Kasparov: We’re Already Back to the Cold War With Russia

Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov argued that the US is already back in the Cold War with Russia on Friday’s “Real Time” on HBO.

Kasparov said of Putin, “it’s everybody’s problem, because unlike other bad guys he has nukes…he can blackmail you.”

Maher responded, “no, he can’t. We have nukes too.” And “do you really think Vladimir Putin is an irrational person who’s going to launch a nuclear war against America?”

Kasparov responded, “maybe today not, but I heard so many times that Putin was not irrational, and he will not do this, this, this, and this, and he already did almost everything…he destroyed the security system that has been built in Europe since 1945…he destroyed Russian democracy. He supports every dictator in the world.”

After Maher said, “but there’s a lot of bad guys in the world,” Kasparov retorted, “Putin is the most powerful one, the richest one, and the most powerful one, by far. He’s the ringleader.” Maher maintained, “there have been many like that.” Kasparov then responded, “name another one…who had an ability to hurt every other country in the world.” Maher countered, “an ability is different than a will to do it.” And “so, we should go back to the Cold War.” Kasparov answered, “we’re already there.”

Maher then asked, “my question is, is no problem in the world a problem of the region itself? Why does America always have to be the guardian of the galaxy? — Why isn’t Russia to be reformed by Russians? The Middle East to be reformed by Middle Easterners, and America to stay out?” Kasparov answered, “the entire US elections in 1940 was about America staying away from World War II.” Maher argued that those were different scenarios, to which Kasparov retorted, “it didn’t happen overnight. In 1936, Hitler was well-respected.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett