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My thoughts On Pat Buchanan’s Brilliant And Incisive Take On Washington’s Ukrainian Fiasco
Conta Corner ^ | David Stockman

Posted on 07/29/2014 3:03:59 PM PDT by Lorianne

In just 800 words Pat Buchanan exposes the sheer juvenile delinquency embodied in Washington’s current Ukrainian fiasco. He accomplishes this by reminding us of the sober restraint that governed the actions of American Presidents from FDR to Eisenhower, Reagan and Bush I with respect to Eastern Europe during far more perilous times.

In a word, as much as they abhorred the brutal Soviet repression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956, the Prague Spring in 1968 and the solidarity movement in Poland in the early 1980s, among many other such incidents, they did not threaten war for one simple reason: These unfortunate episodes did not further endanger America’s national security. Instead, in different ways each of these Presidents searched for avenues of engagement with the often disagreeable and belligerent leaders of the Soviet Empire because they “felt that America could not remain isolated from the rulers of the world’s largest nation”.

Accordingly, during the entire span from 1933, when FDR recognized the Soviet Union, until 1991, when it ended, the US never once claimed Ukraine’s independence was part of its foreign policy agenda or a vital national security interest. Why in the world, therefore, should we be meddling in the backyard of a far less threatening Russia today?

(Excerpt) Read more at davidstockmanscontracorner.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
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1 posted on 07/29/2014 3:03:59 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne
Why in the world, therefore, should we be meddling in the backyard of a far less threatening Russia today?

Meanwhile, the Russkies are developing their nuclear capability and have been supporting communist movements and states across the world, as well as Islamic nations like Iran. They also possess tremendous influence with their media, with which they promote a virulent anti-Americanism that essentially tells the world "it's okay to kill Americans, they're the servants of the NWO."

Buchanan and these freaks are either useful idiots or else they are working for the Reds directly.

2 posted on 07/29/2014 3:11:38 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Lorianne

You will not be very popular with the war dogs here.


3 posted on 07/29/2014 3:12:01 PM PDT by wrench
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To: wrench
But he will do great with the long-term Russkie plants and PaulBot/Alex Jones weirdos though.
4 posted on 07/29/2014 3:13:57 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

When do we start quoting the Domino Theory? It worked great last time it was drug out and waved around.


5 posted on 07/29/2014 3:18:46 PM PDT by wrench
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

The only thing stopping us from “developing our nuclear capability” is the Obama administration. Believe it or not, nuclear weapons are not that expensive, especially for a country like ours that already has the infrastructure for them.


6 posted on 07/29/2014 3:19:27 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.)
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To: wrench
"You will not be very popular with the war dogs here."

War dogs? As opposed to lap dogs?

7 posted on 07/29/2014 3:19:42 PM PDT by lormand (Inside every liberal is a dung slinging monkey)
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To: wrench
When do we start quoting the Domino Theory?

Like several years ago when Putin invaded Georgia, complete with the whole "separatists" and "defense of Russians" nonsense.

8 posted on 07/29/2014 3:24:51 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Lorianne
"Accordingly, during the entire span from 1933, when FDR recognized the Soviet Union, until 1991, when it ended, the US never once claimed Ukraine’s independence was part of its foreign policy agenda or a vital national security interest. Why in the world, therefore, should we be meddling in the backyard of a far less threatening Russia today?"

The Ukraine declared it's independence in August of 1991, how could there be a policy for Ukrainian independence in the US prior to that? Is Stockman smoking rope? Has he not seen the expansion of Russia by Putin since O'Zero took office?

9 posted on 07/29/2014 3:29:07 PM PDT by lormand (Inside every liberal is a dung slinging monkey)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans; wrench
"Like several years ago when Putin invaded Georgia, complete with the whole "separatists" and "defense of Russians" nonsense."

Wrench...better put some ice on that

10 posted on 07/29/2014 3:30:38 PM PDT by lormand (Inside every liberal is a dung slinging monkey)
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To: Lorianne

Pat is always brilliant.


11 posted on 07/29/2014 3:30:41 PM PDT by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
Since Obama is a pussy and he won't do anything ... and you know that as well as anyone ... then it would be the best thing for his administration to make no threats.

Do you think it's great that our wuss-in-chief is making threats that you know he won't ever back up?

12 posted on 07/29/2014 3:31:24 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

I’m not aware of him making any threats except for sanctions, and then refraining to call Putin straight out a “liar,” which any real leader would have done some time ago.


13 posted on 07/29/2014 3:32:24 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: wrench
You will not be very popular with the war dogs here.

These folks beating the drums seem to think that war with Russia will be like all of our other recent wars where less than 1% of the country goes off to some far away place most couldn't find on a map and thoroughly delivers ass-kickings on the nightly news while the rest of America goes about their day-to-day activities without any interruption or care in the world.

It won't be like that.

14 posted on 07/29/2014 3:42:29 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Lorianne
...the solidarity movement in Poland in the early 1980s, among many other such incidents, they did not threaten war for one simple reason: These unfortunate episodes did not further endanger America’s national security. Instead, in different ways each of these Presidents searched for avenues of engagement with the often disagreeable and belligerent leaders of the Soviet Empire because they “felt that America could not remain isolated from the rulers of the world’s largest nation”.

The reason we did not "threaten war" is because we didn't have the ability to intervene militarily. However, we provided other kinds of support to the opposition, much of it covert and also rhetorically. We provided the hope that kept the opposition alive. We had a containment policy, the Truman Doctrine, JFK's rhetorical defense of freedom throughout the world, and Reagan's evil empire along with a Polish Pope.

America used the VOA and other ways to communicate with the oppressed in these countries. In short, we had American leaders who could articulate the ideological struggle we were waging.

15 posted on 07/29/2014 3:43:58 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
...complete with the whole "separatists" and "defense of Russians" nonsense

Just had a nightmare flashback.
If you substitute Sudetenland and Danzig for Crimea or Georgia and speak of "defense of Germans" history would be repeating itself-except that now there isn't any longer a man to stand in the gap in opposition to the tyrant.

16 posted on 07/29/2014 3:45:04 PM PDT by stormhill
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To: Lorianne

Looking at these problems from the point of view that Washington really wants to solve them is even more ludicrous than believing that Obama and his cabal have the best interests of the United States at heart.


17 posted on 07/29/2014 3:51:03 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Lorianne

The recent situation with Russia and Ukraine has seemed murky to me as soon as Russia moved on the Crimea. Whatever one might think would be the right thing to do, we have done little for the same reason that we did probably nothing to free Tibet from China: too far away and impossible to do without risking a major war.

The idea that there is anything we can do to dissuade Putin from acting in Russia’s historical sphere of influence seems pretty nonsensical. W did, or could have done nothing to keep him from moving on Georgia.

Buchanan is probably right; we should engage with Putin where possible and try diplomacy and strenghtening alliances to contain Russia if they become too ambitious. (Such as installing missile defense systems in places like Poland and the Czech Republic. And we all know what happened to those plans. And we should avoid stupid moves that reopen areas such as the Middle East to renewed Russian influence.)


18 posted on 07/29/2014 4:08:49 PM PDT by Will88
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To: Lorianne

Reagan wouldn’t be passive, Obama is.

Reagan would be opposing Russia recovering empire and undoing what he accomplished and becoming a threat to the world again.

Obama is more with our Russia supporters here, in fact it is quite a game they play, calling for weakness, yet pretending that Obama isn’t with them and weak himself.


19 posted on 07/29/2014 4:10:14 PM PDT by ansel12 (LEGAL immigrants, 30 million 1980-2012, continues to remake the nation's electorate for democrats)
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To: Drew68
It won't be like that.

The biggest problem with your fantasy is that you couldn't possibly find anyone on this forum who even thinks what you have described or has even called for a war with Russia.

20 posted on 07/29/2014 4:14:54 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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