The World Becomes Cold

Though the transition from a close-to-bankruptcy nation to an almost super-power has been a fantastic one, Mr Putin's Russia should have taken some time off and taken a leaf from China's rise to power.

China, which has her own cats in the bag, rose to power in a more gradual and almostn on-conflictionary nature. Foreign policy was aimed at solidifying relationships abroad and with almost all sections of the globe. The west tried to tarnish China's image by talking of faulty products and banning some imports from China here and there, but the Chinese response was not of exclusion, rather it was one of controlled aggression.

The crowning glory was of course the Beijing Olympics, where China showed to the world its majestic performance both in building a totally new city (a lot of friends who went to Beijing say that its been almost totally re-constructed).

Today world leaders approach China with an awe and would want more Chinese presence in matters impacting the geo-political developments.

Russia, however, is different. It could of course be suffering from an inferiority complex; having become an almost defuntnation from a super-power in less than a decad and hten coming back up again. But Russia has her own rulers to blame for hte debacle and its doing it again.

Its commonly knowi that be it Stalin or Brezhnev, neither did anything to project a strong Russia. When I say strong, I mean internally strong. Russia is a continent in itself with far more diverse nationalities. sure the USSR was a strong nation, but eonomically it was a black hole and the sudden fall into almost bankruptcy augurs for that.

Its strength in number is mostly from the Asia whereas its rulers are mostly from the european zone. Its entry into Georgia and the subsequent recognition of two seperatist states as being indepedant could reveberate of the shame Russia had to face when Kosovo was recognised; but this step is rather surprising.

Mainly because the policy makers cite genocide in parts of Georgia while turning a blind eye to Chechnya and the Caucasas. In recognising independance for 2 smaller erst-while states of Gerogia, Russia may have actualy sown the seeds for a separatist movement in their own mother-land.

Frankly, Russia has China and India to thank for her surge in economic prowess for if it hadnt been their need for commodities; Russians would be still selling gas at a 10th of what it is now!