Is it incumbent on the West to ‘help’ Russia overcome its past of self destructive behavior and global domination?
According to André Fontaine of France’s Le Monde, if President Obama’s vision of a ‘strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,’ occupying ‘its rightful place as a great power’ were to come to pass without that – we’re all in trouble.
In this warning directed in large part at the United States, Fontaine writes:
“Brave, a good fellow, cultivated, sporty, a model father and husband … ? Whether people he unwittingly offends like it or not, Barack Obama is currently the most influential and, in any case, most popular statesman on the planet. Therefore, we need to pay great attention to what he says and does. And in particular, at the time of his recent trip to Moscow, to the manner in which he called for, ‘a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,’ occupying ‘its rightful place as a great power,’ and stated his belief that, ‘the days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over.’
“How much we would like to believe it! But can we? Russia’s recent interventions in Chechnya and Georgia; Putin’s statement to the effect that the collapse of the USSR is the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century; his refusal to condemn Stalin’s crimes; the peace of mind with which he and the oligarchs have carved fortunes out of the ruins of the Bolshevik state; the way in which he has dealt with the Constitution to retain at least an element of power that has come to an end; the murders of dissenting journalists – all this gives us the right to ask ourselves the question.
“The Russian giant is facing decline in every area, starting with the dramatically falling birth rate. Extending over 6.5 million square miles – compared to little more than 3.4 million square miles for the United States, Canada or China – and spanning 11 time zones, it remains by far the largest country in the world. But it’s a long way from being the most populous – the United States having twice as many inhabitants. The prevalence of alcoholism, smoking and criminality reflect a fairly general gloom. Where will it end? No one is interested in seeing a new page written on what Hélène Carrère d’Encausse has called, The Russian Syndrome – One Thousand Years of Political Murder. We must help this great nation.
By André Fontaine*
Translated By Helene Grinsted
August 1, 2009
France – Le Monde – Original Article (French)
Brave, a good fellow, cultivated, sporty, a model father and husband … ? Whether people he unwittingly offends like it or not, Barack Obama is currently the most influential and, in any case, most popular statesman on the planet. Therefore, we need to pay great attention to what he says and does. And in particular, at the time of his recent trip to Moscow, to the manner in which he called for, “a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,” occupying “its rightful place as a great power,” and stated his belief that, “the days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over.”
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