Anyone else think that the Cold War went underground to be morphed into a new Hot War?

[Skidmore]

With this assassination of Ms. Bhutto, *'s continued support for Musharraf and religious extremist governments in the ME, his failure to get bin Laden, the Kabuki dance of the nukes with Putin, and the adamant insistence on continuing the neocon debacle in Iraq, it would seem that the old fault lines of world power are still there. It is still the US vs. Russia with the fisticuffs being carried out by new surrogates in the ME rather than in the Far East.

[ThomWV]

1. Actually, no I don't. The cold war was economic, this is idoligical

At least that is how it seems to me. The fundamentals of the Cold war were economic and a continuation of WW-II. This world wide unrest we see today seems to be driven as much by religion gone wrong (and then backed my massive economic interests) as it was by raw greed.

I could be dead wrong on this and I would love to see what others think.

[Echo In Light]

3. Invariably elements of both. But I agree: the fundies are pathological/apocalyptic

The BIG question is, will WW3 serve to - as all wars have specific stratagems with specific goals/aims - usher in the required setting for a more overt world govt? ...or will it simply be The End ...or a period of transformation, cosmic 'good' vs 'evil'? Depends on one's spiritual beliefs and views.

[MessiahRp]

5. While the end result was economic collapse, the first cold war was just as ideological

Remember Ike pressing the whole 'Godless Communists' theme? His farewell address, which seems to fit our current government, actually speaks of the ideology of communism.

For the RW war is about power and control and conveniently enough the entire point of religion is to have power and control over it's followers (faith in god is just that, religion however is a set of rules in a man made environment, a so-called "morality" club). By merging both interests they gain stronger control and can use both the preacher's pulpit and the bully pulpit to push ideological views that enforce their world view that America is not just a superpower, but an empire who should control the rest of the world by its sheer might. Anyone who might stand in our way on such a quest is an enemy of freedom and must be invaded or stopped.

It's no different now than it was then. The Russians have been able to rebuild their ravaged economy and with a strong handed leader they continue to edge closer to Communist rule, which is perfect for Neo-Cons at home who know that while the War on Terror is a good front to keep the war machine rolling for a while, the American people will tire of a shadow enemy and a war with no attainable goals.

They need Russia just as bad as they did before. To stockpile wealth and power through their friends in the arm and oil industries and through government control and destruction of the constitution.

It is the Neo-Con way and it will never change.

Rp

[Skidmore]

7. My thinking is along similar lines as yours. It seems to me that underlying all the turmoil and

chaos in the last century and this new one, there is some stable set of interests? that has kept it rumbling for so long. The big players have been the same.

[ThomWV]

10. Yes, indeed I do remember. There was a change somewhere though. Did you see Ike on Cspan last nigh

C-Span has a series at which they visit Presidential Libraries. It can be some real boring stuff but sometimes there are things in there that are fascinating.

Last night they did Ike. I remember Ike from when I was a kid. I think most of us here are aware of Ike's warning in his farewell message to the nation. The naming of the military-industrial-complex is generally said to have originated there. However last night the fellow they were interviewing said that Ike was actually warning against is beginning sometime in the mid 30's. Hmmmm.

At any rate it would be very difficult to say that WW-II had anything other than economics as its driver whereas religion plays a huge part in today's conflicts. This, I think, is a lot more like the Crusades than it is the Boer War.

[rox63]

2. Cheney and Condi really miss the Cold War

So they've started another worldwide conflict, just to keep themselves occupied. :sarcasm:

[PFunk]

4. I think this is a new cold war. Not a ecconomic and geopolitical one

but more of and idiological and resource based one as the US wants to get control of any an all major reasorce areas before anyone else namely russia/china does. And both countries want to do the same before the US does.

In short it's the 'great game' only played for much higher stakes. With the US lead by an idiot on one side and both Russia and China lead by experts who know exactly how to play the game on the other.

Call me wrong but I think the US will lose the middle east when this is over-that is if we are lucky.

[stillcool]

6. I don't think anything has changed...

the ends justify the means...and the means..or whatever sounds good... are made up as you go.

[slackmaster]

8. No, this is a different war entirely

I remember the Cold War.

[rAVES]

9. America will always require a boogey man to keep peoples mouths shut about the atrocitys carried

out world wide, its that simple.

America will be at war until the end of time, Dem or Republican admins.. it matters not.