Posted on 08/17/2008 11:18:13 PM PDT by ricks_place
As Russian forces loot and occupy a neighboring state, conscripting Georgian civilians at gunpoint to sweep their city streets, it's not uncommon, in Moscow or in Washington, to find America at fault.
Russia has gone over to the dark side -- or, in the Moscow version, has finally stood up for itself -- in understandable reaction to U.S. disrespect, according to this view. And the next president should learn a lesson from this: that there are limits to how far Russia can or should be pushed.
This narrative of American provocation cites a long list of grievances, but the principal and original sin is NATO expansion. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States encouraged the newly free nations of Central and Eastern Europe to join a military alliance whose founding purpose had been containment of the U.S.S.R. Russia hated the idea from the start, and the United States should have known that Moscow, once it recovered its strength, would exact retribution.
But was this really something that was done to, or even against, Russia? The vision behind NATO expansion under both President Bill Clinton and President Bush was a Europe whole and free. The carrot of NATO membership was dangled, first of all, to ease the dangers of transition. Applicant countries had to promise civilian control of their militaries, fair treatment of ethnic minorities and respect for international borders. Given the terrible things that might have accompanied the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact and Czechoslovakia -- Yugoslavia on a far greater scale -- the policy was amazingly successful.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ping for later
thoughtful editorial. He argues against the argument that America is to blame.
Yes, it’s always OUR fault. Sorry...Bush’s fault that we have “disrespected” Russia.
Putin belongs in a padded cell.
Next batter up, the JEWS!
(someone has to have tricked the Russians to have gone on their little drive around)
President Bush extended to Putin a hand of friendship and a membership in the very exclusive club in a “family” of civilized and democratic nations, instead of remaining a rogue regime. It was the right thing to do (no matter whether he really saw a soul or there was none), exactly for the reasons of trying to gain a partner in WOT and to prevent things like Putin’s Georgia gambit.
Putin had a choice and, in typical Soviet / KGB fashion, instead thought he should “own” or at least run the club. He chose wrong. To paraphrase, you can lead an ass to water, but you can’t make him drink. Putin is such an ass.
NO WTO membership, removal from the G-8 and NO SOCHI Winter Olympics for Commie Russia
NO WTO membership, removal from the G-8 and NO SOCHI Winter Olympics for Commie Russia
That's how I would summarize the last 7 1/2 years too.
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