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Why I blame the arrogant, foolish West: Our response to this crisis in Ukraine has been to react with mistrust and abuse, and with blatant attempts to worsen the situation, writes Peter Hitchens
DailyMail.com ^ | 2/22/2022 | Peter Hitchens

Posted on 02/24/2022 1:05:37 AM PST by Nextrush

...We have treated Russia with amazing stupidity. Now we pay the price for that. We had the chance to make her an ally, friend and partner.

Instead we turned her into an enemy by insulting a great and proud country with greed, unearned superiority, cynicism, contempt and mistrust.

I have to endure, often several times a day, listening to people who are normally pefectly sensible and reasonable, raging wildly against Russia and Russians.

Once, I was just like them. I had the normal anti-Russian prejudice of so many Western people.

But, by great fortune, I am not like them now. I lived in Russia. I knew Russians as friends. I learned to distinguish between what was Russian and what was Communist.

And I saw something most people will never see--a pivotal event in history, when we could have changed the world for the better.

One of the most joyful moments of my life was the day Communism died in Moscow...

Then came the brilliant American diplomat George F. Kennan, a man nobody could accuse of being soft on Communism.

But, unlike so many others he could tell the new transformed Russia apart from the old USSR.

Kennan had been the architect of the USA's policy of containment of the USSR. He came out of retirement to deplore Bill Clinton's support for pushing NATO east. I quote his prediction at length because he was so right.

"I think it is the beginning of new Cold War,' said Mr. Kennan, "I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies.

I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else.

This expansion would make the Founding Fathers of this country turn over in their graves...

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: billclinton; georgekennan; peterhitchens; ukraine
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To: Nextrush
"I said that if Russia invaded it would show that Putin is mad."

Peter Hitchens

41 posted on 02/24/2022 4:03:01 AM PST by tlozo
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To: Nextrush

We are living in 1984. We have always been living in 1984.


42 posted on 02/24/2022 4:06:54 AM PST by Fresh Wind (We are living in 1984. We have always been living in 1984.)
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To: srmanuel

Mitt Romney, of all people, was out there screaming about the America First movement being responsible for this which makes no sense. Romney is the loud War Hawk, yet he had five “student”, “missionary” and “marriage” deferments from service in the Vietnam War. He was also a big advocate of the invasion of Iraq by GW Bush until asked by a reporter why none of his five sons had seen military service when he turned red and bristled out some nonsense in response. War Hawk Romney is in fact Chicken Hawk Romney, louds of loud cackling for war but no skin in the game.


43 posted on 02/24/2022 4:16:46 AM PST by laconic
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To: Nextrush

Da, Tovarisch


44 posted on 02/24/2022 4:17:19 AM PST by Aagcobb (Do not bow down to the Beast or accept its Mark, Revelation 13)
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To: Zhang Fei
European nations are fat, lazy, and sassy. The US is expected to do everything defense-wise for them, which lets them entertain wild fancies like eliminating coal and nuclear plants and thumbing their nose at conservative policies.

NATO was to last ten or so years after WW II, according to President Eisenhower. He said we failed if it went longer with our involvement.

I agree with President Eisenhower.

45 posted on 02/24/2022 4:39:08 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Vaden
And to add insult to injury this atheistic a$$hole is a US citizen.
46 posted on 02/24/2022 5:02:40 AM PST by jmacusa (America.Founded by geniuses. Now governed by idiots. )
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To: Nextrush

Everything you say is true.
But, don’t forget bushie #1 and his role.
When the ussr disintegrated, we should have been there with our hand outstreached and support for the new fledging democracy.
Instead, bushie #1 turned his back.


47 posted on 02/24/2022 6:26:33 AM PST by joe fonebone (And the people said NO! The End)
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To: jmacusa

He is not an atheist. Perhaps you are thinking of his late brother, Christopher.


48 posted on 02/24/2022 7:45:12 AM PST by Diapason
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To: Diapason
Thanks for the clarification. I couldn't stand his brother.
49 posted on 02/24/2022 8:04:23 AM PST by jmacusa (America.Founded by geniuses. Now governed by idiots. )
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To: Vaden

Putin is no more evil than the SOBs running the U.S. and Canada.


50 posted on 02/24/2022 8:37:48 AM PST by ohioman
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To: kearnyirish2

You are correct. Stalin murdered more than Hitler. The good thing is that both of those regimes are long gone. However, Mao killed more than either Stalin or Hitler and his regime is still in power in China. It is not without irony that the Western Left loves to boast about how “progressive” they are while being in bed with the truly evil Chinese government.


51 posted on 02/24/2022 8:42:09 AM PST by ohioman
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