Why Leopards Don't Change Spots: Weighing in on Russo-American Relations

"A leopard can't change its spots."  It's what I keep in mind when I think of Russo-American relations. It doesn't matter if it's portraying itself as Communist or "democratic," Russia is still antagonistic towards American interests.  Forget the Cold War, SALT Treaties, or when the Berlin Wall fell (although that was a pretty good time!).

Two recent issues come into mind when I think of Russo-American relations.

1) Russia is not helping when it doesn't want to put pressure on Iran.  I'm not advocating for economic sanctions....at least unto themselves.  I did a research paper on this in college, and without military backing, economic sanctions don't do squat.  It's why Iran has been unaffected by sanctions for the past thirty years.  But when Putin says we shouldn't anger Iran, it makes me think one of two possibilities.  A) He is even more naive on foreign policy than Obama because he doesn't realize that Iran has the potential to disrupt the balance of power on his borders, or B) he is in cohorts with Iran because he wants to restore the glory of Mother Russia.  Either way, standing by idly while Iran gains nuclear power is more of a global catastrophe than the so-called "climate change."

2) There are plans, albeit tentative, to let Russian officials inspect American nuclear sites.  In all sincerity, Obama bent over any further to the international community, his back would be parallel to the ground.  Why are we giving Russia access to sites that are pertinent to national security?  Russia's not our friend!  While we're at it, we should give them a tour of the Pentagon, top security clearance included, of course, just to make sure we appease our comrades.

I don't expect Russia to change its spots, really, I don't.  But at the same time, Obama needs to stop kowtowing to anti-Americanism and actually learn how to grow a pair.  Historically speaking, Russia hasn't played ball with the US since WWII.  Sure, they gave us Alaska (big mistake!), and we even fought together against the Boxer Rebellion, the Kaiser, and the Nazis.  Every time, though, Russia was always looking out for #1--it just happened that a relationship with America was mutually beneficial.  When Russia became a superpower along with America after World War Two, tensions rose, and ultimately Russia lost.  Russian ego hasn't been the same since, and I severely doubt that anyone with an iota of Russian pride, even Putin, is going to let that go anytime soon.  We would have better luck having China help us pressure Iran, or heck, we can ally with India to put pressure on Pakistan.  But this isn't Obamanomic foreign policy--kissing toches of every antagonistic state while angering allies seems to be the way to go, which is why we will only see more and more examples of weak foreign policy and apologetics of the worst kind.