Comments on: The March Of The Apologists http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:15:32 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Grumpy Old Man http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/comment-page-1/#comment-13060 Grumpy Old Man Sat, 09 Aug 2008 18:28:35 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/#comment-13060 There's an old notion of Russia as a tyrannical autocracy, and some Jews are reflexively anti-Slavic, especially anti-Russian, for historical and religious reasons. See <i>Borat</i>. There’s an old notion of Russia as a tyrannical autocracy, and some Jews are reflexively anti-Slavic, especially anti-Russian, for historical and religious reasons. See Borat.

]]> By: VA_Paleocon http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/comment-page-1/#comment-13047 VA_Paleocon Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:46:47 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/#comment-13047 I was thinking more along the lines of the U.S. relationship with Central America and the Carribean Basin, but the comparison to the Commonwealth of Nations is a good one too. Maybe its because I didn't live through the Cold War except at its tail end as a child, but why is it so hard to grasp for some people that Russia is a completely different entity from the Soviet Union? I was thinking more along the lines of the U.S. relationship with Central America and the Carribean Basin, but the comparison to the Commonwealth of Nations is a good one too.

Maybe its because I didn’t live through the Cold War except at its tail end as a child, but why is it so hard to grasp for some people that Russia is a completely different entity from the Soviet Union?

]]> By: Daniel Larison http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/comment-page-1/#comment-13046 Daniel Larison Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:40:20 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/#comment-13046 Well, it depends on how far back you want to go. Those lands were part of the Russian Empire until 1917, and at least in Estonia there is still a sizeable Russian minority whose interests Moscow might claim to be protecting in the future. Maybe entitled is the wrong word to describe this. Russia is going to have influence in former Soviet states, whether through energy supplies or other means, because of proximity, economic interdependence and cultural and historical ties. Plus, the sheer disparity of power between Russia and its neighbors will mean that Moscow will have significant influence among its neighbors. So long as the smaller states' legal independence is assured, this is not necessarily a bad arrangement. Ideally, the CIS could function like the Commonwealth as an organization that recognizes historical ties between the various states and works to forge better relations among them. When Britain collaborates with the Commonwealth, it isn't proof that Britain feels entitled to rule over its former colonies, but it recognize that there are economic and political ties that exist because of a previous colonial relationship. That is the sort of arrangement that I would like to see and it is an arrangement that I think could prevail if outside powers didn't treat the ex-Soviet republics as states that have to be turned into anti-Russian buffer zones. Well, it depends on how far back you want to go. Those lands were part of the Russian Empire until 1917, and at least in Estonia there is still a sizeable Russian minority whose interests Moscow might claim to be protecting in the future. Maybe entitled is the wrong word to describe this. Russia is going to have influence in former Soviet states, whether through energy supplies or other means, because of proximity, economic interdependence and cultural and historical ties. Plus, the sheer disparity of power between Russia and its neighbors will mean that Moscow will have significant influence among its neighbors.

So long as the smaller states’ legal independence is assured, this is not necessarily a bad arrangement. Ideally, the CIS could function like the Commonwealth as an organization that recognizes historical ties between the various states and works to forge better relations among them. When Britain collaborates with the Commonwealth, it isn’t proof that Britain feels entitled to rule over its former colonies, but it recognize that there are economic and political ties that exist because of a previous colonial relationship. That is the sort of arrangement that I would like to see and it is an arrangement that I think could prevail if outside powers didn’t treat the ex-Soviet republics as states that have to be turned into anti-Russian buffer zones.

]]> By: VA_Paleocon http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/comment-page-1/#comment-13044 VA_Paleocon Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:27:07 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/09/the-march-of-the-apologists/#comment-13044 Daniel, I'm curious when you say Russia is entitled to influence in the former Soviet territories, are you including the Baltic states? I'd put them in a different category since they were illegally annexed through the Hitler-Stalin pact. Daniel, I’m curious when you say Russia is entitled to influence in the former Soviet territories, are you including the Baltic states?

I’d put them in a different category since they were illegally annexed through the Hitler-Stalin pact.

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