The Russian Bear Awakens!

Just what exactly has the Kremlin been up to lately? While we here in America have been enthralled with our latest Presidential Election, the Russians have slowly, quietly been traveling the world reaching out to our enemies and allies alike with the sole intent of strengthening their relationships with them. In the last 3+ months Dmitry Medvedev and our boy Vlad "The Mad" Putin have been to Cuba, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Venezuela and the list goes on.

At each one of these stops they have spoken of entering into new "strategic" relationships with these countries while at the same time pointing their finger in the direction of the US and calling for restraint. This is bizarre behavior unless you remember what the M.O. for the Russian's was BEFORE they became our friends. For those of us who remember the Cold War this is nothing new. This is Russia flexing it's muscle and doing it's best to spread it's brand of governement throughout the whole of the free world.

Times have changed and there is no longer Communism in the Russian State or so we have been told. If one takes a closer look at the modern-day Russia one will start to see that there is indeed a resurgence in that type of thinking and with Putin behind the scenes doing what he can to bring about a new Russian superpower, the times they are a changing!

The most recent provocation seems to be Russia inserting itself into the Afghanistan situation by promising millions in aid to Kyrgyzstan in exchange for their promise to NOT let us use their airbases to re-supply our troops in that region. I'm sure we will continue to use the airbase but is seems that Russia is going to make us pay a heavy price in order to keep this priveledge.

If you listen carefully you can almost hear the low, gutteral, growl of the bear as it slowly awakens from it's long winter's hibernation and ravenous, it begins it's search for it's long awaited meal.