Why Russia Fails—Again and Again

In this post I will offer an explanation about the quandary in which the United States finds itself again and again in its relationship with Russia, and a possible solution for this quandary. A suggestion is made that it behooves both the United States and Russia to find a way to work together. I will also suggest a reason as to why Russia, after suffering for several decades under Communism, finds itself again under a despotic regime. I will argue that the peace and prosperity of the world depend on harmony and cooperation between Russia and the United States. In order to make these points, I will review applicable tenets of the Back-to-the-Body Perspective.

World Integration

In another post on this blog, I have suggested a pattern for world integration based on the Back-to-the-Body Perspective (Click here for more information). The guiding tenet of the Back-to-the-Body Perspective is that any integration of any kind will follow the pattern of the body, namely, the integration of stomach, brain, and heart (click here for an explanation of these metonymies). Accordingly, when countries unite, one country ought to fulfill the role of stomach; another ought to fulfill the role of brain; and finally another ought to fulfill the role of heart.

These suggestions are offered not as prescriptive recipes for world peace and integration, but rather as a working hypothesis. As always, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” (proverb) and “a tree is judged by its fruit” (Luke 6:44). I offer these ideas as ideological contributions to assuaging the malaise inflicted upon the world by conflicts such as the Ferguson race riots in the State of Missouri, the religious conflicts of the Middle East, and the conflict between Russia and the United States of America.

Why Integration is Difficult

There are, however, two obstacles on the way of any integration: one is that humans tend to regard the brain as superior to the stomach and to the heart. Accordingly, countries that move to take a leadership role of “brain” are viewed with suspicion. The second obstacle is that the brain itself is not a unity but rather a duality, consisting of “right hemisphere” and “left hemisphere.” These two parts may conflict with each other instead of cooperating.

I would like to suggest that both Russia and the United States play the role of “brain,” but in different ways. The United States—with its emphasis on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—plays the role of the “right hemisphere” of the brain, the creative side. Freedom and creativity are prized. The American style is to move control from the center to the periphery, allowing the various parts to try new ideas. Thus, the fifty states of the Union are “sovereign states.”

By contrast, Russia plays the role of “left hemisphere” of the brain. Control and order are prized. The central government endeavors to acquire ever greater power and to exercise ever tighter control. All power, all authority, all decisions come from top to bottom.

Cooperation Between Russia and the USA: Key to World Prosperity

We can understand, then, the existence of conflict between the United States and Russia, but it stands to reason that the world cannot live in peace and prosperity unless these two giants find a way to co-exist and cooperate with each other. Cooperation between Russia and the USA is key to world peace and prosperity. When these two giants struggle, the whole world suffers.

Repeated Failures in Russia

Therefore, as long as Russia defines its success in terms of competing with and overcoming the United States of America, it will continue to fail. If Nikita Khrushchev’s prediction, in 1956, that Russians would bury the United States had ever come true (“We will bury you!”), that would be, not a victory, but rather a defeat for Russia itself. Thus, any such goals are wasted efforts and are bound to result in failure. Russia can best fulfill its own destiny in the world through cooperation with the United States.

The same applies to the United States as well. As different as the two nations are, Americans must find a way forward that includes Russia, not as an enemy, but rather as an ally. Both giants, exerting leadership and pulling in the same direction, can bring peace and create huge prosperity for the world.

In this post, then, I have argued that the quandary between the United States and Russia can best be solved through cooperation rather than conflict. I have also shown that the world’s peace and prosperity depend on this cooperation between the two giants.

I conclude with a quote:

You, wellsprings of the earth! You, flowers! And you, woods, and you, eagles, and you, brotherly light! How old and new is our love! – We are free; do not strive anxiously to be outwardly alike! How should the mode of life not vary? Yet we all love the ether, and in the deepest recesses of our innermost being, we are equal. (Excerpt From: Friedrich Hölderlin. Hyperion. iBooks.)

Paulo-Juarez Pereira
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
August 25, 2014

Photo Credits:
Photo: Russian soldiers
Author: Loris Silvio Zecchinato
Source: http://bit.ly/1AMUceB
Creative Commons License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Photo: Triangles
Author: Greg
Source: http://bit.ly/1qgqfQr
Creative Commons License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Photo: Word_Brain
Author: Geraint Rowland
Source: http://bit.ly/1pXGy4U
Creative Commons License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Photo: Khrushchev Time
Author: manhhai
Source: http://bit.ly/1tAVFBC
Creative Commons License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)