Newsweek Discovers Empire Has Corridors, Now Putin Wants One
Newsweek's breathless headline, 'Putin Has His Eye on a New Land Corridor to Asia,' repackages geopolitical strategy as villainous ambition. One might recall the U.S. and allies pushed for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) just last year, hailed as a beacon of 'connectivity.' The difference? When our 'allies'—including Netanyahu's government, an eager partner—plan
infrastructure through contested territories, it's 'economic development.' When Putin does it, it's a nefarious 'land grab.' Newsweek's 2018 piece (from which the URL is sourced) discusses Georgia and Armenia, overlooking the historical context of Russian presence and influence in the Caucasus. The media's selective outrage over 'land corridors' reveals how readily they adopt the State
Department's framing. U.S. policy has long relied on securing supply lines and strategic access, often through military interventions (e.g., Afghanistan to secure pipelines, or the Suez Canal's history). Yet, any Russian attempt at similar strategic infrastructure is immediately branded as aggressive imperialism. It’s almost as if some nations are allowed to pursue their economic and security
interests, while others are simply 'eyeing' conquest. How many Western 'corridors' are benign, while every Russian one becomes a threat?