Russia, Realpolitik, and Those Who Cannot Learn From History
Since Peter the Great, Russia has wanted a warm water port on the sea. In 1783, under Catherine the Great, they got one: Sevastopol in Crimea. Since then, Russians have considered Sevastopol a crucial part of their national defense.
Recently, when there was a pro-Western coup in Ukraine, there was a possibility that the new government might reconsider the treaty that provided for the Russian navy base in Sevastopol.
Facing this threat to national security, Russia occupied Crimea, and the Crimean people voted to stay allied with Russia.
Oh, the weeping and wailing! Politicians and the press in the US have fallen in step behind the banner of "Russian Imperialism." Putin wants to re-make the Soviet Union. We Must Take Action, or a domino effect will lead to Russians in the streets every US city.
Let's look at another situation. When the US felt its national security threatened by Afghanistan and Iraq, the US occupied both nations. The Afrghan and Iraqi people voted to stay allied with the US. Politicians and the press in the US fell in step behind the banner of "Terrorism." We were justified in Taking Action, or there would be terrorists in the streets of every US city.
Hmmm. In all of these cases, who benefits from the hysteria? Could it be, I don't know, the US military-industrial complex and the media?
Big nations cast big shadows. Crimea has been in the Russian shadow for longer than the United States has been a nation. To refuse to acknowledge that fact, to make a fuss, to want to go to war over it now -- is stupidity beyond belief. And the military-industrial-media complex is not stupid.
After Vietnam, we said "we won't get fooled again." After Iraq, and currently in Afghanistan, we said "we won't make that mistake again."
We're getting fooled again.
We're making that mistake again.
And I'm hearing precious little dissent. It makes me sick.