In the past 45 days, as if on cue, five indispensable pillars of the Bush Administration's politico-military footprint in Eurasia have erupted with internal unrest or complication. It is like someone pushing pressure points in US muscle and influence in the region.

Iraq’s Kurds and America’s bases jab a stick in the Turkish craw. India’s communists obstruct a nuclear cooperation treaty with the US. Pakistan’s perpetual military President Musharraf responds to protestors of his administration with armed raids and jailed lawyers. Georgia’s President follows Musharraf’s lead, crushing street protests with security forces. And Afghans have been seeing Taliban ghosts who shoot real rounds and burn stuff down.

Now Vladimir Putin has ordered radioactive fuel rods to the Iranians.

Maybe it is mere symmetry, but Eurasia is within the Russian Federation’s declared sphere of influence, and experts have consistently emphasized Putin's spoilier role:

"People in Washington now generally believe that Putin recognizes he has some ability to be a spoiler -- he can sort of wreck everybody's mood at summits and he can cause trouble in the West." 

--Anne Applebaum

At the same time, it has enough power and potential power to be either a spoiler or a contributing partner as America pursues its national security interests. For instance, Russia inherited and maintains military and economic ties with Iran, Syria, North Korea, and China, relations that could be either useful or threatening to American security interests.

--Michael McFaul and James M. Goldgeier

However, other analysts and think tanks emphasize Russia's inability to do anything to carry out a counter-superpower agenda, lacking resources and organization to do so. Always, Russia's potential is the topic. Yet in that there is a dangerous arrogance toward Russia's rise in the world.

The arrogance was perhaps unconscious for many who sought to 'teach' Russia to be a constitutional democratic republic, and for those idiotic missionaries who daily offended Russians who have been finding their religiously spiritual roots. That the Putin regime's state interference with spiritual life (an historic error in Russia) and personality cult hinders that search is deepened by interlopers who did not duly respect the Russian peoples' virtues recommending self-determination.

Where analysts err who underestimate Putin's creative and resourceful uses of power abroad is that they see only a spoiler. Putin intends to extend his limited power through multipliers in other powers and trends. He is too deliberate to remain in power through the Prime Minster's Office just for the limelight. His work is not done. Hence my example of the concerted events in Eurasia.

Ultimately I believe that the West underestimates Putin's anger and determination not to meaninglessly hurt, but to defeat the West for its attitudes toward Russia. I believe he wants to reverse the perceived result of the Cold War.

It became an axiom of WWII's roots that the allies underestimated German humiliation via allied punishments after WWI. Why is this not discussed more about Russia in terms of allied declarations of victory and subsequently assumed control by aid, the purse and counsel?

The next US leadership should publicly summit with Russia on the dimensions of Rekyavik to jointly denounce the Cold War's ill-effects and take specific mutual actions to identify and correct them. While it may be too late, it would disarm much rancor and anti-Western hate in Russia to do this. It can be done without condoning the current course of Russia, which I believe is based on some unresolved ill-effects of the Cold War.

In this status quo of lingering ailments of the Cold War, Vladimir Putin may not only be checking the US, but preparing to bring it low, then oust and replace it internationally. Russian purchases of large stakes in Western entities abroad are ongoing. With Russian money will come influence. And I've already written about Putin's extension of state power through the Russian Orthodox Church.

Another recurring error our political and industrial leaders have made in working hand in hand to compete for Russian resources and markets is disregarding that Russia will imitate their conduct, fair and unfair. It is as though the short-term profit crowd does not think their children will have to live on the planet with the angry children of the people they finesse today. Look at the intense youth movements in Russia following Putin. It hearkens back to other youth movements in Europe that engaged in programming and indoctrination. It is a bad sign.

Vladimir Putin may be a despot with all of the temptations and compromises that come with it, but he is a smart man in alliance with advisers who do see what US interests have been up to since treating the fall of the Berlin Wall as a Carte Blanche to guide the East. I think analysts underestimate the depth of Putin's anger and Russians' anger at this snubbing that comes across in the Western attitude and its premises.

It would take much away from nationalist movements whose energy depends on charges of Western exploitation, hypocrisy and decadence for the U.S. to cease exploiting, hypocritical acts and decadent pursuits that damage social life at home and abroad. How? Drop unfair competition and insist on the same abroad. Draw down the unethical moves and measure the same abroad.

When other national leaders look at the political and social diseases Americans tolerate in their own society or in their treatment of others abroad, then see them coming to 'teach' democracy without cleaning up their own house, they tend to grab their wallets, spoil the message at home, and unsnap their holsters. It is exactly what Americans would do in the reverse.

Finally, if one's adversary is well trained enough, it can kill you with a ploughshare as well as with a sword. It is time to deal with Russia with respect, toughness and self-correction. To neglect any of these elements is a plan to fail.