Is Russia making anyone else nervous?

Question

With recent Russian saber-rattling and and muscle flexing, does it seem as though we are headed to another Cold War? Recently, Russia flew practice missions with long range bombers near the US and UK. Putin stepped down from presidency only to become the prime minister (coincidentally was made the most powerful position in the country). They have claimed the North Pole, commonly accepted international territory. That, with massive military build ups and war games funded by oil, are getting disturbing. And now, this conflict with Georgia that just happened to start as Georgia was attempting to join NATO. Russia aiding Georgian separatists, bombing Georgian military bases, withdrawing its ambassador from Georgia and closing the borders (trapping Georgian citizens in Russia). Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Georgia is totally innocent in this conflict, but Russia seems the most threatening.

And yet, there is still more that I have not mentioned.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1542107,00.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_south_ossetia

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/08/08/verjee.georgia.tensions.cnn?iref=videosearch

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/08/08/verjee.georgia.tensions.cnn?iref=videosearch

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/08/08/verjee.georgia.tensions.cnn?iref=videosearch

Is anybody else concerned that this may lead to a conflict between NATO and Russia and it's allies? Does anybody else see this as a prelude to another Cold War type conflict? Remember, Georgia is a big allie with the US (only just now withrawing its troops from Iraq) and has strong ties to the West.

Answer 1

Georgia started this war I will have you know over an undisputed territory they claim is rightfully theirs. they will lose. If I were you, I would be more concerned with Iran, and North Korea. Now THOSE are nations to worry about in my eyes.

Answer 2

Seems like they want to get back to the old style Soviet Union.  

Answer 3

it is making the whole world nervous.

Answer 4

Russia always makes me nervous. All normal people can do is wait and see what our lovely government decides to do about all this (US; and i used lovely with a hint of sarcasm).  

Answer 5

Yes like I have been saying all along America is starting a war with Russia, China and Iran. America better wake up!!

Answer 6

i dont think it will be like last time

last time, we said we'd never strike first, we'd only fire back, and they believed us, so the missiles never went off

after iraq, we cant claim that

Answer 7

I am more nervous about the USA. It out-and-out invaded another country without provocation in 2003, and it is threatening that country's neighbor, Iran, for its efforts to develop an atomic bomb. It has always seemed to me that the USA is the Iranian bombsmith's best justification due to its victorious aggressive war against Iraq.

What would Americans be demanding of their government if China, say, successfully invaded Mexico and the USA did not have atomic weapons?

The USA also seems to be moving towards invading Pakistan, though it might not call it that, or regard in its own mind that it would be doing that. You can read about that on Yahoo---"US weighs stepped-up military forays into Pakistan" by Pamela Hess and Matthew Lee---an AP story from August 9, 2008.

To understand foreign policy requires a tiny ability to put yourself in another's shoes. Many Americans seem to spend their lives in a jingo-rage, and seem to have no ability  to do this at all.

Maybe it is only Yahoo! Answers.

Georgia may have been attempting to join NATO, but what about American assurances to the Soviets (to "Gorby") that it would not expand NATO to the East if it withdrew from Eastern Europe? Georgia is Josef Stalin's birthplace. It is not an old US friend. What about keeping your word in international relations? Just which country is the new Soviet Union?

It used to be the epitome of lying behaviour in international relations.

Thank God for the wisdom of Germany and France. They blocked NATO membership for Georgia on the grounds that it might anger Russia. Source? Wikipedia. In December 2008 Georgia was set to be reconsidered for NATO membership. This might have been the CAUSE of the present war. Russia does not want to be surrounded by a hostile alliance.

I'm not saying that the Georgians might not have cause to hate the Russians. I am warning against ONLY considering that.

If NATO finds itself in a conflict with Russia over this, it would only have itself to blame. Its own actions, especially those of the USA, have been to accomplish a strategic encirclement of Russia.

So, again, it is not Russia that is the primary cause of worry. It is the USA.

Germany and France have learned the hazards of war much more than the USA  has. The USA is still a cowboy nation compared to them.

Luckily, they also opposed NATO membership for Ukraine.

The USA wants it. Good Grief! Talk about a bridge too far!

Answer 8

Yes it is.

Even though its almost routine for some Russian-satellite country to attack Russian interests its actually disturbing how the sides are responding to each others actions; Georgia attacks small piece of Russian territory, Russian Military bombards Tbilisi, cease declared, some happens to send an artillery strike on a Georgian village.

But of course if you weren't there you won't the truth.The village could've been housing rebels who knows.

I just pray the key players start caring more civilians now.

Answer 9

Russia..I haven't trusted their government for years

Answer 10

What I don't understand is, why is USA always meddling in other countries affairs?  It's like they are suppose to have some kind of divine power to police the world.  They can invade other countries and not get in trouble for it, but when Russia tries to stabilize the area around it, then it's considered as a threat to world peace.  I hope that the US backs out, because a much bigger war could definitely break out from this conflict.  

Answer 11

yes it is worrisome ,not because i dont think we would win, i believe we would definitly win any conflict short of nuclear war which would destroy us all, but im worried because me and a good number of family would be the ones fighting it, but of course we got to do what we got to do