*Note: This was written on March 1st, 2018 so there are some discrepancies between this piece and current events, but the message is still relevant.
A few years ago I had the honor and pleasure of dating a Russian woman who opened my eyes to the wonders of Russian culture, the complexity of Russian history, and the exquisite beauty of ancient Russian architecture. Although I have not yet been to their country, I have had the opportunity to meet and correspond with several Russians and I have found them to be among the warmest and friendliest people I've ever met. Each year, without fail, they message me Christmas greetings on December 24th and 25th even though the Orthodox holiday is not celebrated in their country until January 7th and, soberingly, they often ask "Why does your government hate us so much?"
That's a very good question.
When you think of U.S./Russia relations, what comes to mind? World War II and the struggle against the Third Reich? The subsequent Cold War and the decades-long fear of nuclear annihilation? How many remember the long (probably intentionally) forgotten fact that Russia assisted the United States in the American Civil War? In 1863, Russian battleships arrived in the ports of New York and San Francisco to protect the Union from hostile actions by Britain and France. Parades were held in their honor. Sadly, with the onset of the Cold War this fact has mostly faded into the sea of time.
"The Cold War is over," Our politicians now loudly proclaim. "Russia is no longer a threat." Yet NATO continues to expand its territory along Russia's borders, something Mikhail Gorbachev was promised would never happen. We impose economic sanctions that do more harm to everyday citizens than to the government. Despite our own imperialistic ambitions, we accuse Vladimir Putin of empire building over the annexation of Crimea, even though the Crimean people voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia (a country to whom they had belonged since 1783) and then danced in the streets when the deal was done. Have we forgotten that shortly after this two other provinces petitioned to separate from Ukraine and rejoin Russia and were denied by Putin? That's some piss-poor empire building.
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying Putin is a saint, but nor is he the James Bond supervillain the mainstream media makes him out to be. Putin has stated on several occasions that he wants to work more closely with America as long as Russia gets to stand on its own two feet rather than participate in global U.S. hegemony. Each time the door has been slammed in his face, so he has instead partnered with China causing the U.S. to react like a jealous ex-lover. If it turns out that some degree of Russian meddling in the 2016 election did in fact occur, it will be because we helped create a political climate in which such a thing is possible.
And that brings us to Donald Trump.
When Trump ran for president, I thought he was performing a social experiment. It felt like a mirror was being held up to our society showing how petty, selfish and hateful we had become. But instead of being the wake-up call our country so desperately needed, people ate it up with a spoon and clamored for more. I, like a large percentage of the country, was horrified.
Even so, Trump did say a few things I agree with. His assertion that we need a better relationship with Russia is of critical importance. While the United States may have the bigger military, Russia invests in meaner, more advanced weaponry and a war between the two countries is not one the U.S. will walk away from, even if the confrontation doesn't go nuclear. Millions of lives on both sides could very well depend on peaceful relations between our countries, so why would anyone not want this?
Now - not surprisingly - Donald Trump has backtracked on all of his foreign policy promises. We're not bringing troops home and scaling back on the government's hawkish tendencies. No, in fact we're teaming up with Saudi Arabia to starve thousands of people in Yemen. We're not abandoning the insanity of overthrowing the Assad regime in Syria. No, in fact we're illegally occupying the country until Assad is gone. We're not improving relations with Russia. No, in fact we're beginning a new era of "great power competition" against them. We're arming Arctic icebreakers with cruise missiles and sending battleships into the Black Sea to "curb Russian activities there" (imagine if Russia sent ships to the Gulf of Mexico to curb American activities). We're selling weaponry to Ukraine to use against Russian troops. We're drafting new nuclear policy stating that cyberattacks can now be justification for a nuclear first strike. And now just today we have Vladimir Putin presenting to the world a new unstoppable weapon capable of bypassing missile defense systems that he is ready and willing to use should the U.S. launch an attack. As alarming as this is, it should only be taken in the context in which it was intended: a warning that the West may not want to play this game. My fear, though, is the warhawks won't listen. My fear is their arrogance will only be inflamed in the pursuit of a bigger stick to poke the bear with.
These actions are dangerous, stupid and suicidal. If Trump simply abandoned his foreign policy promises, then his feet should be held to the fire until he gets back on track. If he outright lied about it (the more likely possibility), then he should pay the price for it lest we all pay the price in his place. Because when the bombs start falling, it's not Putin or Russia that I'll be blaming but the powers that be right here at home, the violence and dominance they love so much, and the apathy they've fostered in American citizens.
Many people voted for Trump because he isn't a politician and now we find ourselves in a bind he lacks the political experience necessary to negotiate. The only hope is the Russian and American people. We need more citizens of the United States - particularly children and young adults - to travel to Russia and spend a few months to a year living with a host family, meeting the people and immersing themselves in the culture. Likewise, we need more Russian citizens to come here and do the same. We need to see each other to realize we are not that different. The generation that rejects propaganda and breaks down that barrier to see for themselves what's on the other side is the generation that will never allow their countries to go to war.