Are Republicans such dinosaurs that they do not understand that Russia is not a superpower

[Skidmore]

monolithic enemy now? What is this push to return to the Evil Empire wars? Why the focus on trying to elevate Russia to that status when doing so and creating a fight we realistically could not respond to given the grinding down of the military over the years? Are they oblivious to the fact that Cheney's war in Iraq was instrumental in this? Is the only relationship with another country they can see themselves engaging in an adversarial one?

[Odin2005]

1. They are stuck in a "pre-1989 mentality*.

Many of the 2010 crop of Teabaggers came of age when Reagan was ranting about "The Evil Empire".

[ananda]

3. That's generous.

I think of Reeps as a cross between feudal flagellists
and de sade.

[porphyrian]

2. Cold Warriors whacking it to Red Dawn. n/t

[HopeHoops]

4. Yes.

[Zalatix]

5. Russia has the 2nd or the #1 largest nuclear stockpile in the world.

They may or may not be a superpower but they do have superweapons. TONS of them.

Still, we have ZERO reason to have an adversarial relationship with Russia.

[GaYellowDawg]

6. Fear has to have a focus.

The Republican Party caters to fear. Fear has to have a focus. At least during the Cold War, it was a legitimate one. After the Cold War, it was the U.N. and all those pesky black helicopters and the gubmint takin' away guns, and since 9/11 it's been those, plus "Islamofascism" and terrists. But Republicans would love to have another monolithic enemy. China hasn't panned out because so many people buy cheap shit from there and our economies are so intertwined that the collapse of one would cause the collapse of the other. So it's back to Mother Russia.

[JoePhilly]

7. There are COMMUNISTS hiding EVERYWHERE!!!!