Part One: U.S. strategy in the 21st century: leadership through hegemony
Chapter II: Role and Place of the USA in the Twenty-first Century in the Research of American Political Scientists and Scholars of International Affairs
Strobe Talbott: Historical Optimism about Russia
Former Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott supervised Russia affairs during the Clinton administration. Unlike many Russia experts who became disenchanted with democratic reforms and the prospects for American-Russian relations, Talbott always maintained a steady historical optimism, even during periods of worsening relations with Russia.24
Talbot ascribes all the obvious failures of the building of capitalist society in Russia to the legacy of the Soviet dictatorship and leftovers of the Socialist past, all of which, in his opinion, are gradually being overcome. In any event, however problematic Russia’s moving into capitalism may be, everything that happens is good for the national interests and security of the United States. At least the two “basic goals” are being accomplished satisfactorily. The first goal includes the strengthening of security, the reduction of Cold War arsenals, the prevention of WMD proliferation, and the strengthening stability of European integration. The second goal directs the USA toward helping Russia in the cause of transforming her political, economic, and social institutions in accordance with the standards of market democracy.25
Talbott is particularly inspired by the successes in the realization of the second goal, i.e., the transformation of Russia into a capitalist state. In this connection, he lists as achievements the demolition of the Soviet regime’s bureaucratic apparatus, free elections, the replacement of centralized planning with institutions of market economy, etc.
Talbott reports with some pride to the Senate Committee on Foreign Policy on the U.S. contribution to these achievements, including the Presidential Freedom Support Act. He warns the Senate against cutting the budget for this Act by 25 to 30 percent—an initiative proposed in the aftermath of a money-laundering scandal of those funds through New York banks. In his opinion, such an action would be nearsighted on the senators’ part, because this aid is spread over many areas of U.S. activities in Russia—from the financing of mass media to the support of small business, all of which are in the USA’s interest.
The essence of Talbott’s speeches and writings about Russia is this: Government circles should not panic on account of all the disappointments, be it the financial crisis, the bribe scandal involving high-ranking officials, yet another domestic war, or a surge in anti-Western sentiment. All these are temporary difficulties of the transition from totalitarian communism to democratic capitalism, which will inevitably be completed.
Strobe Talbott’s optimism is grounded in at least two reasons. One is his former position. He was responsible for Russia in a previous U.S. administration and cannot be expected to admit the failure of the policy he was actively involved in. The other reason is more substantial. Indeed, a capitalist structure has been created in Russia, and the country’s leadership operates within its framework. Even though Talbott understands full well that Russia will never come to resemble any nation of the West, one cannot exclude the chance of its becoming another Brazil or Mexico. America has learned very well to manage these kinds of countries. At the present moment, this is more than enough from the perspective of U.S. interests. Strobe Talbott did his job satisfactorily, and his optimism about Russia can be considered justified—for now.
24 Strobe Talbott, Russia: Its Current Troubles and Its Ongoing Transformation. Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 1999); Internet.
25 See more on this topic in Strobe Talbott, “Dealing with Russia in a time of troubles,” The Economist (November 21, 1998), 50-52.
The 21st Century: The World Without Russia
(Philosophical-sociological Essay)