Should Russia be Demonised?

Should the West be afraid of the nascent resurgence of a strong Russia that is set to alter the balance of power in the current unipolar world characterised by the domination of the United States?

This was the topic of a very edifying and insightful programme televised recently on BBC named Panorama. You might have to call into question many of the firmly believed convictions about Russia disseminated by the media in the West hot on the heels of watching the on-line video. In fact, the documentary responds very effectively to the below set of questions that I have often had in mind:

· Has the West taken an effete Russia that withdrew into its shell following large-scale economical and political problems for granted?

·Is the West’s attitude of demonising Russia for its emergence from its slumber justifiable?

· While Russia was severely reprimanded for its involvement in South Ossetia as a result of the abrupt escalation of the confrontation, has the world truly been exposed to what took place in Georgia? In fact, contrary to what we were fed with in the Western media, was it really the Russian army that launched an offensive on civilians or was the Russian army merely protecting the civilians?

· Is the overwhelming majority of the Russian population very discontent with the political administration in Russia, as is often purported by the Western media?

· Finally, the most important question is the West utterly unprepared to see Russia engage in realpolitik in exchange for the West’s own attempts at realpolitik in the region (for instance, the enlargement of the NATO which has now encompassed some former Soviet Republics, and the Eastern European countries, which used to be part of the Warsaw Pact)?

It’s important to have a balanced exposure to the Russian side of the story; in fact, this importance has further gained momentum following the divulgation of Georgia’s outright human rights violations in the conflict in Southern Ossetia while Russia had been depicted as the aggressor.

Should we be Scared of Russia? (Video)

Should we be Scared of Russia?