Western Leadership Failed to Adapt to the New Post Cold War Russia

 The military industrial complex of the United States was conditioned for more than a half century to regard Russia as the main adversary. When the Cold War and Soviet Communism ended most of the American establishment failed to adapt to the change and to engage positively with Russia. Fundamentally they transitioned from anti-communism to anti-Russia.

Russia did move toward being a free enterprise country. It largely ended communism although elites and government made property rights rather exclusively. Without heavy western investment in Russia that conditioned worsened in the sanctions era. Even so Russia has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world.

Russians and communists are different. There is no reason to regard Russians differently from anyone else when the communist burden is removed and continues. Russia sought to reform its society, create an income tax (the Ukraine war helped with that as it did Abraham Lincoln during the U.S. Civil War). And establish institutions including government for a democratic society. With N.A.T.O. expanding eastward and the loss of Its Ukraine properties and hegemony over Ukraine the development of democracy in Russia was put on hold. War loomed with the west. Russia looked to its former communist brother in arms China for help and found China more than willing to move their relationship closer since China wanted to keep communist supervision and authority over its partially market oriented society.

The failure for western leadership to adapt after the Cold War to the new Russian political reality is costly. Toynbee observed the challenge and response nature of leadership of civilizations. Toynbee could have included adaptation in his formula paradigm as well. The west in effect has driven Russia closer to China, and has strengthen Chinese leadership because the west refused to adapt to recognition of Russia as a worthy, friendly potential fellow travelers in freedom, free enterprise and national security, Since Russia is not fascist or communist the de facto position of western leadership to Russia is racist (reductio).

The failure of American leadership to adapt to the new Russia (with some notable exceptions like Donald Trump) may cost the west dearly as it

Regarding Colin Wilson's ''The Outsider'

Nice statement and photographic presentation; Clint Eastwood walking away from the philosophical showdown a winner. There are a few more than one guy that know world civilization is sick these days.

The problem is that civilization is just a socially evolved historical growth that has reached environmental limits on a planet. It wasn’t designed Rather than being responsive and adaptive to challenges it ignores them and is maladapted. Vested interests resist change naturally. Toynbee wrote that economic infrastructure can’t generally be changed and that has been a cause for failure of civilization. With just one Global civilization failure means planetary catastrophe. Actually many expect that, especially dystopian science fiction writers.

Optimists work for basic universal income to eliminate poverty and social exclusion, and make transition to ecological economics and restoration of the ecosphere easier while building sustainable human outposts on planets and moons barren of life.