Back to the U.S.S.R.

From left: Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (AP Photo/ RIA Novosti, Vladimir Rovionov, Presidemtial Press Service )

They’ve built Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Payment for that work and oil revenues on the global free market has not only made the middle east flush with wealth Russia is now regaining it’s status as a superpower and what better way to demonstrate their renewed oil generated power than by punishing the pro Western state of Georgia for all the world to take note.

Iran expects its first Russian-built nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr to come on stream in early 2009, reported Press TV.—Business Intelligence

The United States often credits President Ronald Regan for bringing down the Soviet Union by an escalation of military spending thus defeating the U.S.S.R. and ending the cold war between the Soviet Communist and America.

You think that the breakup of the Soviet Union, years of economic down turn and lose of world esteem might have been a little embarrassing for Russia?

Do you think that Russia regaining its economic strength would be good for America or the Western world?

The excuse for the Russian attack is South Ossetia, a breakaway province bordering Russia that Georgia claims as its own but whose heavily Russian-speaking population is supported by Moscow in its bid for independence.

But the more likely cause is Moscow's determination to demonstrate to Georgia and Ukraine, another pro-Western member of the old U.S.S.R., that the West, especially Washington, can't help them. And that membership in NATO is a no-no.—John Farmer, The Star-Ledger

Well considering that it is Russia and China that opposes the United States on the United Nations Security Council continually and it is Russia that is propping up Iran we could be right in the midst of Cold War II and not even aware of it.

How did the Georgian war begin? According to the Council on Foreign Relations Russia started it;

This “war”—and I think that is a more appropriate term than “conflict”—began in earnest at the end of last week when the Georgians responded to shelling from the Russian-controlled part of South Ossetia into their own portion of the province and maybe into Georgian territory proper. But this was only the spark that produced the big fire.

The confrontation has been building for several months, and one might even say for several years. The big increase in tension came in April when the Russians announced that they would upgrade their relations with the two breakaway provinces of Georgia—Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They followed that by increasing the troop contingent that they had in those provinces, essentially a peacekeeping force.

They increased military pressure, shooting down Georgian drones and sending Russian aircraft over Georgian territory. The expectation of many observers was that they were looking to exert a kind of pressure that would cause the Georgians to respond in some way that would then make it possible for Russian forces to come in and strike.-- Stephen Sestanovich, CFR senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies (see here)

Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze believes that Russia started this war too: (See Video about 6 mins)



Whether it’s Cold War or Oil Wars Russia has halted its military action in Georgia for now with a message to the world.

Economy strength is back in Russia and boy how lucky we are.