Another "Cold" War?

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Anti-Russian propaganda does exist in the American media but is not quite as easy to spot in news media as anti-American propaganda found in Russian media. Hollywood is responsible for much of the anti-Russian propaganda in America. The 2008 Indiana Jones instalment was highly criticized for its depiction of 1957 Soviet Soldiers being depicted as being sinister and evil causing movements to have the film banned from Russian cinemas. A video release for Metallica's nine minute song "All Nightmare Long" was modeled after old-time anti-Soviet propaganda showing Russia overcoming the United States' nuclear supremacy by releasing a spore that turned the entire US population into zombies.

Arms Race Alive and Well

Some question the validity of the world's concern about the possibility of another Cold War, defining a cold war as being between two world powers with comparable military force. Comparable or not, it as if for a moment these people have forgotten that Russia still has an entire arsenal of nuclear weapons that could easily destroy our planet ten times over. Non-proliferation treaties and test bans have slowed the production of nuclear weapons and show promise in reducing their numbers. It is becoming increasingly clear that reducing the number of nuclear weapons does not necessarily mean a safer world.

In late 2008, Russia decided to spend $141 billion in order to add 70 new strategic nuclear missiles over the next three years. This decision was made in light of agreements between Russia and the United States where the United States pledged to reduce their stockpile to between 1,700 and 2,200 missiles by next year. The reduction of numbers sounds good on the surface; however, efforts are being made on both sides simply to replace the older weapons with newer, more powerful and efficient weapons. The logic behind continued Russian and American proliferation is that if they let their stockpiles diminish; nations that depend on the umbrellas of the superpowers would be motivated to start creating nuclear weapons of their own.

It is true that the United States is far ahead of Russia when it comes down to conventional weapons. Russia is at least five years behind the United States in their fifth generation fighter jet program and Georgia has shown us that much of Russia's ground artillery hasn't been updated since the 1980's. The Cold War has never been about conventional weapons though. When it comes down to both sides still having a nuclear arsenal numbering in the thousands, does it really matter who has more?

Over the past 20 years the world has enjoyed the hope of peace between Russia and the United States. Is this hope realistic? How long will the peace last between these two very powerful and very different nations? Can the Cold War even be considered truly over, or has it simply been put on hold while Russia has been performing some much needed restructuring in order to stay alive?

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