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Why Putin Has Not Been Deterred
Townhall.com ^ | January 27, 2022 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 01/27/2022 4:13:52 AM PST by Kaslin

Americans want an autonomous Ukraine to survive. They hope the West can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin's strangulation of both Ukraine and NATO.

Yet Americans do not want their troops to venture across the world to Europe's backyard to fight nuclear Russia to ensure that Ukraine stays independent.

Most Americans oppose the notion that Russia can simply dictate the future of Ukraine.

Yet Americans also grudgingly accept that Ukraine was often historically part of Russia. During World War II, it was the bloody scene of joint Russian-Ukrainian sacrifices - over 5 million killed - to defeat the Nazi German invasion.

Americans publicly support NATO.

Yet most Americas privately worry that NATO has become diplomatically impotent and a military mirage - a modern League of Nations.

NATO members have a collective GDP seven times larger than Russia's. Their aggregate population is 1 billion. Yet the majority will not spend enough on defense to deter their weaker enemies.

The second-largest NATO member, Turkey, is closer to Russia than to the United States. Its people poll anti-American.

Germany is NATO's richest European member and the power behind the European Union. Yet Germany will soon be dependent on imported Russian natural gas for much of its energy needs.

In a recent Pew Research Center poll, 70 percent of Germans voiced a desire for more cooperation with Russia. Most Americans poll the exact opposite.

Worse, 60 percent of Germans oppose going to the aid of any NATO country in time of war. Over 70 percent of Germans term their relationship with the United States as "bad."

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: bidenadmin; nato; russia; ukraine; vladimirputin
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1 posted on 01/27/2022 4:13:52 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

I guess I’m not typical.

I don’t support NATO.
I don’t care about Ukraine.
I don’t see Russia as a threat to us at all.

No more European wars for me, thanks.


2 posted on 01/27/2022 4:23:54 AM PST by ClearCase_guy ("If you see something, say something"? I see people dying from vaccines.)
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To: Kaslin

SIGNS OF US GOING TO WAR WITH RUSSIA:

The Biden Crime Family open several offshore accounts, puts down payments on private jets, and oceanfront real estate.

Hunter throws out his paint tubes and checks Thai travel brochures.

drJill closes her medical office.


3 posted on 01/27/2022 4:24:16 AM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: All
Why Putin Has Not Been Deterred


4 posted on 01/27/2022 4:28:38 AM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: ClearCase_guy

I agree in a perfect world NATO would be a good thing, as VDH stated if the two major powers in NATO don’t care about NATO and one won’t spend the money required under their treaty requirements why should the USA continue to pump money into a failing organization


5 posted on 01/27/2022 4:32:47 AM PST by srmanuel (`)
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To: Kaslin
Worse, 60 percent of Germans oppose going to the aid of any NATO country in time of war.

Former top German officials, such as former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder are bought and paid for by Putin to be a spokesman for Russia.

Gerhard Schroeder, the man who Angela Merkel succeeded as Chancellor of Germany, has just been appointed to the chairman’s job at oil company Rosneft.

Rosneft isn’t just any oil company: It’s the largest publicly-listed oil producer, by volume, in the world, controlled by the Russian state

6 posted on 01/27/2022 4:33:55 AM PST by tlozo
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To: Kaslin

“Americans want an autonomous Ukraine to survive”

Not this one.


7 posted on 01/27/2022 4:37:18 AM PST by Jim Noble (The nation cannot be saved until the GOP is destroyed)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Turkey polls anti-American. I think most of us poll anti-American in the sense that we are tired of wasting US lives, treasure, and prestige [yeah, I know], on imperial aggression abroad that serves no genuine interests of the People all to enforce a new global order whatever the eff that is.


8 posted on 01/27/2022 4:37:32 AM PST by AndyJackson
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To: ClearCase_guy

Everything you said.
👍


9 posted on 01/27/2022 4:40:12 AM PST by sockmonkey (Conservative. Not a Neocon.)
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To: Liz

Man, that is perfect. We ought to have. “Meme of the year” vote every dec 31. That’d be well in the running.


10 posted on 01/27/2022 4:40:57 AM PST by TalBlack (We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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To: Liz

no warning... my eyes need rinsing lol


11 posted on 01/27/2022 4:42:15 AM PST by SteveH (.)
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To: ClearCase_guy
No more European wars for me, thanks.

And just when did you last fight a “European war”?
Would you fight if Dementia Joe and his Nazi thug army invaded your home for not taking the dangerous "vaccines"? Or go hide under your bed in fetal position?

12 posted on 01/27/2022 4:46:02 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: ClearCase_guy
I guess I’m not typical.

I don’t support NATO. I don’t care about Ukraine. I don’t see Russia as a threat to us at all.

Same here. NATO should have been closed down in the 1990s following the end of the Soviet Union. The Europeans have wallowed in socialism since WW2 because America has been protecting them -- from themselves as much as from Russia.

13 posted on 01/27/2022 4:46:04 AM PST by captain_dave
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To: Kaslin

Russia doesn’t want Ukraine in NATO, our genius leaders have said we won’t even talk about that.


14 posted on 01/27/2022 4:47:54 AM PST by glorgau
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To: Kaslin
In fomenting a war scare, Putin has four goals: (1) weaken NATO by exposing its German loyalty problem; (2) secure possible diplomatic gains on NATO deployment and expansion; (3) intimidate Russia's immediate neighbors; and (4), pose for the Russian public as a reliable advocate for a strong Russia.

Biden has two goals: (1) divert attention from his current political difficulties; and (2) be able to claim that he stood up to Putin.

My prediction is that there will be no invasion of Ukraine and that Putin and Biden will work together to accomplish their domestic political goals.

15 posted on 01/27/2022 4:48:15 AM PST by Rockingham
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To: ClearCase_guy

“In a recent Pew Research Center poll, 70 percent of Germans voiced a desire for more cooperation with Russia. Most Americans poll the exact opposite.

Worse, 60 percent of Germans oppose going to the aid of any NATO country in time of war”

Personally I think its time we reevaluate the relationship with Germany, they are becoming useless, and they are compromised.


16 posted on 01/27/2022 4:51:12 AM PST by the_individual2014
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To: tlozo
That was in 2017.
And he received universal condemnation in Germany over that.:

BBC:

Anger as German ex-chancellor Schroeder heads up Rosneft board

17 posted on 01/27/2022 4:51:43 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: Kaslin

This is BIDEN’S PLAN!!!


18 posted on 01/27/2022 4:52:40 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Liz

LOL!


19 posted on 01/27/2022 4:53:35 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

I’m right there with ya.


20 posted on 01/27/2022 4:55:47 AM PST by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged )
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