I don't buy the Leftist/Ron Paul/Pat Buchanan blame America approach in general or regarding Putin's aggression in particular. Buchanan has already expressed a kind of sympathy for Putin's deep regret for the breakup of the USSR. But the USSR was, as Reagan sad, an evil empire, that slaughtered tens of millions of its own people and was a constant threat to the rest of the world. America's shortcoming and failures do not justify Putin's aggression against free and sovereign countries. Apparently he is about to begin military exercises in our hemisphere in cold-war fashion. China and North Korea and Iran are looking on with great interest.
Enough already with Buchanan's shortsighted isolationism and blaming America first. The American People need to do what it takes to right this ship, build a strong military defense, get back to the free market wealth, while continuing to stand to help free and sovreign countries against aggressors like Putin.
I agree with some of your points but I would never presume to speak for God's will for America's future or to presume His continued forbearance in the face of our open defiance of Him. America has sacrificed more innocent babies to Moloch than all the people slaughtered by the Soviets. The USSR was harshly judged by its total collapse, while the United States continues unrepentant along its rebellious and apostate path.
I don't buy the Leftist/Ron Paul/Pat Buchanan blame America approach in general or regarding Putin's aggression in particular. Buchanan has already expressed a kind of sympathy for Putin's deep regret for the breakup of the USSR. But the USSR was, as Reagan sad, an evil empire, that slaughtered tens of millions of its own people and was a constant threat to the rest of the world. America's shortcoming and failures do not justify Putin's aggression against free and sovereign countries. Apparently he is about to begin military exercises in our hemisphere in cold-war fashion. China and North Korea and Iran are looking on with great interest.
You speak of Russia's communist history while ignoring America's murderous present. It is America which permits, sanctions and proselytizes for unlimited abortion and sodomite "marriage" and restricts religious freedom in its armed forces and public life. It is Russia which now restricts abortion and homosexuality while sanctioning and encouraging religious expression in its armed forces and public life. Regardless of whether Russia's positive actions are sincere, our anti-Christian policies are very real.
As for the so-called "blame America approach" that you decry, there is no denying that NATO shifted from its chartered defensive stance against the threat of Soviet invasion to a strategy of offensive encirclement of Russia after the USSR's collapse. NATO promised Moscow that it would not expand eastward if Russian troops were withdrawn from the former Soviet bloc nations. Russia withdrew, and NATO then absorbed 12 new treaty members along Russia's frontier in 1999 and 2004. NATO's audacious play for southern encirclement along the Black Sea has now been thwarted by Russia, first in Georgia in 2008 and now in Crimea in 2014. So tell me, who has provoked whom?
And as for Putin's expressed regret over the USSR's dissolution, he explained it is over the millions of Russians now isolated in those former SSRs. We may choose to accept that explanation or not, but context is necessary if we are to be honest.
Enough already with Buchanan's shortsighted isolationism and blaming America first. The American People need to do what it takes to right this ship, build a strong military defense, get back to the free market wealth, while continuing to stand to help free and sovreign countries against aggressors like Putin.
I'm all for righting our ship, building a strong defense, getting back to free market wealth and encouraging freedom around the world by our example and through free trade. But I am opposed to offensive meddling in the affairs of other nations and the continued squandering of our youth and (borrowed) treasure in foolhardy wars and nation building. We who espouse and defend the Monroe Doctrine here in our own hemisphere should see the hypocrisy in our own meddling in Eurasian affairs. And we who have overextended ourselves to the point of exhaustion and bankruptcy must now recognize the very real physical and financial limits upon such continued adventurism.
But my bottom line question about Ukraine is this: Are you prepared to commit to total war against Russia over the future of Ukraine? If you are not, then all other calls for action are hollow and we'd be better served by limiting our proclamations to those which we are fully committed to honoring to the very end.