The View from Moscow Understanding Russia & U.S.-Russia Relations

Russia is the world's other nuclear superpower - the only country that has the ability to wipe the United States off the map within 30 minutes. With Russia and the U.S. currently having 1,700 nuclear weapons pointed at each other on hair trigger alert, our relationship with Russia is one of the most critical, requiring a rational policy. In order to conduct a rational foreign policy, we must understand the other country's point of view. That doesn't mean one must agree with it, but we must know how Russia perceives its own interests so we can determine what they may be willing to risk or sacrifice on behalf of those perceived interests. It's also essential to determine areas of common cause and cooperation. Understanding the Russian viewpoint means understanding Russia's history, geography and culture. The western corporate media - and even some of our alternative media - has a very poor track record in providing this crucial service with respect to many of the nations with whom we've already gone to war. The so-called experts they consult often have conflicts of interest, nefarious agendas, and lack an objective understanding of the nation they are speaking about. This has certainly been the case when it comes to reporting on Russia, a country with which the stakes are potentially much higher for the entire world. This book fills the void left by much of our media in understanding the Russian point of view, which can help us formulate a reasoned policy toward the world's other nuclear superpower.