Reagan sure woudn’t have gone to war over Crimea or Ukraine, that’s for sure. How do I know? Crimea and Ukraine were under Russia’s control the whole time Reagan was president. Reagan didn’t go to war against Russia - or any other country (and please dont call the Grenada weekend rescue operation a “war”).
In contrast, Obama has had a long war going - Afghanistan - for his whole administration He also went to war against Libya. And he wanted to go to war against Syria. But the war hawks on FR still think he hasn’t started enough wars.
How I long for Reagan’s time, when being conservative didn’t mean being in favor of endless foreign wars.
Thanks for your dissertation on histrionics and the comparing of the Ukraine under the USSR and today as a sovereign free nation.
Sheer brilliance...
But, having said that we can make analogies between today and back then and that analogy is the price of oil.
Back then the Soviet planned economy was in a mess but the sharp rise in oil prices in the 70s was expanding the Soviet economy(oil exports). In fact CIA Team B was warning that the Soviets were planning something(Ford presidency). If Ford had won the election, he would have done what we give Reagan credit for doing.
Instead, Carter and Zbig gave the money to the political opposition in Afghanistan, which drew the Soviets into Afghanistan and it was that and the collapse of the oil price in 1984 that drove the Soviets to collapse.
Which takes you to the 2 plus 4 treaty negotiations. Today, Gorbachev says the US/west made the commitment to stay out of Ukraine. Robert Zoellick, lead negotiator for the US said no such commitment was made.
So Russia has been thru their sick stage, and since the price of oil began to climb in the oughties, Russia is flush with oil and gas export money and willing to make trouble. They got their naval port lease in Crimea renewed for 50 years(which they will protect) and they are hellbent on reclaiming their Syrian port.
If you want to shut them down, impose sanctions on the Exxon-Rosneft deal.