As the United States and Russia governments have over the last decade-plus drifted into relations that bring to mind the cold war and that have brought forward the prospect of descent into nuclear war, there has been much effort from within America and other NATO countries to banish Russians from international sporting events and cultural exchanges. Fortunately, marquee American filmmaker Woody Allen has boldly bucked this trend.
Back when the Soviet Union fell apart, there was much talk of a peace dividend — a big reduction in the United States government’s spending on militarism. The peace dividend did not arrive. Instead, the US government proceeded to spend big on the military and engage in a series of military actions across the world, including, as the dissolution of the Soviet Union proceeded, the US military’s first of two invasions of Iraq.
Now, about 30 years after the Soviet Union went away, US military members are still stationed across Europe, as well as aboard ships near Russia, ready to counter the ghost of red spread.