Russia, the West, and Moldova

faithful readers...

i apologize for the lack of posts. i shall shortly be heading to the PMR (prinestrovskaya moldavskaya respubliika), which should be an adventure. I have a few contacts who work at sheriff, a huge company that controls most of transnistria's consumer goods sector and oil imports.

i also have a few "journalist" contacts who offer their services to foreigners. the NGO scene in chisinau is weird. most instinctively dismiss the soviet period and its institutions wholeheartedly. i can't tell if this is just a reflex, to say to a foreign scholar what he thinks he should hear/wants to/what they need to say to secure their funding. all i can say is this: if they think NATO, the EU, and free markets will solve all problems, they've got another thing coming...

liberal economic policies have stripped this country bare, and with all of the infrastructure oriented toward the west, it's just aching to be "used" by both russia and the "west" in an economic/strategy/political battle.

when you've got an American VP trying to start another cold war, on the edge in Moldova words have consequences.

Stephen Cohen has a great article on America's failure to engage Russia on the terms that the post-Soviet situation demands...

For another intelligent take, check out Mark Ames from the eXile...
"50 Reasons Why Russia Still Matters" is still one of my all time favorites

More importantly, "How Dick Cheney Got His Cold War On" hits the nail on the head. Or, if you live in Chisinau, hits the pothole filled with garbage right on the rim...

another entry soon - i'm going to the Soviet memorials in Chisinau this afternoon