Back in the USSR

Insight ^ | Aug. 14, '08 | Jeff Jacoby

[T.L.Sink]

Henry Kissinger used to say that while it can be dangerous to be an enemy of the United States, to be a friend is fatal. The people of South Vietnam learned that bitter lesson when the United States abandoned them in 1975. The Poles learned it after Yalta, the Hungarian freedom fighters learned it in 1956, and Cubans learned it at the Bay of Pigs. And tens of thousands of Iraqis learned it in 1991, when at the urging of George H.W. Bush they rose against Saddam Hussein, only to be slaughtered when American support never materialized. Now we can add Georgia to that list. The current President Bush was a vocal champion of the young democracy and in 2005 in Tbilisi gave his "pledge to the Georgian people that you've got a solid friend in America." In return, the Georgians firmly aligned themselves with the United States, sending troops to fight alongside ours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first response from the White House to Moscow's naked aggression was milquetoast: evenhanded mush about the need for a "standdown by all troops." It took four days before Bush finally blasted Russia's "dramatic and brutal escalation" in Georgia. By then it was too late. This was a "3 a.m. phone call" if anything ever was and the White House bungled it. So did Barack Obama. It took Obama three tries to catch up with John McCain, who had recognized at once the import of Russia's military offensive.

[T.L.Sink]

Putin, who spent 17 years in the KGB, described the end of the Soviet Union and the liberation of millions as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century." Today Russia not only retains great military strength but is an economic superpower with its enormous petroleum reserves. Some European nations depend on Russia for more than 40 percent of their energy, as does the Ukraine. Russia has decisive veto power on the UN Security Council, aside from the fact that the UN is too corrupt and dysfunctional to exercise a beneficial role in ANY international crisis. To date, the only Brezhnev-era tactic not tried was the invasion of a sovereign state. Now that line has also been crossed - with impunity and Neville Chamberlain-like mumbling of platitudes and morally equivalent banalities. If there is one winner in domestic politics, it's John McCain. There may indeed be another Cold War coming. With whom would Americans feel more secure as their Commander-in-Chief? President Obama?

[101voodoo]

Putin will piss down Obama’s back and tell him it’s raining. In response, Obama will pop his umbrella and thank the Commie.

[nuconvert]

What a screwed up thought process Jacoby has. He’s supposed to be conservative?

[Orange1998]

By then it was too late.

Just about every decision President Bush makes is a reaction or an inaction. America needs a true leader real quick, someone who would step out with an original thought. I already been flamed for saying it but most of his campaign promises have not been delivered.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Standing up to the USSR (newly minted version) isnt conservative?

[SolidWood]

Well, if there is one good thing the new Soviet Russia will bring, it'll be a revival of this guy.

[JRandomFreeper]

Are they back for seconds? I thought we did a good job of whipping them back to the kennel the first time. I sport a CCCP flag patch on my flight jacket. I bought it cheap from a dealer that had a bunch to unload.

"We will bury you" works both ways.

Old crows just get meaner, as they get older.

/johnny

[Natchez Hawk]

“Savage destruction in Chechnya.”

[mainestategop]

Henry Kissinger used to say that while it can be dangerous to be an enemy of the United States, to be a friend is fatal. The people of South Vietnam learned that bitter lesson when the United States abandoned them in 1975. The Poles learned it after Yalta, the Hungarian freedom fighters learned it in 1956, and Cubans learned it at the Bay of Pigs. And tens of thousands of Iraqis learned it in 1991, when at the urging of George H.W. Bush they rose against Saddam Hussein, only to be slaughtered when American support never materialized.

No we did not abandon them, the far left rose up and demanded we give peace a chance and instead of intervention use appeasement and be sweet and kind. You also forgot to mention Cambodia and Laos as well.

[cowdog77]

“In return, the Georgians firmly aligned themselves with the United States, sending troops to fight alongside ours in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
________________________________

Now.....THAT is embarassing.

[tom h]

"By then it was too late.

Just about every decision President Bush makes is a reaction or an inaction. America needs a true leader real quick, someone who would step out with an original thought. "

"Too late" is not operative here. There is nothing Bush could have done to stop Putin before he invaded, or reverse the course after he invaded. ,p> Putin is not stupid. He surely went through all scenarios before invading, and it was clear that the West could do nothing. Nothing. Well, OK, we could nuke Russia over it but that wasn't on the table.

The fact is, there are no economic or military sanctions that would turn around Putin. Europe needs his oil and gas. He also knows that Europe and America will not send 50,000 troops to fight for Georgian independence.

What else can we do? Cut off tourist visas? Stop buying Russian vodka? Cease international currency transfers? Do you think these will threaten an old-school Communist? Do you think that maybe Putin didn't consider these already and find them all impotent?

So, really, give Bush a break here. Short of war between the Soviets and Americans, there is no response possible other than UN condemnation.

[Orange1998]

I think if Bush was not caught flat footed he would have prepared for this problem. Like sending in support prior to the invasion. That would have messed with Putty plans since he would be dealing with our response quickly.

[Orange1998]

I think if Bush was not caught flat footed he would have prepared for this problem. Like sending in support prior to the invasion. That would have messed with Putty plans since he would be dealing with our response quickly.

[goldstategop]

The problem is Russia can barely control another country. The Red Army in Brezhnev's time could take over entire countries without firing a shot. Today the Russian army has to expend blood to do it. We're not back by any means, to the Soviet Time.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[T.L.Sink]

Great way of putting it - colorful and VERY accurate!

[T.L.Sink]

I think most conservatives would have to agree with you. Bush has exacerbated a serious border crisis by his amnesty position, spent like a drunken sailor his first six years (and created another big entitlement along the way), and waffled on such issues as affirmative action. Having said that, I think on foreign policy he’s still better than we could have expected from Gore/Karry.

[Orange1998]

I was just wondering....what are the chances President Bush sat back and let this happen. The voters will think twice of sending a inexperience President to the helm. McCain is moving up the polls during this crisis.

[T.L.Sink]

I disagree. The Russians spent years dropping a trillion bombs on Afghanistan. They only were forced to stop when the Soviet regime fell in 1991. And don’t forget the Russians controlled by brute force not only the nations of Eastern Europe but a host of other puppet regimes and states. Every time there was any serious resistance to their totalitarian rule it was crushed by military action. It was also Mao and Stalin who started the Korean War.

[T.L.Sink]

All you did was give the reasons for the defeat - but a defeat it was, and regardless of the reasons, the massacres of Pol Pot only underline that historical fact.

[coolbreeze]

Our problem is with the thought process of the left that is stuck in the same delusion they had after WWI. After that butchery in the trenches they thought that war would never be fought again....WRONG.....war will happen when evil people control a government and see weakness on the side of whoever would oppose them. Peace is not an absence of conflict, peace is victory.