[ealgeone]

It sadly goes back to the end of the Cold War. Instead of engaging them, helping transition them to a capitalist and democratic society, we let our anti-Russian folks run amok, not accepting the end of the Cold War, we turned our back.

There was no way Stalin was going to convert to a free market, open election system. None.

Recall how the Soviets occupied eastern Europe.

Recall the Berlin Wall.

There was no negotiating with them at the time.

[alternatives?]

Stalin was long dead by the end of the Cold War.

[grimalkin]

Cold War, not WW2.

[PTBAA]

The window of opportunity being referenced occurred after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. Russia was no longer a multi-national conglomerate driven by an ideology bent on world domination.

I guess the military industrial complex could not afford to lose an enemy and have peace and cooperation break out. The Deep State made sure that opportunity was missed.

[BobL]

“Recall how the Soviets occupied eastern Europe. Recall the Berlin Wall. There was no negotiating with them at the time.”

Agree, and I was gun-ho against the Soviets, something that I still think was the right position, back then. But the post you were responding to said AFTER the Cold War. At that point Russia had cut their conventional military down to next to nothing, versus their huge, offensive, ideologically-driven, military posture during the Cold War. But, thanks to the Neocon War in Ukraine, their military has now grown in size by 50%, permanently. So we’ve managed to more or less start another Cold War against them, although it can be reversed, if we can keep the Neocons out of power for a while.

[billakay]

Stalin? End of Cold War? What???