Proof positive

Worldview Item of the Day

It’s time to call Russia’s bluff. Secretary of State Rice signed a historic defense agreement with our allies the Polish today, and Russia is threatening military action.

Yes, I am being hawkish on this, but let’s be clear: Russia is not the Soviet Union and Russia has nothing to gain from war with the United States. Russia’s bluff is a political attempt to cow what it perceives as an uncertain and pacifist-leaning American population into allowing Russia to expand its influence once again over Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The United States has formed strong and relevant alliances with the free peoples of nations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Of the 35 countries who supported the United States in Iraq since 2002, 18 (53%) are located in one of those two regions. Poland and Georgia are both contributors from those regions.

Further, Russia’s recent threats and power plays have less to do with sovereignty and the will of the people of breakaway regions than they do with the power of oil. Russia has oil, and is flush with money because of it, and it wants to control more. An American presence in places like Poland or Georgia threatens Russian control.

The problem the United States has in modern times is a history of making promises of friendship and support of liberty on which we eventually renege. We did it to the Hungarians and the Czechs. We did it to the South Vietnamese. We did it to the Iraqi Shi’a and Kurds. Are we going to do it to the Georgians and the Polish too?

So, let’s do this. If Russia’s response will go beyond diplomacy, let’s see it. As a citizen and a veteran, I am tired of my nation hiding behind the rosy rhetoric of diplomacy while bullies push our friends around. I’ll be the first one on a plane to Poland or Georgia if that’s what it takes.

Frankly, I think that Russia doesn’t have the stones to stare down American steel. Let’s find out.

-=DLH=-

This entry was posted in Current Operations, Defense, Foreign Policy, Georgia, Government, History, Military, Nations, News, Poland, Politics, Quid Facis, Rhetoric, Russia, Society, United States, World Watch, Worldview Item of the Day. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Proof positive

  1. chrispy85 says:

    good point about reneging on promises. let’s hope this isn’t another time when we leave a former ally out to dry.

  2. djhitz says:

    It sounds like you want to fight. You might be committed but like you said your, “nation is hiding behind the rosy rhetoric of diplomacy”. Is Uncle Sugar as committed as you are?
    This invasion of Georgia is all part of the war for the black fuel. It’s not worth a human life. If in the seventies our rhetorical nation would have embraced the utilization of alternative energies and presently harnessed, nuclear fusion this skirmish might have not happened. Since our overpopulated planet, still sucks the black fuel from the crust of mother earth, greedy, gangster-like villian, leaders like Vladamir Putin get to pull such shenannigans like we’ve seen these past couple weeks.
    Georgia is not a NATO nation, yet, so should they really get US support? I reckon they are since Uncle Sam’s the sheriff of the world.
    Russia certainly is not the Soviet Union. Warring with them at this time in history even though their lack of world loyalty seems hopeless with little to gain but to punish. They should definately not be granted the full use or ownership of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline by force. This shows the extorted power of Putin. What a scumbag. What makes a country like Mother Russia follow such people? He’s like Saddam Hussein in a way, a rich, full of himself, gangster.
    We’ll see if they do pull out by this weekend. If one Russian vehicle remains inside Georgia by their supposed deadline to vacate. Then they’re asking for it. Aren’t they?

  3. dlhitzeman says:

    For me, it’s simply about principle. We have formal alliances with Georgia and Poland, and we should honor them, whatever the cause. We did that for Grenada in 1983 and Kuwait in 1991. How about now?

Leave a Reply to djhitz Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *