TheUnitedStatesandRussia

By:ChrisWest

AftertheendofWorldWar2,theUnitedStatesofAmericaandtheSovietUnion,
whichwascommunistatthetime,werethetwoleadingsuperpowersoftheworld.
Everyonefearedthetwocountriesthetwocountriesfearedeachotherevenmore.Thats
whyin1945,wewereintheColdWarwiththeSovietUnionuntil1991.Thetwocountries
keptbuttingheadswiththeSpaceRace,nuclearenergy,andbasicallyeverythingin
general.AfterthefalloftheSovietUnion,Russiasplitupandbecamecapitalist.Nowthat
thetwocountriesareallies,theyreworkingtogetherwithalloftheothercountriestomake
thisworldabetterplace,untilrecently.Russiahasasimilarbutdifferentgovernmentand
wayoflife.Thetwocountriesarebothalikeanddifferentatthesametime.
OneofthedifferencesbetweentheUnitedStatesandRussiaistheclimate.In
Russia,itistypicallycold,rocky,andthesoilishardtofarmwith.Thereareplentyof
resourcesbutitissketchytominethere.TheclimateoftheUnitedStateschanges,
dependingastowhereyouare.UpNorthistypicallycolderwhiledownSouthistypically
warmer.TheUnitedStatesisrichwithgreatfarmingsoil,beautifulenvironments,andgreat
ecosystems.Plantsandwildlifejustflourishhere.
Anotherdifferenceisthepeople.IntheUnitedStates,peoplearebasicallyfreeto
wearjustaboutwhatevertheywantwithoutanyrestrictions.Butwithallofthese
controversiesthatconstantlyhappenintheUnitedStates,itwouldnotbethatpoliteto
judgesomeoneelsesswagger.MostpeopleintheUnitedStateswearjeansandtshirts.
Theywearitemsthatrepresentthemselvesintheirownclassywaythoughsomepeople
justdresswiththecrowd.Womencanwearyogapantsandclothesthataresotight,that
theydontevengetintroubleforit.Itsjustthewayoflifehere.
ThedresscodeinRussiaisprettyformalandconservativebecauseitisareally
rightwingcountry.Thepolicyforwearingclothesthereisfairlystrict.Youdontnecessarily
havethefreedomtowearwhatyouwantwhenyouareinRussia.Mostmenwearsuits
whilewomenwearsuitswithskirtsthatgodowntotheirknees,andtheyareusuallysome
sortofadepressedcolor.ButlikeAmerica,theteenagersandyouthcitizensusuallywear
jeansandtshirts.PeoplewhowearskimpyclothesinRussiacanbeclassifiedasa
prostitute!
Thegovernmentsofbothcountriesareslightlydifferentalso.TheRussian
governmentusedtobecommunistupuntil1991.ThatwaswhentheRussianFederation
becameitssuccessor.In1993,theRussianFederationbecamegovernedundertheir
constitution.In2012,thepresidentpassedanewlawstatingthatthepresidentcantakeup
totwoconsecutivetermswhichareaboutsixyearslongeach.Thepresidentgetsto
choosewhotheywanttobeinthelegislature,whichisalsosplitupintotwogroups,the
upperFederationCouncilandthelowerStateDuma.TheupperFederationCouncilhas
166members,whichconsistsoftworepresentativesfromthegovernmentsofeach
republic.Theserepresentativesgettokeeptheirjobsaslongastheirgovernment
predecessorsdo,unlesstheyareremovedbythem.TheStateDumahas450members
whogettoserve5yearterms.TheCivicChamber,whichwasestablishedin2005,is
empoweredtoinvestigateelectedandappointedgovernmentofficialsandadviseon
nationallegislation.TheCivicChamberconsistsof126memberswhoareeither
appointedbythepresidentorchosenbyothermembers.Theyalsogettoserve2year
terms.Politically,Russiaisdividedinto46differentregions,21ethnicallynonRussian
republics,4autonomousnationalareas,9largelyRussianterritories,thefederalcitiesof
MoscowandSt.Petersburg,and1autonomousregion.
TheUnitedStatesgovernmentisafederalrepublic,whichwassetupbythe
ConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesandlateradoptedbytheConstitutionalConventionof
1787.Thepowerbetweenthefederalgovernmentandthestategovernmentissplit.The
federalgovernmentissplitupintothreebranches:executive,legislative,andjudicial.The
executivepowerisvestedintothepresident,butifthepresidentisincapacitated,thenthe
vicepresidentgetsthepower.Theexecutivegovernmentconductstheadministrative
businessofthenation,alongwiththeaidofacabinet.Thecabinetiscomposedofthe
AttorneyGeneralandtheSecretariesoftheDepartmentofStateTreasuryDefense
InteriorAgricultureCommerceLaborHealthandHumanServicesEducationHousing
andUrbanDevelopmentTransportationEnergyandVeteransAffairs.TheCongressof
theUnitedStatesrunsthelegislativebranch.Thelegislativebranchisbicameralandit
consistsoftheSenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives.Thejudicialbranchisformedby
thefederalcourtsandisheadedbytheU.S.SupremeCourt.ThemembersofCongress
arevotedforbythecitizensoftheU.S.alongwiththeElectoralCollege(s),whicharethe
peoplewhochoosethepresidentandvicepresident.ThepresidentoftheUnitedStates
canserveuptotwoterms,whicharefouryearslongeach,andtwoyears.
Thetwocountriesusedtofightformanyyears.ThisconflictwascalledtheCold
War.Basically,RussiabecameacommunistcountryknownastheSovietUnionand
startedtobecomehostilewiththeUnitedStatesbecausewedidnotagreewithwhatthey
weretryingtoaccomplishinEurope,CommunismtheColdWarstartedin1947,shortly
afterWW2ended.JosephStalin,theleaderofRussiaandtheSovietUnionfrom1919to
1953,wantedtocreateproSovietgovernmentsthroughoutEasternEuropetoprotectthe
U.S.S.R.fromanyfutureproblems.However,thepresidentoftheUnitedStatesatthetime,
HarryS.Truman,wantedtheoppositetohappentoEurope.Trumanbelievedthat
industrializationanddemocracy,throughoutGermanyandEurope,wouldmakepostwar
stabilityapossibility.TheColdWarinevitableystartedbecausethetwobiggestsuper
powersintheworldcouldnotfindcommongroundwitheachother.

OnOctober4th,1957,Russialaunchedthefirstsatelliteinspace,whichwasknown
asSputnik1.TheonlythingSputnikdid,besidespissingoffandscaringtheUnitedStates,
wasbeepmultipletimesinspace.WhentheUnitedStatesfoundoutaboutthissatellite,
theycreatedN.A.S.A.theirownspaceprogram.ThisiswhentheSpaceRace,started.
TheUnitedStateswasscaredofRussiabecausethesamerocketthatcarriedSputnikto
spacewasabletocarryanuclearmissile,whichcouldlandanywhereintheworldina
matterofminutes.NikitaKhrushchevwastheleaderoftheSovietUnionforaboutnine
yearsduringtheColdWar.Hisson,Sergei,talkedabouthispersonalexperienceswiththe
Sputnik1satellite,recallingtheatmosphereoftheSovietUnionwhichwasledbyhis
father:Sovietsocietywasdrivenbytheideathatwehavetomakeourcountrysecure.He
alsostated,We(lived)underthispressure,thatour(lives)dependedononedecisionin
theWhiteHouse:Wouldtheybombusornot?ThepresidentoftheUnitedStatesatthe
timewasDwightD.Eisenhower.Eisenhower,alongwithhisadministration,downplayed
theSputniksatellite,callingita,uselesshunkofiron.DavidHalberstam,whowasa
famousreporterduringtheColdWarandtheVietnamWar,wroteinhisbookTheFifties,
whichwashisaccountoftheUnitedStatesduringthe1950s,that,ThesuccessofSputnik
seemedtoheraldakindoftechnologicalPearlHarbor,whichwasexactlywhatEdward
Teller(thefatherofthehydrogenbomb)saiditwas.TheUnitedStatesendedupwinning
theSpaceRacein1969byputtingthefirstmanonthemoon.
Today,theUnitedStatesandRussiaare,forthemostpart,allies.Accordingtothe
RussianEmbassyswebsite,RussiaconsistentlystandsforcooperationwiththeUnited
Statesbasedontheprinciplesofequality,mutualconsiderationofinterest,and
noninterferenceineachothersinternalaffairs.Theyalsoclaimthat,Therelationswith
theU.S.remainthemostimportantfactorinensuringinternationalsecurityandstability.
ThecurrentagendaoftheU.S.Russianrelationsincludeshelpingusbuildupandmaintain
ourstability,supportingtheactionsthattakeplaceduringregionalconflicts,combating
internationalterrorismanddrugtrafficking,preventingothernewglobalchallengesand
threats,buildinguptradeandinvestmentties,expandingtheculturalexchangesbetween
bothcountries,andcontactsbetweenthepeopleofbothcountries.Themorewework
togethermeansthemorewecanassurethatanotherColdWardoesnothappen.
Butrecently,therelationshipthatthetwocountriesshareisstartingtofadeaway
duetoRussiasinvolvementwiththeUkraine.TheUkraineisinthemiddleofacivilwarso
Russiahasputsomeoftheirtroopsovertheirtointervene,specificallyattheCrimean
peninsula.ThisisbecauseRussiahasstrong,historicties,withtheUkraine,sotheystill
seetheUkraineaspartofthem,sotheywanttotakeoverthecountry.ButtheUnited
StatesdoesntlikethatRussiaisdoingthis.PresidentBarackObama,oftheUnited
States,hasbeentryingtoworkwithRussiaduringthiswholeordealbytryingtopersuade
PresidentVladimirPutin,ofRussia,torelaxandnotactquiteyetonit.ButPutindoesnot
wanttocooperatewiththeUnitedStates,oranyoneinthatmatter.TheUnitedNations
GeneralAssemblyevendeclaredthatCrimeasannexationisillegalandwrong.Instead
ofsendingtroopsovertotheUkrainetotryandfixthisproblem,Obamahasbeenputting
sanctionsonRussia,andhasbeentryingtousediplomaticmeasures,sothatwecan
isolate,Russia.Russiacanonlytakesomuchmoresanctionsuntileither(A)Putinsnaps
andstartsaworldwar3,or(B)Putindecidestocooperate.IfPutinkeepsoncontinuinghis
plan,tensionswillcontinuetosourbetweenRussiaandtheU.S.,andtheUnitedStateswill
getinvolvedmoreaggressively.