As I type this, Ukraine is under attack. There is shelling in the capital city of Kyiv. I am well aware that many believe that what happens in Ukraine should not concern the United States. I disagree with that assessment. Ironically, some have suggested that I follow whatever Tucker Carlson of Fox News says. He does not understand why we need to support Ukraine in any way. (As an aside, I rarely watch Carlson's show. I like to say that my 3 favorite people on Fox are the 3 H's - Hannity (Sean), Harris (Faulkner) and Howie (Kurtz).)
My initial reaction was thinking about how so many people could feel the world had become safer with the fall of the Soviet Union. The West had prevailed. And, while for some I always need to acknowledge that the West is not perfect, for most people there is an understanding that Western values of freedom and liberty are infinitely superior to those of dictatorial regimes such as exist in Russia and China.
Some, reading the mainstream media (MSM), felt it incumbent to advise me that Trump described Putin's moves as "genius." They could not believe that Trump was, again in their minds, supporting Russia. I replied that they were accepting the left-wing spin of the MSM. Me: "But if you get Trump's point, he's saying that Putin outsmarted Biden (pretty easy) and that Putin would not have done this with Trump in the White House." Yet another insisted it would have happened, and even worse, if Trump was still President. I chose not to point out the obvious - Putin invaded Crimea during the Obama/Biden Administration, did nothing during the Trump Administration, and now invaded Ukraine during the Biden/Harris Administration.
Biden decided that the mere threat of sanctions would deter Putin. Since when does that work? Here was some tough talk out of Biden: "Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries?" Who in the Lord's name? While a prior President appealed to our adversaries to take the path of peace, he also declared: "We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."
And this famous line from the same President: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." These quotes are, of course, from the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy.
Biden has sent defensive weapons to Ukraine. He has sent arms and troops to the Baltic countries of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, all former Soviet Republics and now NATO members. On the one hand, he has said we will defend NATO countries; on the other hand he has said "we have no intention of fighting Russia." So who will defend those three small countries if Putin goes after them next?
Putin has referred to the end of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century." In attempting to justify the invasion of Ukraine, Putin asserted that Ukraine was never really its own country: "I will start with the fact that modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia or, to be more precise, by Bolshevik, Communist Russia." But then he went on to recognize the "independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic." So, Ukraine was never an independent country, but these two small areas that are part of Ukraine were independent countries? Maybe logic is not Putin's forte.
It is quite clear that Putin wishes to reinstate the Soviet Empire. For all intents and purposes, he already controls Belarus. Just last month he had troops in Kazakhstan. Soon he will have Ukraine. Does anyone doubt that the Baltic countries will be next?
The Baltic countries are part of NATO, Ukraine is not. If NATO doesn't defend them tooth and nail then all is lost. It's funny that you turn this into a political thing though. Russia invaded Georgia when Bush was president, and guess what he did - nothing. Nor should he have, as a war with nuclear armed Russia should not be taken likely. The only reason Putin may have held off when Trump was in charge is because he was a compliant lackey who was already tearing NATO apart from within, exactly what Putin wanted. An unprovoked invasion of a large democracy in Europe should concern any true believer in freedom and democracy, so it's no surprise so many on the right seem to be cheering Putin on.
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