Saw this old file sitting on my hard drive, and somehow it still seems relevant today. Where are the shining examples of European diplomacy? Who can name one?
Posted on 02/26/2003 3:23:58 PM PST by Southack
Just to review the last century: Russo-Japanese War (ended by Teddy Roosevelt's American Mediation) Balkan conflicts and genocide (precursor to World War I) Turkish massacre of Amenian Civilians World War I-- which never was supposed to happen because of the strong trade relationships between England, Germany, Russia and others. The Bolshevik Revolution brought on by European conniving to alternately keep Russia in the war and give Lenin a free pass to overthrow, not the Tsar, but the democratically inclinded government of Alexander Kerensky Versailles and Reparations-- two factors which directly led to hyperinflation in Germany and the rise of Hitler. Militarization of the Rhineland in direct violation of Versailles-- Europe does nothing -- Worse, Europe appears to condone it. "Peace in Our Time"-- the Munich accords in which a Tory Prime Minister signed away part of Czechslovakia. In all deference to Chamberlain, he had no support to do more from either England's allies or public. Within weeks, Hitler takes over the rest of Czechslovakia. Less than a year later, Germany and the Soviet Union sign a deal to wipe Poland off the map, troops invade from either direction, England and France declare war but are militarily unprepared to do anything. Same winter, Russia launches an aggressive war on Finland. Europe denounces the action but does nothing (after the war, they do award Russia even more of Finland). With all due respect to the Brits who alone stand against Hitler from the Fall of France in 1940 until Russia's entry into the war in the summer of 1941, the course of the war does not change until the American barbarians come to the rescue. Korea-- MacArthur turns the tables and starts kicking ass until the Europeans decide the war should be under United Nations command. The American President foolishly complies. Belgian Congo-- Europe supports a post Colonial pro-Communist leader named Patrice Lumumba and decides to send troops to surpress a movement by a pro-America anti-Communist named Tshombe in the only peaceful, orderly province in the country-- Katanga. The United Nations complies. Vietnam-- from the stalemate sown in Korea, the American Administration once again decides to bow to world opinion and let the United Nations dictate an armistice in Vietnam-- it ends exactly as Korea-- at least at first. The Americans keep their part of the bargain and withdraw. Within months of the completed withdrawal, North Vietnam overruns the south. The 1980's turn out to be the first relatively quiet decade of the century due, in no small part, to an American president who pulls a couple of unilateral actions-- overthowing a CASTROITE in Greneda and bombing a Libyan leader out of the terrorist business. Europe is totally agast and unprepared when the iron curtain falls. Then there are the 1990's-- a sucessful ejection of an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is completed, but a regime change in Iraq is stopped short by United Nations declarations that we need to give sanctions a chance to work, and an American Administration all too willing to comply. We have another American intervention in Haiti to restore an overthrown Marxist leader who is supposed to be the answer to all their problems and in Bosnia and Kosovo because Euporean diplomacy can't manage a mess in their own backyard. So, tell me, where are the shining examples of successful European diplomacy in the last 100 years?
Saw this old file sitting on my hard drive, and somehow it still seems relevant today. Where are the shining examples of European diplomacy? Who can name one?
.........kind of an oxymoron, like 'Black Leadership".
Well, there was the treaty (armistace) of Versailles.
No, wait a minute I take that back.
How about Munich? DOH! Fuggedaboudit.
Wait! I know, the Paris Talks, the ones that secured the freedom of South Vietnam!
Ahh, pooh!
The fact is that the Europeeans are better at starting useless wars than preserving useful peace.
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