How majority of Russians see the role of Russia today?

[Iron_Felix]

After collapse of Soviet Union the cold war ended and USA seems to be the only real super power which dominated world. NATO expanded east and even some old soviet republics joined it. From my personal contacts with Russians I have learned that many of them still consider NATO as potential agressor and enemy and that many are afraid that Russia is surrounded by enemies. While Russia is still a powerfull state which posses nuclear weapon and strong army, many Russians miss the times when Soviet Union was terrorising the whole world with the threat of war. What are your opinions?

[Marita]

Unfortunately Russia is not so strong now, so its neighbours begin to occupy our territories - Amur islands. Kurily, etc. The majority of people disagree with loss of Kurily islands, a lot of Russians in Khabarovsk and at Sakhalin are ready to struggle for our land. It is just but not enough. If we had a patriotic government... Unfortunately we don't have a patriotic government now which would be willing to defend our Motherland from any exterior enemy. While we are weak an invasion threat remains real - just look at Iraq!

[Jeremi]

Marita your post was shovinistic and nationalistic,you show a rather primitive militant approach and mix tyranny and criminal activity with patriotism.

As much as i hate Putin he and his goverment are the best thing in Russian history uptill now all russian rulers were madmen or criminals and this is why Russia ended up as it did.

Basing on my observation of russians and numorous visits to both Kaliningrad circle and Moscow i ve noticed that many russians are militant types who see the welfare of Russia in stealing and waging wars onothers.
However theres another type,people raised in the dawn of new times,those people shun away such a nationalistic view and look onward with more pragmatism.

Those guys are Russias only hope.

[Alex_Ivanov]

Originally posted by Iron_Felix
many Russians miss the times when Soviet Union was terrorising the whole world with the threat of war. What are your opinions?

Don't forget that Cold War was mutual thing. Maybe SU terrorised the world, but in the very same time it was terrorised itself. One of the things many people miss a lot now, is security. SU was quite a safe place to live, far safer than Russia today.

Now, what do I think about place of Russia in the world. I do not dream about world empire, I do not want Russia to take U.S. position of "world policeman" - because I want freedom for every country to go its own way without foreign interference... Utopia - we won't be allowed to exist quietly. We should be strong if we want to exist. History teaches us so.

[Jeremi]

You contradict yourself, in fact you are nationalistic and shovinist as the writer before you state openly" freedom for all" and hastily add "but we need to be strong".

Alex im comforted in the fact that Russia is on the verge of collapse knowing that people like you wont ever get a chance....

[TiraChitra]

chup.

[Marita]

Jeremi
Can you argue with something else except calling everybody nationalists?
I am not a nationalist but I love my country. Hasn't everybody got the right to love his native country and to do all his best for its profit? Do you call it nationalism? Well, I can't realize why we should live not as we want to but as anybody else wants us to live. Why? Don't you think any people on the Earth has the right to choose its own future without exterior interference and the right to defend itself? Why do you assert my people can't? That's why I hate Putin.