Cold War II

The August 4^th edition of Time magazine was entitled “Cold War II. The West is losing Putin’s Dangerous Game.” Of course almost everyone is aware by now that many consider Russia a prime suspects for at least indirectly facilitating the loss of Flight 17 over Ukraine. Even as everyone seems to be scrambling to slap sanctions on them, Russia seems to be walking away from the West, and no longer needing them. Saying “you can’t trade with us” only works as long as they care, and Russia, it seems, is moving closer and closer to not caring.

They are creating their own protections and alliances for themselves, and doing all the sorts of things that a former superpower that is struggling currently would need to do to be able to live relatively independently of the established culture of the West.

International Diplomacy can be something like a chess game. Not everyone is very good at chess. (Some people are terrible at it.) We once had a Cold War, and millions of people died. Recently a high ranking Russian official said that we are starting a second Cold War. The First Cold War we managed to get out of without blowing ourselves up. But it seems that in the Great Game this time, the Russians are the White Pieces, and currently have a move up on us.

Some find consolation that we survived before. But then, leading up to World War I there were also quite a few close shaves before the actual firing started. Putin has begun playing a new game, and if a good response is not given we could go from starting Cold War II to beginning Hot War I, and, according to the analysts, there would not be many people around to start a second one.

However, we do not need to go around screaming our heads off and diving under desks in fear of “THE BOMB.” God is still in control, and he promised Noah, when only he and seven others remained, crawling out of their boat after the first apocalypse, that he would never again destroy mankind. That’s comforting. Even more so than bomb shelters.

Andrew C. Abbott