I’ve seen this movie before. It’s the one with all the harsh Massachusetts accents and Kevin Costner. The Russians start sending arms to Cuba and all the sudden the world is on the brink of total annihilation. Gen. Curtis LeMay even graces the scene as one of the main agitators trying to push that Kennedy guy to bomb Cuba and their commie allies back to the stone age.
Russia Today reports that Russia and Cuba are starting to rekindle the old flame. Russia, according to the State-funded news outlet, is sending arms to Cuba and it seems like they are trying really hard tick off the U.S.
Russian contractors are to supply production equipment for manufacturing 6.52-mm rifle rounds, Kommersant daily reports. Cuban arms plant called Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara will also receive a license and technology for recycling used ammo.
I’m sorry, 6.52 rifle rounds? That’s a lame plot device. This is an obvious attempt to put a bee in the U.S. bonnet but it’s hardly a major threat or the foundation of a tense political thriller. This Cold War throw-back story just smacks of castration anxiety.
Russia Today is a dubious news source at best. The New Republic dubbed the newly formed U.S. bureau of RT as “Pravda on the Potomac,” and described it this way:
With its often virulent anti-Americanism, worshipful portrayal of Russian leaders, and comical production values, the station, which has over 90 million viewers, can be relied upon to repeat Kremlin talking points. But while the station has pretensions to be a respected news outlet, it often can’t help but revive the pettiness that was a distinctive feature of Soviet-era propaganda.
If you’ve been paying attention, the relationship with Russia has become rather tense over the last few hours. In response to the U.S. installing a missile defense system in Europe, Russia has threatened to cut the Northern Distribution Network, a supply train that pumps about 40 percent of the allied war supplies into Afghanistan. If Russia were to cut those supply lines, it would mean that 70 percent of the supplies coming into the country would be cut off since Pakistan has also cut U.S. supply lines.
The Russia Today story acknowledges the tensions but quotes and expert who says the arms deal with Cuba has nothing to do with the current tensions.
Vladimir Anokhin, the vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, does not believe that signing the military contract with Cuba is some kind of Russian geopolitical answer to US plans to deploy an anti-ballistic missile system in Europe.
