China, Russia See Golden Opportunity to Strengthen and Expand Axis of Instability

During the cold war, the USSR moved far and wide over the globe to promote insurrection, terrorism, and general instability. When the USSR collapsed due to domestic dissatisfaction, corruption, and non-viability of its centralised economic system, Russian global de-stabilisation efforts were temporarily de-funded. Peace began to break out all over the world, and pundits predicted "the end of history," with permanent global peace and democracy.

But when former KGB operator Vladimir Putin reached the peak of power in Russia, seized Russia's huge private energy assets for his own to control, and eliminated or neutralised all meaningful rivals, the global Russian trouble machine was back in business. There was but one huge problem with Putin's global plans for mischief-making: the Russian population has been shrinking dramatically for decades due to high death rates and low birth rates. Putin understands that a huge, rich Russia empty of people is in no position to be a long-term hegemon. If Putin were to challenge the combined economic might of the west and the military might of the US, he has to have a credible economic, strategic, technological, and manpower threat.

Where could the Russian tyrant find such a partner, willing to join him in creating instability and mayhem around the world in order to de-stabilise western hegemony? Sometimes the answer is as close as your own backyard.

Russian media reports on the meeting in the Peruvian capital quoted Hu saying the two must work together against "the most deep and serious changes since the Cold War."

Meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Medvedev told Hu the current world problems should not inhibit both sides from "discussing fully fledged cooperative, strategic relations in all their fullness," Russian media reported.

Russia and China, once bitter Cold War foes, have been developing increasingly close relations, seen by many as a potential check on US power. _SpaceWar

The economic might of the current world hegemon--the United States--is almost four times larger than China's and eight times larger than Russia's. The US military advantage is even larger, other than in strategic nuclear forces. Russia's nuclear forces are still a formidable threat. So, combining Russian nuclear forces and military production, Russia's energy wealth, China's technological infrastructure, China's economic surplus, and China's population surplus--you have a powerful alliance to make war or mischief.

Neither China nor Russia want to trigger war with the US, at a time when the US enjoys many strategic and tactical advantages. But if the two nations can chip away at the US--both directly and using proxies--the balance of power can shift. The KGB developed the art of sponsoring terrorism and instability in the name of international revolution, throughout most of the 20th century. Always, the US stood in the way of truly massive gains in Soviet influence.

Now, with the election of Obama, Russia and a Taiwan-hungry China see a golden opportunity to expand their influence. Obama has pledged to reduce the US military force, to shrink the "American Empire." Obama intends to perform a radical reduction on the US nuclear forces, and to shift most defensive spending to domestic re-distributive purposes such as mandated socialised health care.

The new US President almost certainly has the best of intentions for the future of America and the American people. He is simply far out of his depth when faced with such powerful and unscrupulous opponents as the leaders of Communist China and Putin's Russia.

Now--while all eyes are turned toward the international financial crisis and the impending inauguration of a thoroughly green and weak US President--is the time for the Axis of Instability to act across the globe. These partners in destabilisation do not need to trust each other very far. Each understands quite well what motivates the other--power and hegemony. Until now, the US has been the greatest obstacle. With the election of Obama, the obstacle appears surmountable.