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A Hardheaded Guide to Deterring Russia and China. Shore up alliances by holding allies accountable, helping key partners, and showing energy leadership. (By Robert C. O’Brien and Alexander B. Gray)
WSJ ^ | 2/24/2022 | Robert C. O’Brien and Alexander B. Gray

Posted on 02/26/2022 3:13:36 PM PST by bitt

As Russia wages war against Ukraine, the debate over how to respond has grown increasingly disconnected from the reality of American power in a world of great-power competition. The political landscape has evolved from the post-Cold War era, when a bipartisan coalition of Washington elites could readily call for the projection of American power in faraway conflicts, especially in Europe, even if the connection to U.S. interests was attenuated. After 20 years of counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans are understandably weary of foreign entanglements.

Further, there is a growing consensus that China’s emergence as the foremost strategic competitor to the U.S. necessitates a renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific. Voices on the left and right question why America should care about Vladimir Putin’s latest adventurism and why we should commit our prestige, diplomatic capital, military sales and economic well-being to stop him.

Our view is that Washington should take appropriate action to prevent Moscow from subjugating Ukraine. America can’t simply look the other way at the invasion of a sovereign European nation by one of our two great geopolitical adversaries. Such a move would undermine the post-1945 world order underwritten by U.S. power and revive the dangerous practice of territorial gain by conquest. Rank appeasement of Russia would undermine the confidence of America’s frontline allies in the Indo-Pacific as well as Eastern Europe.

U.S. steadfastness against Russian aggression isn’t about perpetuating the “rules-based order” or other slogans of Davos and Munich. It is required because America’s adversaries are constantly monitoring our actions to determine where they can advance. The U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam preceded the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Iran hostage crisis, and the global adventurism of the Soviet Union and Cuba in the 1970s and early 1980s. Last year’s Afghanistan debacle appears to have emboldened Russia, China, Iran.

(Excerpt) Read more at archive.fo ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: china; russia

1 posted on 02/26/2022 3:13:36 PM PST by bitt
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To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; azishot; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; ..

“Former NSA Robert O’Brien (⁦⁦@robertcobrien⁩) and former NSC Chief of Staff Alex Gray have co-authored a must-read in the ⁦
@WSJ ⁩ laying out specific recommendations for the United States to respond to #Russia’s aggression in #Ukraine.”


2 posted on 02/26/2022 3:15:18 PM PST by bitt ( <img src=' 'width=50%>)
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To: bitt
Our view is that Washington should take appropriate action to prevent Moscow from subjugating Ukraine. America can’t simply look the other way at the invasion of a sovereign European nation by one of our two great geopolitical adversaries

Ukraine is a line drawn on a map. It is not a geopolitical entity. It's creation is a bit like Yugoslavia - we had to put all the odds and ends in a bucket.

Eastern Ukraine and the Crimea were always Russian, whatever the vagaries of administrative boundaries and arrangements under the Soviet Union.

3 posted on 02/26/2022 3:21:20 PM PST by AndyJackson
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To: bitt

Our view is that Washington should take appropriate action to prevent Moscow from subjugating Ukraine. America can’t simply look the other way at the invasion of a sovereign European nation by one of our two great geopolitical adversaries. Such a move would undermine the post-1945 world order underwritten by U.S. power and revive the dangerous practice of territorial gain by conquest. Rank appeasement of Russia would undermine the confidence of America’s frontline allies in the Indo-Pacific as well as Eastern Europe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actually NATO and Ukraine are violating all kinds of agreements and Ukraine is a cesspit of corruption. Why is Russia an “adversary”? It isn’t the USSR any more.


4 posted on 02/26/2022 3:21:41 PM PST by little jeremiah (Where We Go One We Go All)
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To: bitt

Shut Russia down.

Don’t let them play in any world sports event.
Shut them down in SWIFT to cut them off from international finance.
DONT BUT RUSSIAN OIL & GAS.
Eliminate Russia from ALL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
STOP ALL FLIGHTS TO AND FROM RUSSIA.
DONT LET THEIR SHIPS DOCK IN INTERNATIONAL PORTS.

TELL THEM THEY ARE DONE IN ALL INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS.

SHUT THEM DOWN !!!


5 posted on 02/26/2022 3:43:22 PM PST by Pearfect (t)
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To: bitt

Primarily announce and then follow through- All restrictions on oil production in the USA are off. Unlimited leasing of oil land on federal land. The truth is the United Sates is financing Putin’s war on Ukraine. We are importing oil directly from Russia and our own ramp-down of oil production has boosted the price per barrel to levels that send great gouts of money to Russia and because Russia’s extraction costs are higher, when the price of oil is returned to 1919 levels oil produces little income to finance Putin’s adventures. He knows that he has to get his conquests now before the possibility that he will have to face Trump again or DeSantis. Xi knows that, too. Once this thing in Ukraine has started it is important that Putin loses with our help which will deter Xi for a while.


6 posted on 02/26/2022 3:47:13 PM PST by arthurus ( covfefe...)
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To: bitt

Siunds like the goobalisrs are mad at Russia. So who do you trust.. the globalists led by biden n obama.. or Putin.
Bidens n co were about to be wiped out in midterms, due to inflation. Biden out on the day of the invasion warning Amdrica about the costs.
Would they work w putin to create a crisis to maintain power.


7 posted on 02/26/2022 3:49:58 PM PST by momincombatboots (Ephesians 6... who you are really at war with. )
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To: bitt

Washington is already owned by China 🤪

Screws up the entire thesis


8 posted on 02/26/2022 3:51:59 PM PST by NWFree (Somebody has to say it)
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To: bitt
Deterring Russia,China,North Korea and Iran? Well,Step #1 would be to elect a President they see as potentially crazy....and dangerous.
9 posted on 02/26/2022 3:53:25 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Balloting)
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To: NWFree

Washington? Maybe not entirely. The Rat Party? Most definitely.


10 posted on 02/26/2022 3:56:29 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Balloting)
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To: bitt

What is hard headed about drilling our oil and making our own stuff?


11 posted on 02/26/2022 3:56:53 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: bitt

FOAD Neocons


12 posted on 02/26/2022 4:14:00 PM PST by PGR88
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To: bitt

Bkmk


13 posted on 02/26/2022 4:25:13 PM PST by sauropod (Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. Life is risk, your highness.)
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To: bitt
After 20 years of counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans are understandably weary of foreign entanglements.

The people running our deep state are assh*les. I mean that... that's the real problem. We're tired of incompetent 'elites'...

We can see them for what they are - Europeans can see them for what they are and China can see them. We have people in positions of power who got there illegitimately and it shows.

Our government is filled with 'born on thirds, think they hit a triple' incompetents.

In the last thirty years we've gained the reputation of having the dirtiest politicians and 'experts' in the world. Americans with hands out for 'legal bribes'... What's that? Selling 'speeches for $10,000 a minute to Arab audiences where Arabs pay people to sit as audiences so all can pretend a bribe isn't going down.. being encouraged to hire the lowlife family members of power brokers like Hunter Biden - drug addicted whore mongers at best - 'intelligence

' professionals who got their jobs based on legacy to Yale followed by legacy to the CIA,FBI, top jobs in DC... etc etc...

14 posted on 02/27/2022 9:42:10 AM PST by GOPJ (We can ignore reality, but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. Ayn Rand)
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