The Problem that is Russia

      It was on March 4th that Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found collapsed on a park bench in Salisbury, England. They were taken in by the local hospital where their condition was deemed critical, as they had been exposed to a potentially toxic substance. It should be no surprise to anyone that the British government is placing the blame on Russia herself. The former Soviet Union is famously known for knocking off people who show opposition to the extremely nationalistic regime. After decades upon decades of work to make amends with Russia, this news should strike fear into the heart of America, as progress has been made since the Nixon era to wean off the use of nuclear weapons and also to reacquire an ally we lost so long ago. The question here is, will Russia's clandestine actions bring about another Cold War?
     The potential poisoning of this father-daughter duo is eerily similar to that of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. The former Russian spy for counter-terrorist activities was exposed to radioactive polonium and, ultimately fell prey to its toxicity. Litvinenko claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin was responsible for his fate and I see no reason why this should be considered false. Putin is obsessed with power. It was gifted to him after Boris Yeltsin resigned in 1991 due to his excessive drinking habits and pro-democracy attitudes that were sinking the economy, and he has been expectant of the same gift every election period. Ever since the start of his era, Putin has boosted Russia's economy and proven to world leaders like former British prime minister Tony Blair that he is ever willing to improve his relationships with the United States, as well as the European Union. While the improvement of the economy has been statistically proven, I will go so far as to label the idea that Putin is open to both cooperating with the West, as well as the European Union, complete and utter hokum. This man has proven time and again through his words and actions that he is nothing short of a radical nationalist who would do anything to stay in power and protect his dear Mother Russia from the progressive forces of the West.
      During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a battle of ideologies. It was liberalism versus capitalism. Paranoia ran amok on both sides, as ideology is not something that is physically detectable. A piece of Soviet propaganda from 1954 engages this idea as the text translates to, "If you do a pointless chat, you are helping spying rat", highlighting the concept that anyone could be a spy for the enemy government. Since then, Putin has come to put a physical label on the ideology of liberalism, through various forms of propaganda that have referred to Europe as "Gayropa". This is obviously a slander towards the progressive movements toward gay rights in the West, which he feels are clearly influences of Satan. It is devastating to see a state that has made so much improvements since the abandonment of communism and human rights abuses fall back into old patterns. Despite the fact that Putin does indeed have high approval ratings, I think that there is a strong undercurrent of manipulation that is hard to detect among equally nationalistic Russian citizens who seek a stable economy and political climate.
      What does all of this mean for the United States? Well, for starters, with the evidence to suggest that the Russians interfered in the 2016 election for the purpose of getting back at Hillary Clinton for supposedly inspiring Ukraine to disrupt the Sochi Olympics (or Putin's Olympics), the implication that Putin can undermine democracy with a few false Facebook accounts is nothing short of horrifying. The broader meaning here is that Russia is forcing America's hand into having to cut ties, and in a world of NAFTA, NATO, the EU, and other various economic coalitions, the pressure to have to tread back into almost isolationist territory really is insulting to all the work that has been put into working with Russia to develop a diplomatic relationship. The poisoning especially is really crossing the line, as it means that Putin truly is power hungry and can not tolerate anyone like Sergei Skripal who communicates Russian intelligence to another nation. Granted spying is a treasonous act, however, because Putin is so paranoid, people have to resort to spying just to communicate what is actually occurring within the country just to let the world know if any human rights abuses are happening. These actions signal to the United States that, once again, there are "good guys" and "bad guys" and that they must act accordingly, which might mean, descending into nuclear warfare. There should be serious consequences for Putin's actions. He should not be able to get away with the murder of other human beings. I encourage citizens, whether American or Russian, to proceed with caution. Putin is a manipulating and conniving force and will use his minions for evil. Fact check. Do not talk with strangers over the internet regarding political matters. Be on guard and do not let evil win. There is power enough for everybody.