For the majority of  the twentieth century, the possibility of an all-out nuclear war with Russia was one of America’s most pressing issues. Now with the current situation in Syria, the United States is closer to entering a new Cold War than most might think. In Syria, the U.S. backed rebels are fighting soldiers of the Assad regime which has caused friction between Russia and the U.S.. In addition, Russia allegedly hacked the Democratic National Convention and some polling sites, trying to undermine faith in the U.S. election. The severity of these issues are overlooked by the general population, however, what may seem like small skirmishes thousands of miles away, may actually have a large impact on all our lives.

“Russia’s starting to be more like the Cold War era Soviet Union, which is kind of scary to think about,” freshman Ivan Cajina said.

In Syria, especially in Aleppo, Russian and Syrian forces have been bombing areas known to be inhabited by civilians, with at least 50 people killed in one day. This has led to a large international outcry with a majority of the discontent coming from people in the United States. This anger and resentment toward the daily atrocities against innocent civilians has magnified and has even reached many public officials who now condemn the bombings and airstrikes.

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I don’t think a proxy war is in play in this day and age, seeing as Russia is a legitimate democracy and not just a puppet authoritarian state.

— Kevin Monjarrez

The situation in the middle east is eerily similar to when the Cold War began. With the end of the first world war, Berlin was occupied jointly by the United States, France, Great Britain, and Russia. This escalated into the Cold War after Russia refused to evacuate East Berlin and occupied it as a buffer state; effectively increasing the threat of a nuclear holocaust. The very same scenario is beginning to take place in Aleppo due to American and Russian activity in the area which may lead to an unpredictable “Colder” War.

Those who may not understand what is happening around the world may think that America is experiencing a great time of peace and prosperity; they could not be more wrong. The Russian hacks and proxies of American servers are reminiscent of Putin’s rise to power when after released footage of his political opponent supposedly engaging in inappropriate behavior. The proxies are of great importance because they draw the average American’s attention away from the situation in Aleppo which would leave Russia open to take it over just like they took over East Berlin in 1947.

“I highly doubt we’re going into an actual war, Putin would have to be extremely foolish to engage the United States’s massive military and its allies. However, U.S. intervention may be necessary in preventing any further Russian advancements in the Middle East,” senior Bryan Cruz said.

What is going on in Syria now is eerily similar to 1940s Berlin, which led to the Cold War. So if Russia decides to build a wall through Aleppo, you can probably guess what’s going to happen next.