Is Russia's recent warning about a potential Cold War 2.0 a cause for concern?

[momentum_waves]

During the G8 debate & previous comments by Putin, has anyone noticed the apparent intelligence comparison between Putin & Bush?

Putin's thought processes & word selection seem fairly advanced.

 

[devil-fire]

To be outflanked you have to have players on the field, do you not?
The USA are also the self appointed protectors of the middle east, and to be very frank, they are, rather there politics are as hated in *eastern* europe as they are in the middle east. So who won what? All I see is a *weak* Russia tell the USA where they can put there *might* ,, leave it or lumpt it THAT is where they will have to put it, since no other pill will be swallowed!

Hearts and minds... Democracy... Hearts and minds...

the whole issue here is that the polices of the usa are causing hostilities between east and west and that doesn't benefit anyone except maybe the usa. if the usa is intent on a policy that's going to lower the stability in the region, anyone who's interests lay with stability (basically everyone in the region) will oppose the usa's policy there. if the americans agree to work with russia to combat what sounds like a potentially catastrophic threat, then people are going to be much more friendly

it isn't as simple as being "with or against" though because when people are considering their choices, they have to think of the impact of the american policy and the impact of the russian policy and the impact of their own choices (or lack there of) and how all that will play out. people are trying to side themselves with the lesser of 2 evils. a lot of this political maneuvering is about both putin and bush trying to advance their political and strategic goals without having everyone around them jump up and yell "they have an agenda that isn't good for me, i have to work against them!"

bottom line---
is bush positioning himself to start a war with russia like putin implies he is ( as per the whole arms race thing)? or is putin crying wolf to further some hidden agenda?

 

[mheslep]

Money? You obviously have not been to Moscow recently. There is a LOT of money in Russia right now. Regardless it never stopped them before... I don't think that would the reason why they won't start another cold war, its because the global political climate is very different than that of after ww2. The soviets are gone, and we have a new Russia, who is getting more and more rich.

That's a completely meaningless thing to say. Here's the fact: Russia's PPP GDP last year was $1.73 trillion. ...

Just noticed this fact so I'm adding to this old thread. Moscow is now the http://www.finfacts.ie/costofliving.htm" per the Economist Intel Unit. There's not that much GDP in Russia as a whole as Russ showed, but thanks to Putin et al what there is almost completely concentrated in Moscow since all of the power is there. So yes, if you visited Moscow now you would get the impression the country is loaded.