Was Geocentric Wrong?

Here at Geocentric, Nate and I pride ourselves on being fair. Although absolute fairness may be an ideal only attainable by one without true opinions (maybe not, I don't know), the simple fact still remains that we are at least a bit more fair than many of our counterparts in the one-way news. Admittedly, it is hard to strike a balance between equal presentation of both sides when one side is something like anti-balloonism or flat earth theory, but in the interest of fairness, I present you with an article refuting a big part of what we said (and in fact how we titled) Episode 9 - Cold War II. HERE IT IS.

Above - U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin

"Why Georgia is Not Start of Cold War II" is an article in the Christian Science Monitor by staff writer Robert Marquand and was published the day after our episode aired. For those who don't feel the need to read the article, Marquand presents various contrasts between the present world context of international relations and the context that existed during the Cold War. Many of his points are well made. Also, he presents quotes by high ranking officials and various experts directly voicing opinions that we have not entered a second cold war and that the use of the phrase "cold war" could even be damaging to the situation.

Lastly, in the interest of self-defense, Marquand has provided a plethera of evidence indicating that Russia's recent actions against Georgia mentioned in THIS ARTICLE, for example, do not herald the beginning of another Cold War. However, in Episode 9 we presented the viewpoint that if another Cold War is beginning, that notion should be based on Russia's threat of nuclear attack upon Poland if it were to sign the missile defense deal with the U.S., which it did. Here is a quote from the Telegraph:

Earlier, a senior Russian general warned that Poland has made itself a nuclear target for Russia's military by hosting elements of a US anti-missile system.

"By hosting these, Poland is making itself a target. This is 100 per cent" certain, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted General Anatoly Nogovitsyn as saying.

"It becomes a target for attack. Such targets are destroyed as a first priority," Gen Nogovitsy was quoted as saying.

He added that Russia's military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them," Interfax said.

Our reasoning was that since Russia had made this threat and was subsequently defied by Poland, the "Cold War II," as we called it, is the time-span in which we now wait to find out if Russia makes good on its threat. Though Marquand does mention the fact that Russia would be "forced to react, and not only through diplomatic means," he does not mention the seriousness or specifics of the threats made, and focuses primarily on actions in Georgia and Russo-American relations in the article for his definition of "cold war."