The Cold War: Back By Popular Demand

"There was an equilibrium and a fear of mutual destruction. And in those days one party was afraid to make an extra step without consulting the other. And this was certainly a fragile peace and a frightening one, but as we see today, it was reliable enough. Today it seems that the peace is not so reliable." - Russian President Vladimir Putin, February 12, 2007

It has been over 17 years since the Berlin Wall fell. Many of today's college students were still in diapers at the time. Some of us were old enough to watch it crumble.

And as we watched democracy triumph over tyranny, as the masses of people used sledgehammers, bulldozers, and their bear hands to tears down the wall that had separated a repressed people from a free world, we hoped that new generations might not have to live under the daily threat of nuclear holocaust. We hoped that the leaders of the world would no longer need a precarious policy such as Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.) to "protect" us. We hoped to share our prosperity with a world now unchained by the threat of World War III.

But, as humans are wont to do in the absence of a common enemy, we slowly turned against each other. Europe, no longer in need of U.S. protection from an evil empire, began moving towards economic union with the goal of rivaling America. Americans turned against each other: poor versus rich, Democrat versus Republican, blue state versus red state. We took a vacation from history through the '90s and fought tooth and nail over presidential fellatio and a close election.

Then 9/11 came and turned the world on its shoulders--for about three weeks.

In those three weeks, across the world people were lifting banners reading "We Are All New Yorkers." In those three weeks, liberals stopped emailing "Bushisms" to each other. In those three weeks, we came together.

And then it was back to business as usual.

We do we fight each other? Why do Democrats snipe at Republicans? Why do the poor blame the rich? Why do the liberal East and West Coasts battle the conservative heartland? Why? Because we have nothing better fight than each other.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has, in recent days, stepped up his anti-U.S. rhetoric. At a recent trans-Atlantic security conference, he waxed nostalgic for the old world of fear, the world where East and West stood toe to toe waiting on one another to blink. Considering Putin's background as a cold warrior in the former KGB, his comments seem eerily like wishful thinking.

For those born and raised in a world where World War III seemed inevitable, such rhetoric can be as comforting as a mother's arms. In a way, life during the Cold War was simpler than today. During the Cold War, we always knew who the enemy was. Our fear of him may have been irrational, but it was unambiguous. Now, who are our friends? The Europe that demanded we ratify a global warming treaty designed to destroy our economy?

No. Now, more than ever before, the United States stands alone. We still had friends when we went after the Taliban in Afghanistan; our allies were glad to help us attack a country with zero economic interest to them. When it came to Iraq, though, our old allies--and new--had too much to lose. France and Germany had deep financial ties with the Saddam regime. Russia had been exporting weapons and military technology to Saddam for years. All three have been implicated in the U.N. Oil-For-Food scandal.

Maybe Putin is right. Maybe things were better under the constant threat of nuclear war. A return to such a sustained global crisis would justify Putin's rollback of democratic reforms within Russia's sphere of influence. A renewed Cold War would force our "allies" in Europe to once again choose between the yoke of tyranny or the promise of freedom.

And what would it mean for America? Would America unite once more when faced with the common threat? Would we? I'm not so sure. Over the last ten years, I've seen murderers like Che Guevara elevated to sainthood by Generation Y. I've seen foreign dictators spew vile anti-Americanism on the floor of the United Nations while citing American professor Noam Chomsky as their guiding light.

Americans unite? I might have believed it possible five years ago while I sat glued to my television as New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania burned. I'm not sure I believe it possible now, considering the sustained cold war we've fought amongst ourselves since those dark days.

Americans used to worry that the Soviet Union was planning to invade the United States to take us over. In reality, they were just waiting for the revolution to destroy us from within. Despite the disappearance of the Soviet Union in name, the time may finally be right for their ultimate victory over capitalism.

I once hoped that there would never again be a need for an enemy as great as the Soviet Union to bring Americans together. I watched the Berlin Wall come down and hoped that the reunification of Germany would signal the reunification of the world. Boy, was I naïve.

The truth is we as a nation are still not far-sighted enough to see the growing danger for what it is. Instead, we snipe at each other and pretend that such bickering is securing our way of life. We have not outgrown the need for a global Cold War to remind us who our friends and enemies are.

So, in a perverse and unfortunate way, I'm thankful that Putin has stepped up his rhetoric against us. This freedom we enjoy in this country wasn't free. Putin has now reminded me of that. The cold, hard truth has reentered my consciousness. I just hope the new generation paid attention during history class so they can recognize the danger we may once again face.

And I hope we will face that danger together.

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