Détente and its Discontents

In a sense, nuclear weapons and the relative equilibrium in terms of advanced technology between Washington and Moscow renders decision and strategy as moot, in the sense that there are only two strategic options: peace or total war. As we see, peace was never an option. Thus, the only option left is total war. But of course, the manner in which one builds up to the point of total war is ‘limited war.’

America’s decision to engage in ‘limited war’ in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and through its ill-fated support for Israel is what led to total war as the only option. Hence, the fact that total war is the only option revolves entirely around America’s limited wars in the 21^st century. But as one Russian strategist argued, the decision to stumble into total war with Russia on the part of the United States stems from sheer idiocy. He wrote: “To be sure, America’s intellectual class does love to publish books on all kinds of matters ranging from geopolitics to military doctrines and strategies, but in the last 30 years the field of American strategic forecasting turned out to be at best second-rate, at worst – a hack job.”

He also noted that whereas the West “addressed” Russia in the 1990’s, in the 2020’s, Russia is “addressing” the West. In a word, the tables have turned. Now, Russia wants to simply prove that America’s oligarchy and the intellectual class which this oligarchy has propped up is as dumb as a rock, if not dumber. He wrote: “This oligarchy, realistically, is not very bright, despite being rich, with many of them having Ivy League degrees.”

Hence, Russia seeks to prove that the American oligarchy and the intellectual class which it has propped up is too dumb to understand Russia or anything else for that matter. One former Russian emperor is believed to have stated: “Russia is not an industrial, agricultural or commercial power; Russia is a military power, and its task is to be a threat to the whole world.” And on top of it all, part of what Russia seeks to do is cultivate even further “a fertile ground of fear that has been laid down historically in the West’s subconscious.”

As a result, some have contended that something “radical” needs to be done in regards to Russia and that given what we have stated, peaceful coexistence with Russia is not really an option. Rather than viewing peaceful coexistence with Russia as an actual possibility, the West should instead do to Russia what was done to Germany in the 20^th century. But of course, and as we see for ourselves, that expectation is outlandish.

Peaceful coexistence through détente was something which the Cold War realists of the 20^th century such as Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger had proposed. But until now, the prospect of peaceful coexistence with Russia was something which the neocons never sought to entertain for one reason or another. Hans Morgenthau suggested that the nuclear balance between Washington and Moscow is what will ultimately keep the peace between the two parties. Russia’s nuclear and technological power as well as their basic organization of state and society which stands in stark contrast to the basic organization of state and society in the West will negate any prospect of actual détente and peaceful resolution to the conflict between the West and Russia. Rather, it is the nuclear and technological equilibrium between Washington and Moscow which will keep the peace between the two parties if it can even be kept, as Morgenthau contended.

It follows that the prospect or the possibility of détente and peaceful coexistence between the West and Russia is perhaps entirely questionable and out of reach. Détente and the attempt at peaceful coexistence with Russia is still very much a novel approach and strategy in the West, and of course, it is an approach and strategy which faces severe criticism and lambast across the political spectrum in the United States. But of course, if détente and peaceful coexistence with Russia is not an option, it means the only options which remain are either total war with Russia or somehow “turning the table” on Russia, neither of which seem to be viable options at the moment. We explained how total war is not an option in our most recent posts, and the strategy of “turning the table” on Russia in Ukraine was also a failure. Hence, the gamble on détente and peaceful coexistence with Russia on the part of Trump.