World does not need another Cold War

President Bush declared last week while standing on Czech soil that "the Cold War is over."
Considering the threat posed by global terrorism, the impending doom of the U.S.-Soviet showdown of decades past is something the world can do without.
But considering the current low point in U.S.-Russian relations, some fear a new Cold War is in the making.
What appears to be the biggest thorn in our relations with the Russians is the missile defense system our nation is looking to implement. The Star Wars system of the 1980s is finally becoming a reality and the Russians are ticked.
The system will include a radar base in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland. Russia feels that since the defense system is being built at its doorstep, the U.S. must see the former Soviet Union as a threat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow could take "retaliatory steps" in response to the U.S. missile shield. He threatened to target U.S. military bases in Europe with Russian nuclear missiles. China and Russia both said that the U.S. missile shield could trigger a new nuclear arms race.
On top of all this, President Bush escalated the situation last week by saying, “In Russia, reforms that once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development."
The war of words between Washington and Moscow has intensified in recent weeks. Although the U.S. says the missile shield is to protect NATO allies against a nuclear missile strike by Iran, the positioning of the system has clearly rattled the Russians.
Bush has offered to include Russia under the system's defensive umbrella, and such cooperation could defuse what’s looking and sounding like a Cold War showdown.
The bottom line is that the free world does not need to be thrown into Cold War II. The threat that global terrorism poses for all nations is enough to keep all of us awake at night.
And that threat, along with a nuclear-armed Iran and North Korea, has created the need for a missile shield.
Bush and Putin are communicating about their rift, and it's important the two leaders de-escalate this brewing crisis.
Bush is obviously pushing for a compromise with his words Wednesday that “Russia is not an enemy. There needs to be no military response because we’re not at war with Russia. Russia is not a threat. Nor is the missile defense we’re proposing a threat to Russia.”
The U.S. and Russia must put aside their differences and realize that the current global conflict — the war on terrorism — requires them to be the staunchest of allies.
Let’s not turn back the clock on U.S.-Russian relations. That would be a huge step backward not just for both countries, but for the world.

Chavez showing his true colors

It was September of last year when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used his pulpit at the UN General Assembly to compare our President Bush to Satan.

Chavez's tirade drew some applause from the crowd of foreign leaders and dignitaries at the UN as well as a few kudos from Bush's critics here at home.

Some Americans used Chavez's speech to give credence to their own anti-Bush views and to show just how poorly the U.S. leader is being viewed on the global stage.

But anyone who put stock in Chavez's outburst or leadership abilities should take notice of what's happening in Venezuela right now. Police in that country are currently using force to put down angry protests after the Bush-bashing Chavez shut down Venezuela's most popular television station.

The 54-year-old station, Radio Caracas Television, just happens to be seen as a voice for those who oppose Chavez.

Venezuelan soldiers took control of the station's transmitters and shut it down Sunday night. It has been replaced by the state-funded TVES, which opened its programming with artists singing pro-Chavez music.

Chavez has refused to renew RCTV's operating license, accusing the station of subversive activity.

Its replacement is being referred to as a socialistic channel. The programming on TVES will include exercise programs, educational shows for children that promote socialist values, and documentaries.

RCTV had talk shows, soap operas (some of which were aired in the U.S.), sports and a popular long-running comedy that poked fun at presidents, including Chavez.

He accused the network of "poisoning" Venezuelans by airing shows that promoted capitalism, breaking broadcast laws and committing other infractions.

Looking back to last September and Chavez's comments accusing the U.S. of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world," an argument could be made that he's guilty of some of the same things in his own country.

Chavez made the sign of the cross during his attack on Bush and ended his UN diabtribe by saying, "It smells like sulfur here, but God is with us."

Something evil was clearly at the UN last September but it wasn't Bush.

Hopefully, anyone here or abroad who put Chavez on anything resembling a pedestal after his insane commentary has come back to reality.

The Venezuelan president's recent actions in his country should cause every American to stop and think about our First Amendment freedom of speech rights.

We should all be thankful we live in a nation where everyone, TV stations included, can be critical of our government or anything else without fear of punishment.

Free speech is what makes our country great and it should never be taken for granted.