4/5/2014

Russia Is Not The Soviet Union | Indyposted

RussiaIsNotTheSovietUnion
POLITICS March29,2014,byGeneGiannotta
ShareonTwitter ShareonFacebook

InthewakeofRussiasannexationofCrimeaearlierthismonth,observershavebeeneagertofindapt historicalcomparisons.AnobviousonewasNaziGermanysAnschlussofAustriain1938,whichAdolf HitlerjustifiedbyassertingthatallGermanicpeoplesshouldbeunderonegovernment.VladimirPutin, meanwhile,arguedthatethnicRussiansinCrimeaneedednotjustMoscowsprotectionbuttobecomepart ofRussiaagain. PutinisntHitler.Butanothercomparisonseemsevenmoreobvious,andprobablyhardertodismiss. ThatstheoneclaimingthatPutinsRussiaposesathreatonparwiththeSovietUnion.Easytoassume giventheColdWartrappingsofmuchofthecrisis,butnotquitetruewhenyoudigdeeperintothefactsof modernRussia. TheWashingtonPostsAdamTaylordidjustthatthisweek,offeringsomeusefulinfographicswith numberscomparingtheWestandEastthenandnow.Specifically,itshowsthatwhiletheUSSRandits WarsawPactalliesposedaconsiderablethreateventowardtheendoftheColdWar,todaysRussian militaryisfarlessimposing. Backin1986,thearmedforcesofNATOandtheUSSRWarsawPacteachtotaledmorethantwelvemillion whencombiningactivedutyandreserves,withtheEastholdinganadvantageofalmosttwomillion.Today, Russiasarmedforcesonlynumberabout800,000,withanadditional2millionreservists.Thatposeslittle threatagainstNATOscombined6million.TheU.S.activedutyarmedforcesalonenearlydoubles Russias.
http://www.indyposted.com/249540/russia-soviet-union/ 1/2

4/5/2014

Russia Is Not The Soviet Union | Indyposted

WhatRussiadoesstillhaveanedgeonisthenumberofnuclearweapons.Itsarsenalremainsmorethan doublethatoftheUnitedStates.ButitisnttheSovietUnionanymore,andcertainlydoesntholdthesame levelofgeopoliticalsignificanceastheUSSRdid. ThatmakesMittRomneysclaimin2012thatRussiaisournumberonegeopoliticalfoeabithardto swallow.Buthebroughtitupagain thismonth,andwasnttheonlyone.Sen.JohnMcCain(RAriz.),who ranagainstObamain2008,piledonthecriticismwhenhesaid Obamabelievesthecoldwarwasover. VladimirPutindoesntbelievethecoldwarisover. ThatmindsetprobablyhelpsexplaininpartwhyPutindoeswhathedoes,butitdoesntreallydomuchto justifyarguingthattheworldweliveinisequivalent.Internationalorderhasclearlybeenshaken,andthe implicationsofthatcouldposethreatstoAmericaninterests.Somethingalongthoselinesisprobablythe kindoffoeRomneymeant,inamorenuancedwaythansomeofhiscriticspresent.ButPutinsRussia, howevermuchitmightseektoantagonizeU.S.hegemony,issimplynotamilitaryorideologicalthreatlike theoldSovietUnion,evenifhewishesitwasandtalksandactsaccordingly. [photocredit:GettyImages]

http://www.indyposted.com/249540/russia-soviet-union/

2/2