind of scary.  We’re both deeply patriotic, frontier nations who value strong leadership.  The Russians were the first nation to recognize the danger of radical Islam in Chechnya and realized there is no negotiation with them.  The rest of the world reacted with horror but in the Post-9-11 world we now realize the Russians got it right.  As the generations of Cold Warriors are dying out on each side with the entrenched, life long distrust of each other, I really hope the new generation in each country will realize what natural partners we are.  China’s emergence as a true super power both economically and increasingly militarily also makes it a prudent union.  I think both countries have an unfortunate fascination and almost need to be accepted by the traditional European powers.  The Europeans will always look down on both Russia and the U.S., with an almost childish resentment of the power and drive each country possesses.  I like to think of the US and Russia as beer drinkers who enjoy hanging out together at the bar while effeminate Europe drinks wine and whispers behind our back about how crass we are.  I think the US should abandon the centuries old need for approval from our parent European countries and reach out to our natural friend and partner – Russia.  I think we’ll find there’s a lot to like about each other.