2008-05-28
Let's Surrender
This state of affairs is now beyond ridiculous. Russia is completely right when it says
"No state can be pleased about having representatives of a military bloc to which it does not belong coming close to its borders.".
NATO is expanding and Russia is being isolated. There is no need to be isolating and humiliating Russia like this. There is no possibility of Russia mounting a successful invasion of NATO member countries while US planes are available to demolish anything that moves. Nor is the intent there. The last thing Russia did was WITHDRAW from territory. The only reason the Baltics are in NATO in the first place is because Russia VOLUNTARILY withdrew.
It is now time to just hand over the reins of NATO to the Russians. They can't possibly do any damage. The nature, and beauty, of the free world is that it can instantly reconfigure against any rogue actor. No-one needs to control these democracies. They naturally ally due to shared principles.
The Ukranian leader said
"I don't want the basic, fundamental principle... of open doors to the alliance to be changed for the veto power of a nation that is not a member of the alliance,".
Yes, that was a fine attitude while getting the Baltics in. We should have stood up to Russia's bullying of its small neighbours and told them that we stand for freedom, which we do, and did. That's fine. However, that's already been done. The point has been proven. Ukraine is a hell of a lot different from the Baltics. Half of Ukraine actually wants to be allied with Russia, and NATO membership has little support.
Ukrainian membership at this point in world history will not enhance the security of the free world and/or allow us to achieve our goals. It will do the exact reverse, by delaying Russia's switch to our side, which is the ultimate prize (along with China doing the same thing).
I think we have more chance of getting Russia to make that ideological change if it could have some experience of actually being head of the war machine that defends that ideology! So long as the US planes are only a couple of hours away, there's no danger, only a potentially stronger free world.
It will be as interesting to see what Russia does with ownership of NATO as it was to see what on earth the Iraqi people would do once Saddam was off their back.
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"No state can be pleased about having representatives of a military bloc to which it does not belong coming close to its borders.".
NATO is expanding and Russia is being isolated. There is no need to be isolating and humiliating Russia like this. There is no possibility of Russia mounting a successful invasion of NATO member countries while US planes are available to demolish anything that moves. Nor is the intent there. The last thing Russia did was WITHDRAW from territory. The only reason the Baltics are in NATO in the first place is because Russia VOLUNTARILY withdrew.
It is now time to just hand over the reins of NATO to the Russians. They can't possibly do any damage. The nature, and beauty, of the free world is that it can instantly reconfigure against any rogue actor. No-one needs to control these democracies. They naturally ally due to shared principles.
The Ukranian leader said
"I don't want the basic, fundamental principle... of open doors to the alliance to be changed for the veto power of a nation that is not a member of the alliance,".
Yes, that was a fine attitude while getting the Baltics in. We should have stood up to Russia's bullying of its small neighbours and told them that we stand for freedom, which we do, and did. That's fine. However, that's already been done. The point has been proven. Ukraine is a hell of a lot different from the Baltics. Half of Ukraine actually wants to be allied with Russia, and NATO membership has little support.
Ukrainian membership at this point in world history will not enhance the security of the free world and/or allow us to achieve our goals. It will do the exact reverse, by delaying Russia's switch to our side, which is the ultimate prize (along with China doing the same thing).
I think we have more chance of getting Russia to make that ideological change if it could have some experience of actually being head of the war machine that defends that ideology! So long as the US planes are only a couple of hours away, there's no danger, only a potentially stronger free world.
It will be as interesting to see what Russia does with ownership of NATO as it was to see what on earth the Iraqi people would do once Saddam was off their back.
# posted by Paul Edwards @ 11:34 
