Russia in the 21st Century The Prodigal Superpower

This book demonstrates that Russia intends to re-emerge as a full fledged superpower before 2010 that would challenge America and China and potentially threaten a new arms race. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this goal is easily within the Kremlin's grasp, but the cost to the Russian people and global security would be immense. A sophisticated strategy is proposed to dissuade President Vladimir Putin from pursuing this destabilizing course. The cold war image of the Soviet Union as a westernizing, mass consumption society committed to "peaceful coexistence" is exposed as a statistical illusion. A critique of American foreign policymaking is also provided that emphasizes the confusion caused by tempering evidence to conform with public expectations by failing to secure the national interest in favor of satisfying a consensus of particular special interests.