We contained the Soviet Union for 4 decades based on a strategy that was first articulated in Dean Acheson's Long Telegram. The Soviet Union imploded for many reasons. We didn't "beat" the Soviet Union or Russia.
Our objective was not to make only America the lone influential world power. If that is the criterion, then we failed. China is certainly rivaling the US in global economic and military power. We viewed the threat of Communism to ourselves and our allies as the reason for containing the imperialistic and totalitarian ambitions of the Soviets and liberating the many people that they oppressed.
It seems like Trump might not have a problem with there being another world power; not very Reagan-like.
Trump is dealing with the existing reality. Russia and China are world powers. They are not going away. We had relations with both during the Cold War, including under Ronald Reagan.
Gaffney is Joe Biden, or some Democrat progIslam; he's a patriot hero, and if he's against Tillerson, so am I.
Gaffney is a pundit and sometime politically appointed government employee, not a hero. Gaffney began his government career in the 1970s, working as an aide in the office of Democratic Senator Henry M. Jackson, under Richard Perle. From August 1983 until November 1987, Gaffney held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy in the Reagan Administration, again serving under Perle.
In April 1987, Gaffney was nominated to the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. He served as the acting Assistant Secretary for seven months. During this time, despite his official post, he was excluded by senior Reagan administration officials from the then-ongoing arms control talks with the Soviet Union. Gaffney was ultimately forced out of the Pentagon; The Washington Post observed at the time that within four days of Frank Carlucci's appointment as Secretary of Defense, "Gaffney's belongings were boxed and he was gone". Following his departure from government, he immediately set about criticizing Ronald Reagan's pursuit of an arms control agreement with the USSR.
Putin enables Muslim Islam terror all over, especially when he's helping Iran build a nuke.
Putin is not an enabler of radical Muslim terrorists. Have you ever heard of the Chechen Republic? Or the First and Second Chechen Wars? Russia has a Muslim problem. It is far more vulnerable to Islamic motivated attacks. Muslims make up 10-15% of the population.
Russia is selling multiple nuclear reactors to Iran, which is not a good thing. Of course, the US was in the process of selling nuclear reactors to the Shah prior to his removal. The Russians have always sought to have political influence in Iran beginning with its support of the Tudeh party in Iran. It was one of the reasons we helped to overthrow Mosaddegh and install the Shah. The Soviet Union sought to expand their influence in the region after WWII.
Rex Tillerson as SecState poses no great threat to our country. He will work for the President and implement Trump's policies. He is not some autonomous actor who determines what our foreign policy will be throughout the world. He will do the President's bidding like any other Cabinet Officer. If he does not, Trump will fire him since he serves at the discretion of the President.
George F. Kennan wrote the Long Telegram.