Earlier last month I saw the trailer to a sequel that should never have been made. It was one of those weird trailers with dizzying transitions that made it hard to follow what the plot was really about. All that could be determined was the title — “Cold War 2: The Resurrection Blow.”

Wanting to know more about this movie, I went to Stratfor.com, which bills itself as an independent intelligence agency. There I learned more about this muddled story line.

Why was a Web site devoted to geopolitics suddenly a source for movie information? I haven’t the faintest clue. The only thing apparent was how no clear information about the film could be found in the mainstream media.

Essentially the sequel’s plot follows the United States of America, the population of which is painfully unaware of the world around them. Then one early morning, Aug. 8, 2008, the faraway nation of Russia invaded a region that was technically part of Georgia. However, this region, called South Ossetia, has a good deal of self-governing authority granted through treaties passed after years of similar invasions.

At this point an important detail is missing — South Ossetia aligns itself politically with Russia, the antagonist of the original film. Slowly Russia tries to re-establish its dominance on the world stage, which was lost at the end of the original movie. Russia invades Georgia, a country freed from Russia’s clutches at the end of the first film, “Cold War: The Seemingly Never-Ending Story.”

Obviously, this is not a plot to an actual movie; rather, it is a brief summation of actual world affairs. In the days and weeks following these events many of us heard bits and pieces of the problems in Georgia, but not the whole story. Instead what we got out of it is: “Georgia good. Russia bad.”

This may not be a terrible fact in a country like ours where ignorance, when it comes to knowledge of foreign issues, is bliss. Nevertheless, as the foreign policy elite of our nation use this conflict as grounds to talk tough with Russia, it is extremely worrisome.

My stance, however, should not be taken as support of Russian actions.

Since Vladimir Putin stepped down as Russian president, he has done his best to grab all the power he can as Russia’s prime minister.

The entire situation is increasingly perilous. Russia now defies the world community by recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian territory, as independent countries. To go on further about disheartening Russian policies would require nearly a thousand different columns.


For now though, it truly seems we are in a really bad sequel playing itself out in the real world. Although the United States found itself the victor in the original Cold War, this issue should not be taken lightly. Both Democrats and Republicans are taking a hard stance on Russia, but if the American people don’t actually know what is happening, it is a recipe for disaster.

Big-stick diplomacy supported by our blind support of the U.S. government will not work here — not again. Educating ourselves is the only way to ensure history does not repeat itself. The first Cold War was scary enough. The last thing we need is a more explosive sequel.

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