Question

30. Even though the Cold War has been over for 25+ years now (on paper) what

Answer 1

Answer: there are many indications for that statement, however, international context is completely different. If there is going to be another "Cold War" it is going to be fought with totally different weapons. What indicates that ? 1) Behaviour of Russia in relation to Ucraine (its more or less evident collaboration with sepatists in eastern regions of Ucraine: regions of Luhansk and Doneck), 2) Russian occupation of Crimea which took place totally agaist international law, 3) Russian activities on internet ...attempts to influence extremist and nationalist groups in the EU, 4) atmosphere of lack of confidence between Europe/USA and Russia, 5) it is evident that Russia was not able to introduce democracy as it was thought in 1990s.

Explanation: weight of the past is very strong which is visible also in central and eastern Europe where nationalists and communists are still present and where many people view WW II still in the same way as they were taught before 1989. At the same time there are tendencies to get free from these stereotypized perspectives - for example as far as some historical events are concerned (in Prague there is currently a quarrel about monuments of soviet marshall Koniev - officially taught as a liberator of Prague, and of general Vlasov, a Russian general who did not belong to Red Army but also freed Prague from Nazis). These two perspectives are present everywhere - one conservative, linked to the past (Communism, Eastern Block, Warsaw Pact etc.), another progressive (NATO, EU, globalization). Defensive attitudes of these nations (or a big part of its populations) result from the past of these countries. One of the best representants of this is Viktor Orban (Hungarian politician).