Blogger (and author of the recently published volume The New Cold War) Mark MacKinnon points to a just-released strategic plan for American national security in the next decade from the U.S. State Department (certainly no hawks where Russia is concerned, but presided over by Condi Rice, Russian speaker who knows Russia only too well). The report states that the U.S. government is concerned with

increasing centralization of power, pressure on NGOs and civil society, a growing government role in the economy, and restrictions on media freedom have all emerged as clear and worrisome trends. Russian weapon sales to such states as Iran, Syria, and Venezuela are also cause for great concern throughout the international community. Russia’s policy toward its neighbors is another major challenge, especially Moscow’s support for separatist regions in Georgia and Moldova, its political and economic pressure against Georgia, and its monopolistic use of energy to pressure neighboring states and gain control of infrastructure and strategic assets.

Russian politicans can blabber all the like about how they "don't want cold war" with the United States, but actions speak louder than words. Russia has permanently alienated the world's only superpower, and cold war is the inevitable result. Only regime change in Russia can save it from exactly the same fate met by the USSR.

What is America prepared to do? Condi spells it out:

We seek to consolidate new democracies in Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova by fighting corruption and assisting economic reforms. As these countries break with their Soviet past and move closer to European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, we need to continue to provide our support, encouragement, and technical advice. Elsewhere in Eurasia, people yearn for the hope kindled by the “color revolutions” of 2003 – 2005, while the dictatorial regime in Belarus faces unprecedented pressure from both the West and Russia. To promote reform and democratic development, we are sustaining support for civil society and independent media, bilaterally, in conjunction with the EU, and through multilateral fora such as the OSCE.

It was insane for the USSR to challenge the USA to a duel, the two nations were not equals by any means. And Russia is a shadow of the USSR. How can it possibly think any other result will obtain?