Posted on 04/10/2023 5:35:22 PM PDT by Phoenix8
We recently learned a lesson which was more than three decades in the making.
The lesson partially stems from two seemingly unrelated events.
The world noted the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine at the end of February. And after an air incursion by a spy balloon, saber-rattling over Taiwan and TikTok dance videos blowing up everyone’s phone, the U.S. Congress suddenly grew more serious about China. This culminated in a prime-time House hearing over the winter studying the threat posed by Beijing by a special House committee designed just to study problems between the U.S. and China.
The Ukraine and China episodes are connected. And they explain a great deal about the Cold War and where the west thought the world was going in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Let’s go back in time.
1989 was a heady period.
It began in the spring when thousands of students and demonstrators crowded Tiananmen Square in Beijing pushing for economic reform, free speech and democracy.
An iconic set of images stands out from Tiananmen Square. A long column of Chinese Type 59 tanks rolls down a massive, tree-lined boulevard near the square. From the left, a lone, unidentified, Chinese man steps out into the street holding satchels in either hand. The man stands stoically as the tanks approach, slowing to a crawl. There is a momentary impasse as the man gestures wildly with his right arm. The tank then maneuvers to the side to drive around the man. But the man gallops to the left, blocking the tanks from passing. The man then stutter-steps, left and right as the tank tries to get around him. "Tank man" finally climbs onto the tank and appears to speak briefly with someone inside the tank.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The combined actions of Neo-conservatives and liberal democrats have failed miserably in world affairs. Traditional conservative approaches were largely forgotten and we did not create lasting beneficial diplomatic relations which allowed the former Sino-Soviet Alliance to reform in a new guise.
“we did not create lasting beneficial diplomatic relations which allowed the former Sino-Soviet Alliance to reform in a new guise.”
Nonsense. USA has every single ally that it had in 1989 and has added about 40 more.
We did that through strength. Nations from Poland to Japan don’t look to the USA because we will weakly appease the Russian and Chinese aggressors.
They look to us for leadership because we have always opposed communism everywhere.
It happened therefore we failed to prevent it.
“It happened therefore we failed to prevent it.”
Failed to prevent what? The Communists from hating America?
Our only failure was trying to appease them from Clinton through Obama. Russia/China were always our enemies. They knew it, and it was a problem we sometimes forgot it.
We did that through strength. Nations from Poland to Japan don't look to the USA because we will weakly appease the Russian and Chinese aggressors.
They look to us for leadership because we have always opposed communism everywhere."
You are dreaming and high on hopium. We are losing allies because dim-witted, creepy neocons and stupid “conservatives” carry the water for the far left. We only have nominal allies that need to be paid big $ now because nobody wants to follow globohomo freaks.
The article is unserious. Without the least bit embarrassment, it criticizes China for being a cyber security state.
“We are losing allies”
You know nothing of the world: name one country that has left NATO.
I can give you 20 that left the Russian side.
Russia is not communist. They were formerly communist. China is and has been since that fool Truman abandoned Chang Kai Shek our true enemy.
In 1989-90 Russia threw off that yoke and starting at that time we had opportunities. These we lost.. They were eager to be our fiend in the 90s…we let that chance slip through our fingers and now we are nearly at war.
Yes I agree on Obama, Clinton and now Biden. Yet in my opinion you have the neo-cons which were in power during quite a bit of that time. Perhaps the neo-cons didn’t actively worsen relations like the Obama regime did, but they certainly didn’t improve them either.
I would like to make a comment on your claim we are exceedingly better off today. I refute it.
Countries are not equal in any way. Not in size, shape, population, material resources…no ways. We have gained Allies in honestly small and weak nations like Estonia, The Congo, French Guyana perhaps. 40 more are allied to us…so what I ask? (actually I doubt your claim)
Let’s examine some countries of strategic importance:
Saudi Arabia…we are not on better terms with them now. They have mocked our Buffon in chief openly, conspired with Russia on oil sales. Their importance is immense due to that black gold.
Brazil—going more left. Immense potential in resources.
India—no we are less of an ally. They support Russia unofficially. Largest population on earth now I believe.
China—do I need say anything? They may invade our friend Taiwan any time. They send spy satellites over our bases.
Russia—nothing to say as you know our awful relationship with.
Venezuela—oil rich and now communist.
South Africa?—a great ally now broken and sliding into Marxism and decay.
Afghanistan?
Pakistan?
Indonesia? Etc (the last 3 all officially neutral But most popular support to Russia)
Where is most of the population is this balance? Where are most of the nuclear weapons? Where is most of the manufacturing? Where is most of the land mass?
Finally you might find this article of interest. Ever heard of the BRICS? (when it says west mostly it means US).
https://www.dw.com/en/a-new-world-order-brics-nations-offer-alternative-to-west/a-65124269
If we get into a shooting war with China you can kiss our aircraft carriers and much of our Navy goodbye. China has thousands of agents already embedded in the US and they could release chemical and biological weapons, along with taking down the electrical grid and sabotaging all kinds of critical infrastructure killing off many millions of Americans. Is saving Taiwan worth that? Neocon policy has accomplished nothing other than to cause the US to self destruct with unpayable debt. If Linda Graham wants war send his F3gg8T a$$ over there.
Well China has already flexed their bio weapons muscle I believe. So yes I agree.
America has no allies just some countries we have to bribe to do what “we” want.
We are indeed in a “pre 1989 world.”
The main problem - WE are the (neo) Marxists now.
The only clean definition of an ally is a mutual defense treaty. For America that is:
* NATO in Europe
* Japan, South Korea, Australia, Philippines, Thailand in Asia
* Latin America as our Monroe Doctrine fiefdom
How do our rivals compare on mutual defense treaties:
* China - North Korea and that’s it
* Russia - Belarus, Armenia, and three of the Stans
* India - None
* Saudi Arabia - None
America remains the Alpha Male in the Global Jungle. Our rivals would love to challenge that, but for 100 years anyone who has tried to mess with America has regretted it.
“Neocon policy has accomplished nothing other than to cause the US to self destruct with unpayable debt.”
You have no understanding of how the world works.
Who owns that debt? It’s China, Japan, Germany, Saudi, and all the other secondary powers.
Us not being able to pay is their problem, not ours.
For 50 years the nations of the world have sent us tribute. iPhones, cars, oil. They have delivered them to America in exchange for no more than meaningless IOUs. That is our reward for being on top.
Russia and China had a falling out in the 1960s. That’s what Nixon and Kissinger sought to exploit with the opening to China. Russia and China are closer now than they were in the 1980s, but this time, China is very much the stronger of the two. China is also more powerful and more tied into the global economic system, and into our own economy. In Cold War days, we didn’t have to worry much about Russia or China as economic competitors or about Russia or China owning a large part of our debt and our land and being a major supplier of our consumer goods.
Nixons strategy is starting to look like a big fail.
It boggles my mind we are letting China buy farmland when they don’t even let Americans live or do the same there. So many more complaints I could make.
Dam our politicians.
With such arrogance and ambitions to be the master of universe, and world to be their fiefdom,, and every corner of the world perceived as national security threat to be crushed with endless wars, no wonder Neo-cons are so hated and will be the undoing of America.
Criminals always hate the cops, but the regular people know they are needed to keep order.
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