Is it getting "cold" again? You know, I was supposed to turn this entry in about two days ago. I am not going to lie to you: At first, I was going to go into an open ended rant about this topic of discussion this week, and then I decided to hold on, breathe, and really think things through before going off like I did in my first entry here.

But enough about all that. Let me get to the topic this week: the cold.

The cold that I speak of "ended" supposedly in 1991. As to whether or not I feel that this particular "cold" ever really ended at all is another issue for another time, however, one thing is certain: I'm starting to feel that chill again…Russia. The very name drags to the front childhood flashbacks of the Wall, Phil Collins' Video/song satire "Land of Confusion" which depicts a puppet world in which Reagan and Gorbachev, in a frighteningly surreal scene, engage each other in nuclear war. I see visions of Emergency Broadcast Systems, fallout shelters, Operation Looking Glass…I remember the last few years of that vividly…I remember thinking in my child's mind that the world would end this way…Too much to fear.

That was the Cold War, the decades long standoff between the former Soviet Union, and the United States. In the late half of the 80s and early 90s, things had began to take a turn in the positive direction. Communism was falling, the Soviet Union was breaking apart, and the Berlin Wall came down, symbolizing the world would no longer stand for oppression, and tyranny.

As all the countries in the mighty Soviet Union seceded, the Motherland Russia was reeling. Toilet paper was worth as much as gold, water, basic social services, scarce. Boris Yeltsen could only function as the embattled nation's pacemaker as Russia slipped into a quiet, deep slumber, almost a coma if you will…Then came Vladimir Putin.
Former head of Russia's Federal Security Service, a successor to the KGB, Putin came to power in August of 1999, the leader of a fragile country that could not keep it's rebels in check(see Chechnya), had a lifeless economy, and a people who just had the darndest time adjusting to democracy, as well as nation's pride in the dumps. Yet he managed during his tenure, to completely turn the wounded country's direction around almost singlehandedly, taking Russia from a deep sleep, to an awakening of sorts. To boost Russia's standing at home and abroad in the economic department, he replaced personal income tax with a 13% flat tax, cut corporate taxes to stimulate business, balanced the budget, paid off foreign debts, you name it, he did it and suddenly, Russia was a buzz again, pride was rebuilding, and so was the nation. However, shades of the past began to appear.

TV networks were back under government control, western aid workers were thrown out, journalists are murdered left and right, and all of a sudden, the Chechens weren't making a sound…although Putin rarely personally intervened in these rollbacks of democracy, it shows that he did nothing to stop these dangerous steps toward authoritarian rule. Oddly enough, those who support Putin feel that these instances are necessary sacrifices on the alter of stability and growth, so much so, the Russian people were prepared to make him "President for life", a man who never renounced communism, nor the old ways that Russia has handled its problems in the past. He declined this invitation, instead putting forth his protégé, Dmitri Medvedev, to the Presidency, which he just happened to "win " in an election, and has since shown through his actions, that he is merely a puppet of Putin's and not just a successor. Not to mention Putin is still active in the government, holding the post of PM, ever the puppet master…pulling strings.

The recent conflict in Georgia is a strong indicator that Russia is on the move to rebuilding its empire, under the guise of protecting its citizens in a disputed territory called South Ossetia. Sporadic fighting has occurred between Georgia, an ally to the US, (and also to Israel, for its massive BTE pipeline which lies under Georgia, provides Israel with 25% of the nations oil, and you know the value of oil) and South Ossetia, which has had many battles and cease fires over the years with Georgia over Georgia’s want to annex the territory. The South Ossetia people see themselves as Russian, and so balk at the idea of becoming Georgian. Anyhow to make a long story short, the Russians lost some peacekeepers as Georgia invaded South Ossetia because of attacks, (some say under the urging of Condi Rice to annex more land) and this was the fire that lit the fuse under Russia. Does it make a difference that 29 days before Georgia invaded South Ossetia, the US completed war exercises with Georgians?

Well whatever the case, Russia pounced, engaging in their own shock and awe, the mighty bear ripped and slashed the Georgian countryside, coming within miles of Georgia's capital of Tblisi, before showing signs of let up. They captured Georgian weaponry, and "absorbed it" into their own military, they basically beat the tar out of a US ally, and in the same breath, threatened to smack Poland for its hand in the US missile defense system program, and all this is making Eastern Europe very nervous about Russia's possible reemergence.

Putin's puppet has been talking big, as well as Russian generals who are saying things that refer to "punishing the enemies" of Russia. Russia just pummeled an emerging democracy and friend of the US, and is talking of action against another US ally.

What is Russia trying to tell us through her actions? Like I said...it's starting to get cold again...