Posted on 04/08/2014 8:57:52 AM PDT by ComtedeMaistre
Estonia is a little nation of 1.3 million people, which was made a member of NATO in 2004. Estonia was once a province of the Soviet Union. It has a Russian minority that is 25 percent of the population, and Russia has vowed to protect ethnic Russians if they are subjected to mass violence by the Estonian majority.
Did NATO make a wise decision to bring in itty-bitty baltic nations that were once part of the Soviet Union? I can understand the importance of preventing the Soviet Union from being brought back into existence. But the lives of American troops are valuable, and should only be used to defend high value allies of the United States.
It’s not necessary to go to war when you’re dealing from a position of strength. A strong America that would want to forestall Russian aggression by pre-positioning forces in Estonia... a NATO ally. You either support the mutual defense agreement of NATO or you don’t.
RE post 12: well, yeah, sort of.
1. Aside from Russian assertions, what evidence is there that Estonia is repressing minorities?
2. Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to how a suspicion of minority repression excludes a NATO member nation from the mutual defense pact that underpins the alliance.
The only time Article 5 of the NATO treaty was invoked was after 9/11. The NATO countries agreed to go into Afghanistan because the US was attacked.
NATO kept Europe free from Soviet invasion and encroachment after WWII. Our policy of containment led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
If NATO does not defend its members and allies, then NATO will have been shown to be worthless and will collapse. There is a relatively simple way to counter Russian menaces against Ukraine and the Baltic republics: give Poland a couple of hundred nuclear weapons and medium range missile delivery systems.
We need to take back the United States first and then worry about countries in our own back yard, like Venezuela, next, before we get to Russia’s Near Abroad.
Sure. We all want barry as CIC to take care of business. Right? He can clench a dagger in his teeth.
Good lord,we supply more than half the troops.
It should be proportional,based on population.
.
Estonia isn’t a priority of US security, not while the Tea Party remains a threat. Obama knows who his enemies are, and which ones he has to destroy.
A friend who was stationed in Germany in the late 80s says his worst injury was when a German woman hit him in the head with a rock as he exited the base.
If we made the promise, we keep the promise. One nation, one city, one soldier, one civilian. They’re all worth going to war over in defense of.
January 19, 2009 at noon on the Capitol steps .........................
“How is Estonia repressing their minorities?”
Not a clue, and haven’t heard they are, but that was the premise earlier. I haven’t heard of Russia threatening to invade Estonia either. I think some people are suddenly hyperventilating that Russia intends to invade every place that has some ethnic Russians because of the Ukraine thing.
But of course, its silly to compare the Russian history and emotion regarding Ukraine to that of Estonia.
I was just helpfully pointing out that IF Russia intended to attack everywhere an ethnic Russian was being abused, then maybe places like Estonia shouldn’t abuse them in the first place, then there doesn’t even have to be a NATO vs Russia war.
Besides, I LIKE the idea of military force to defend nationals abroad. Like that movie “The Wind and the Lion”.
If a government allows American nationals to be endangered, I firmly believe the Amtracks packed with Marines should be headed straight for the beach of said country.
Not long ago all American Tank Units were taken out of Europe. They only ones we supply now are for training, as I understand it.
Will the Europeans defend themselves?
Phrasing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.