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Volume 38 Issue1
August 28, 2000

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Sub disaster cause for concern

MESA LEGEND
Submitted August 28, 2000

I could have sworn someone told me the Cold War was over.

Yet, as the 13,900-ton Russian submarine Kursk lay at the bottom of the cold Barents Sea, it became painfully obvious from the posturing of American and Russian politicians that it isn’t.

The two biggest dogs on the block are still barking. Not as loud, but they are still barking.

While, it is agreed that the post-Soviet Russia has lost some of its bite, both countries continue to spar. I guess old habits are hard to quit. Like an ex-smoker cheating a puff from a cigarette, both countries inhaled deep into a past of mistrust and animosity.

The incident was an opportunity for the former rivals to show the world  the only thing cold was the 118 Russian sailors lying dead at the bottom of the sea.

I agree the Russians could have asked for international help sooner. It’s easy for us to say the Russian government is bumbling and criticize them for the actions taken. But, if you switch the situation around and it was an American sub, would the U.S. government have asked for international help any sooner? We have a tendency to be bumbling and secretive ourselves.

Anybody heard of Waco?

Yet, it is not this aspect of the event that troubles me most. As I read the stories about the sub in the American press, I began to wonder what was really going on.

Why was the sub in the Barents Sea anyway? When the U.S. was asked to comment on the incident, not only did they immediately deny we had anything to do with it, they admitted to having two subs in the area that heard the explosion.

Was that a reflex action, or are the boys at the Pentagon still under the impression that a cold Russian wind blows over America.

It is true that the Russian economy has been in turmoil for sometime. So, despite the fact the Russians cannot afford to maintain their fleet of subs, they are still trying to play cat and mouse with American subs.

Is that the Russians’ fault or ours?

From the spoon fed government line the American press began printing after the tragedy, I’d say it’s ours. Russians bad. Americans good.

It was just like the good ol’ days. We had a chance to show  we are better than the Russians. Our subs are better, our divers are better, our country is better. It is this kind of self-centered egotistical party line that caused the Cold War to begin.

One glimmer of hope was the words of the Russian citizens after the Kursk went down.

In Anna Nemtsova’s Aug. 20 story in The Washington Post, Anastasia Mityakina, a Russian housewife said, “Our admirals are killers. We should scream so the whole world knows about this.”

A Russian housewife openly criticized the government. During the Cold War she would have been shot for her statements.

At least, that’s  what our government would have told us.

Andrew Long is a staff member of the Mesa Legend and a journalism major at MCC.

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