SHANNON LONGWORTH: DIDN’T THE COLD WAR END WHEN THIS HAPPENED?

WELL YEAH BUT SOME EXPERTS SAY

JOHN DENI: “I THINK WE ARE PROBABLY ALREADY IN THAT KIND OF PERIOD NOW–WE HAVE BEEN SINCE AT LEAST 2014.”

LONGWORTH: SO HOLD UP.

WHAT IS A COLD WAR? AND ARE WE REALLY IN ONE NOW?

LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT.

BASED ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE USSR AND THE US, A COLD WAR DOESN’T INVOLVE SHOOTING–OR VIOLENCE DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE COMBATANTS.

JOHN DENI–A RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES AT THE US ARMY WAR COLLEGE–EXPLAINS.

DENI: “AND SO THE CONFLICT PLAYS OUT IN OTHER WAYS–NOT DIRECT COMBAT BETWEEN THE COMBATANTS OR THE ADVERSARIES–BUT THROUGH OTHER FORMS, INCLUDING PROXIES, ECONOMIC COMPETITION AND IDEOLOGICAL COMPETITION.”

LONGWORTH: IN THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND THE U.S.–THE CONFLICT PLAYED OUT AS COMMUNISM VS. CAPITALISM.

THE TWO SIDES ALSO DON’T OFFICIALLY DECLARE WAR ON EACH OTHER–EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE CLEARLY COMPETING. IT’S MORE OF AN OPEN HOSTILITY THAT MANIFESTS IN ACTIVITY LIKE THE SPACE RACE.

AND, FINALLY, THE HOSTILITY IS PROLONGED–IT LASTS AWHILE.

I MEAN, THE SOVIETS AND AMERICANS WERE LOCKED IN CONTENTION FROM THE END OF WWII TO ABOUT 1990.

NOW, ALL THESE POINTS APPLY TO THE CURRENT CONFLICT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE–WHICH STARTED IN 2014 WHEN RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE AND ANNEXED CRIMEA.

WE’RE INVOLVED BECAUSE UKRAINE’S BACKED BY NATO–A GROUP OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE U.S.

IN THIS CONFLICT, THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY SHOOTING OR OFFICIAL DECLARATIONS, AND IT’S LASTED YEARS.

SO, WE VERY WELL COULD BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A COLD WAR ALREADY, THOUGH SOME HISTORIANS WOULD ARGUE THE WORLD IS MUCH MORE STABLE THESE DAYS.

GOT IT STRAIGHT?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS AND DON’T FORGET TO HIT THE STRAIGHT ARROW BIAS METER.