Russia Sidelined?

That’s what Putin is saying these days. The western nations (read USA) are sidelining Russia. From what to what is my question? And who are the actors?

Well Putin apparently thinks he has no role or blame in this game but he does. In fact, he has been the only player in the game for the past two years. All by his own design. The results he had hoped for, however, are not the ones he has gathered.

The failed ruble is one consequence. Soaring military expenses is another. Exploding overhead costs of his government is yet another. But the Russian economy hasn’t grown to pay for it. Just the opposite; it is contracting. And that spells real trouble for the Russian people: unemployment, failed pensions (again!), restrictive public information and journalism, stormy moods and autocratic decrees. They don’t deserve this.

Neither does the West deserve the blame for these troubles.

For some reason Putin feels his country is not getting the respect it deserves. Yet he continues to project his persona to the rest of the world community as proxy of the Russian people. And that persona is not very nice. Let’s see: sweet talked the world as host of the Olympics, but massed his military to take over the Crimea immediately following the close of the Olympics. Coincidence? Bah!

Then, adventures in Ukraine with his thugs acting in place of the Russian army, but the disguise was too thin. Finally the army did enter Ukraine and no disguises at all.

Shooting down two airline passenger planes as well. Adventurous feelers orchestrated elsewhere in the old Soviet region. It appeared then and now he wants the old USSR back under his tutelage. And the military exercises around the globe? Really Mr. Putin!  You expect the rest of the world to respect you while you play military games?

Trying to bully us again, Putin? Shame on you. Perhaps your people may fall for this but I truly doubt it. For sure the rest of us don’t fall for it.

You think you are challenging America? President Obama? You fail to capture the reality of the situation. President Obama is your greatest ally in normalizing Russia’s situation. Cooperate with him and you will be stunned at the consequences. He wants peace and goodwill. Not power or hegemony. Those old days are gone. For everyone in the world but you, evidently.

The globe is now much smaller than it once was due to increased technology, flow of information, educational expansions, and a much more swift-acting flow of economics irrespective of national borders. Russia has seen benefits from this, but it requires cooperation, collaboration and joint invention. Like the Space Station. It takes a global community to make the most of the Space Station. Money, know-how and people power. Shared work by many nations. No one is fully in charge of that.

Collaboration is like that. It takes a sense of fair play and freedom to make good things happen. Play a power game and collaboration disappears instantly. It was free; and now it’s gone.

Mr. Putin, you are not the emperor of the world. You are the leader of Russia. Only. Get with the other nations and participate in what we can all accomplish together. In peace and respect.

That’s the respect you want. And that’s no sidelining, either. In fact it is main lining. Russia deserves to be in the middle of things. But to get there requires a different behavior.

When might we expect you to join us?

December 22, 2014