© Davide Bonazzi for the Boston Globe
Our current campaign against Russia was set off by what some in Washington call its "aggression" against neighboring Ukraine. Russia's decision to aid the Assad regime in Syria has also angered us. The true reasons for anti-Russia sentiment, though, lie deeper.
Most leading figures in the American political and security establishments grew up during the Cold War. They spent much of their lives believing that the Antichrist lived in Moscow. Today they speak as if the Cold War never ended.
For a brief period in the 1990s, it appeared that Russia had lost control over its own security. Stunned into paralysis by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and without any power to resist, Russians had to watch helplessly as NATO, their longtime enemy, established bases directly on their borders. Many in Washington believed that the United States had permanently broken Russian power. In their jubilation, they imagined that we would be able to keep our foot on Russia's neck forever.
That was highly unrealistic. By pressing our advantage too strongly in the years after the Cold War, we guaranteed a nationalist reaction. President Vladimir Putin embodies it. He is popular in Russia because his people believe he is trying to claw back some of Russia's lost power. For the same reason, he is demonized in Washington.
Comment: Kinzer is right, Russia is not the enemy. The Cold War mentality influenced from political dinosaurs does likely play a part in the current attitudes and ideologies that seek to shape the global chessboard; however, there is more to it. In essence Russia poses what is perceived as a threat to the psychopathic cabal dominating the world. The direction Russia is forging under Putin is one that provides for the people within Russia and beyond. Putin has grown Russia's influence past its borders and has done so while being targeted by the most powerful forces on earth. This shows that Russia is obviously not a "fundamentally weak country." It has also achieved its status not through covert control but rather through mutually beneficial partnerships, strategic alliances, and human relationships. These are foreign concepts to the predators in Washington, and it is also why they have gone after Russia.