Mustang Rambles

Watching all the news about Russia and Georgia and the reaction of NATO and now the G7 countries has caused me to try to understand what is really going on.  Having studied Russia, not as a great scholar but as an interested party, I learned that there has always been a great paranoia about other countries invading them.  The only successes I can find are the early Vikings called the Rus who were asked by the locals to govern them, and the mongol hordes of Gengkis Kahn that actually overran Russia with such destruction that it was said you could walk through the city of Kiev on the skulls of the dead inhabitants.  However, since then, Russia has proven very strong and resilient.  It’s size and weather dictates that no one can successfully invade and control Russia.  The two greatest conquering powers of the last two hundred years, Napolean and Hitler both found that out the hard way.  It just can’t be done.

Now, Russia has a very large land mass and during the good old Soviet Days was able to control many countries beyond its borders by brute force.  This Soviet Empire attempted to assimilate many ethnic groups that spoke different languages and had different cultures.  After the Communist failure and the fall of the Soviet Empire, many of these groups declared their independence.  Some have fought a running battle with Russia, some were successful in reclaiming their ancient lands, such as Ukraine and Georgia.  But in the main, Russia seemed to have the chance to settle down within its borders and begin the long struggle to economic prosperity that it had missed during the Soviet years.

Now, Russia is trying to throw its weight around by invading Georgia and threatening Poland and probably Ukraine, sort of like a bully on the block who moved away for a while and then came back to find things changed.  I blame this bullying attitude on the old generation of Russians that served the Soviet so well.  They haven’t forgotten the power of armed dominance, and they like it.  They don’t know how to function without it.  That generation will have to die off before things will get better.

It is a shame that the Russian people must wait for reasonable government.  It is a great country with a long, sad heritage.  It’s great, wonderfully warm and friendly people have persevered in incredible circumstances.  It has a rich cultural background in song, dance, and literature.  Many talented people in all walks of life have come from Russia.  There are natural resources in abundance.  With good leadership, and firm policing of democratic laws and a good democratic constitution, Russia would become an economic power and a leader of a peaceful world.

Too bad Putin and his cronies can’t let go of the Soviet Empire mindset.