Posted on 01/14/2022 3:04:53 AM PST by Kaslin
In 1961, as a young academic Henry Kissinger had an opportunity to interview President Harry Truman. He asked the former president what in his presidency had made him most proud.
Truman replied, “That we totally defeated our enemies and then brought them back to the community of nations.”
Unfortunately, the U.S. chose not to emulate Truman’s achievement in the years that followed. With the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, the military threat to Western Europe had ended, but NATO alliance did not disband itself. Mission accomplished was not good news for the military alliance — it needed new enemies and a new mission for self-preservation.
Indeed, NATO had no difficulty adjusting to the emerging world order. A new enemy was invented — Russia was to be treated as a descendant of the “evil empire.” The concept of an alliance was quietly converted into a doctrine of collective security. The difference is that while alliances are aimed at a specific threat and define the obligation of each partner in case of belligerency, collective security is an ambiguous concept that defines no specific threat and is designed to resist any aggression anywhere in the world. In this new mission, NATO equated peace and security with expanding democratic gains and the proliferation of American values.
In conformance with a new disposition, in the exultant atmosphere of the end of the Cold War, when Russia’s executive power was in a state of paralysis and its military in a state of despair, NATO hastily extended membership to the countries of former Soviet satellite orbit. The projection of a hostile military alliance eastward to within several hundred miles of Moscow could not be long tolerated by Russia irrespective invocations of goodwill.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
There is nothing more dangerous than having the current crop of western dip sh!t leaders blundering around in this tinderbox. NATO should have been disbanded 25 years ago. We have no more business screwing around militarily in the Ukraine than the Russians have doing likewise in Mexico.
Russia is out to destroy NATO.
I grew up having to do ‘ duck & cover drills ,diving under our desks at SAC bases.
It is insane and supremely stupid to get back to any point like that with Russia again.
PRC China is the real enemy . Of Russia too.
It’s odd. Dems/Leftists seem to prefer China which is still Commie.
That says much, the Dem party appears to have fallen to radicalism.
“We have no more business screwing around militarily in the Ukraine”
The US is not, “militarily in Ukraine”.
“than the Russians have doing likewise in Mexico.”
Should read as, “the Russians have no business in Ukraine.”
Putin is proving to be a dumbazz.
China has a lot more money to spend to buy off our "leadership",
China has much better control over their internal security and sends millions of spies to the U.S. to subvert us.
China learned form Russia's mistakes, and converted to Fascism.
China considers the United States the Enemy, and has a long term plan to defeat and subjugate us.
Stupid remarks. The whole discussion is about NATO possibly getting involved. You have a complete lack of understanding of centuries old sphere of influence politics in the area and the 75 year balance of power that has allowed us to avoid WWIII. You fit right in with ds western leaders who don’t have a clue.
Iran, N Korea, Cuba and Venezuela thank you for your support comrade.
I’m sure the mothers of the dead and mutilated boys you’re so hot to sacrifice for your neocon wet dreams wouldn’t agree. How many trillions are you advocating we borrow today to attack or blockade those God forsaken lands you’re willing to start WWIII over. Don’t worry your Bushite neocon heroes may still yet gain power again.
I suspect that the Democrats, RINOs and military-industrail complex also now need to gin up the “enemies” and that “new mission for self-preservation.”
I am not saying that the US hasn't enemies,but argue “policeman to the world” and nation rebuilding has brought the US from $1 trillion in official federal debt at the beginning of the Bush II administration to $30 trillion in debt today.
Democrats, RINOs and military-industrial complex have no idea how to go forward except to do more of the same with an essentially bankrupt treasury. How about self-preservation of the US instead of self-preservation of the Democrats, RINOs and military-industrial complex? It's an alternative.
Let Europe defend itself. And pay for it itself.
Nonsense, Putin is not afraid of being invaded by NATO. Currently the US has 167 troops in Poland, 132 troops in Romania, and 77 troops in Hungary.
If all the former eastern european countries join NATO, Putin's military will have no one left to bully or invade. Putin is left with an economy the size of New York and a pointless military juggernaut.
Putin's real problem:
Yet the Soviet black fell lost 30 years ago and you are still extolling Cold War strategy.
Flights to Kiev leave every day tough guy.
Not sure they sell Depends there though...
You are full of Shiite.
Nice try punk.
Nato was formed to defend against communist expansion back when the fear was world-wide revolution, backed by soviet tanks. The russians are not communists, why do we treat them as enemies? The russians have been clear, if ukraine joins nato or large nato or usa forces are stationed in ukraine, they will go to war. When the rattle-snake is coiled and shaking it’s rattles you should be cautious.
I think you are quite mistaken about me. My whole point was the NATO/Warsaw Pact Cold War was over in 1990. NATO should have ended by 2000. Now you have neocon cowboys and dim witted SJWs stumbling around in that tinderbox as if it’s our concern. Fools try to make the point we have some interest meddling in Russia’s hundreds year old, back yard sphere of influence. If Ukraine remains where it is and has been since Catherine the Great, squarely under the Russian thumb, it doesn’t mean Warsaw Pact armor will be rolling through the Fulda Gap tomorrow. We have zero strategic concern or influence there. It is the absolute same situation with Taiwan.
Ah yes, Mr. Let’s Go to War Now! What, you are going to save Iran and Venezuela for America and not spill a drop of American blood or borrow another penny doing it? Fantastic! Do you plan on having two magic wands so you can save both of these vital allies simultaneously? You talk a great line of neocon interventionist bravado BS, but when it comes to bleeding or paying for it you check out.
We treat Putin as an enemy since he is threatening to unleash wide scale war in Europe, unless the US withdraws NATO from eastern europe.
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