American Diplomatic Opinions on Russia

[Chockstock]

As WikiLeaks continues to do its idiotic deed, there are the cables that reveal American views on Russian politics and Putin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/world/europe/02wikileaks-russia.html

This is the NYTimes article on a summary of what was found. I read it and have a question that I wonder if anyone here can answer. Why in the hell do we care so much about how democratic Russia is? Or if there is wide-spread corruption there? I sense that this is related to some Americans' demand that countries embrace American style democracy. Or that it somehow bothers us to be working with a "dictator." Last time I checked, we were working together to end piracy, check Iran, and have a blast on the ISS. Who cares what Putin does as long as he cooperates with us? I mean, seriously. The cables criticize him on having a poor work ethic. As stupid as I think the diplomats who did this are, I have wracked my brain for some time, because Russia must have be of incredible importance to US national security but I still can't fathom how and I am confuzzled beyond belief. Otherwise, there would be no reason for our diplomats to dissect this man and his country nearly at the stalker level.

Chockstock

 

[bruno]

I don't get it- what do you think makes the Diplomats "stupid"? that they did their job and recognized the reality of doing business in and with Russia; or that they were "stupid" for having put into writing their observations and analysis of Russia?
What do you think that the crafts of intelligence and diplomacy are supposed to be doing if not doing the above? It would be distressing to me if they hadn't come to the conclusions that everyone who has ever done business in Russia has recognized : that corruption is endemic, that the power of the President there is still virtually unchecked, that decisions are made not on their merits but on how they benefit the decision maker, and that the FSB is still alive, well and very active.
I suppose that we could deal blindly or with unrealistic views of the leader of the worlds second largest Nuclear arsenal and is a major weapons exporter, not to mention the leader of a country that forms the eastern border of NATO, the leader of a country that has some tremendous economic growth potential. Alternatively we could base our "reset" on understanding who we are dealing with and how they work and make decisions. It seems pretty straight forward to me.

 

[raimius]

You cannot effectively conduct foreign policy if you do not understand who you are dealing with. It is one of the fundamental rules of foreign policy and human interaction in general.

You don't tailor your offers to the legislature's priorities if the president is the one who will decide, etc...

 

[Chockstock]

Makes sense now . Perhaps the writers should put it in a more analytical rhetoric. The cables, or at least NYTimes, makes whoever was studying Russia sound like they were complaining and resenting Russian politics without any reason. The article is an endless slam on Putin and the Kremlin.

 

[bruno]

Makes sense now . Perhaps the writers should put it in a more analytical rhetoric. The cables, or at least NYTimes, makes whoever was studying Russia sound like they were complaining and resenting Russian politics without any reason. The article is an endless slam on Putin and the Kremlin.

I'm moving this thread to off topic. It's not Academy or military news.

I would waste no crocodile tears on Mr Putin. He deserves pretty much one endless slam. He has basically turned much of Russia into a government sponsored criminal business enterprise mixed with a strongly nationalist bent that nurses a strong grudge against the west and the US in particular and against the former Warsaw pact nations and former republics of the USSR that have broken away from him.

 

[Just_A_Mom]

Why in the hell do we care so much about how democratic Russia is? Or if there is wide-spread corruption there?

This quote alone demonstrates the generation gap. Wow.


It's one big soap opera. If it weren't so disturbing the bromance between Putin and Berlusconi is amusing.

 

[hornetguy]

I hope you're defining a generation as 2 years! Raimius and I are not much older they him! I think it's just confinement to academia as well as lack of exposure which will come soon enough!