Many thanks, Tony.
That was not Russia, that was the Soviet Union, a very different place altogether. Putin can no take credit for this and quite plainly regrets the loss of power that resulted. In any event, congratulating the Soviet Union for ending tyranny is like congratulating Britain for ending the slave trade: it rather ignores who were the tyrants in the first place.
Let the tyrants, whoever they are, end their tyranny and I will applaud them warmly. We ended our centuries of slave trading by 'rewarding' the perpetrators like Edward Colston with handsome compensation. But nothing for the slaves! Was there ever a tyrannical slave trade, like ours in the country we now call Russia?They appear to have a better track record than the US over wars in far-flung corners of the planet. Never overthrowing capitalist states, as the West has tried (succeeded in Chile) in fighting to overthrow many Communist countries (even elected governments if they were left-wing) - all in the name of freedom and democracy since 1945.
In 1945 the Soviet Union dismantled any and all democratic movements in central Europe, murdering democrats and even re-using Nazi concentration camps for holding dissidents. The Soviet Union as always is keen to intervene in post colonial governments and more than happy to prop up left wing dictatorships, just as much as the west did for right wing ones. In the beauty contest you describe there is no winner. It was all pretty ugly.
Exactly, except we consider ourselves the Beauty Queen who won the contest. This makes us doubly worse, hypocritical and letting the side down in failing to live up to our own much-vaunted, superior values than that of the USSR/Russia.
More recently, Russia came to the aid of President Assad of Syria while the West was supporting the rebels in trying to overthrow a well-established, legitimate and legal government, recognised by the UN!
This is one of the most breath-taking statements I have ever read of yours. Assad keeps in power by torture and murder. He had gassed his own people. He has had barrel bombs dropped from helicopters. That is not “well-established” but resorting to violence to prop oneself up; that is not legitimate; it is not legal; it is no t government and if recoghnition by the Un is the test, then we need a new test. Anyway we did not intervene because of the pushback over the second Iraq war, doubly damning the latter in my view.
For decades, I believe the Assad family ruled in Syria. This latest Assad ruler used every conventional and WMD he had available to overthrow the rebels who had, at first, simply used peaceful protest to object at this tyranny. Much of his armoury might well have originated from the West - this fine, upstanding beacon of righteousness, of angelic enlightenment, of justice, fair play and upholder of all human rights. This is our shining, United States/Western City set on a hill as the model for all the other 200 countries to look up to and follow.
The December 'request' to the West not to come any further east by inviting Ukraine to become a member of NATO, seems perfectly understandable and reasonable to me in the light of their proud history of empire, like ours.
Understandable but undemocratic: are Ukrainians not allowed the same rights as Russians?
Our democratic West should never have been so foolish as to rub the former USSR's nose in the dirt by allowing its former satellite states to join NATO - unless Russia joined too in a new era of rapprochement, co-operation and peaceful co-existence between East and West.
Our side boasts that we won the two World Wars, vanquished the Commies in the Cold War with the break up of the USSR, their loss of buffer states to the West and the dissolving of the Warsaw Pact in 1991.
Rubbish as to WWII. I have never heard anyone deny credit to the Soviet Union in WWII (not Russia, by the way) for bleeding Nazi Germany to death on the eastern front. What about self-determination? Are Lthuanians, Latvians, Estonians and others to be subjects of Russia. Should we get the Irish back? Should Sweden get Norway? Should Russia get Finland and half of Poland? The Warsaw Pact was a sham, made up to make the Soviet empire look consensual. It was not by consent that Central Europe was under communism.
The Soviet Union lost between 20 and 30 million of its citizens in fighting the one World War (in two halves) that three empires had indulged in so disastrously in 1914 - the most foolish, unnecessary and stupid war in the very short history of humanity. It seems that the collapse of the USSR in 1989/90 was the final empire to dissolve - three empires that existed when the 1914 war pushed the imperial self-destruct button.
It is not by consent that the Rich World is under capitalism. All very lovely for us all, I know until the capital starts to dry up, as is now happening, it seems to me!
Russia probably sees the West being on a roll with their former satellite states embracing the West and so many becoming part of the EU and even NATO.
I don’t think so. I think this is a ploy to shore up power in Russia. The West is hardly on a roll anyway, with the collapse of influence in the Middle East and East Asia.
Yet, without a care in the world, we sail our brand new £3.5 billion aircraft carrier through the South China Sea and even the Taiwan Straits, only last year. Now, £250m for a new Royal Yacht Britannia. Of course, Britannia and the American-dominated West still rule the waves.
All hell would break loose if Chinese warships followed our very bad example and sailed up the English Channel, through the North Sea and back down the Irish Sea!
Yet, there is no empathy, let alone understanding from our side. Just a determination to spread the untold blessings of democracy ever further eastwards.
As a deep green, I can understand you have issues with democracy!
The above flaunting of military might is exactly how the rich, democratic, freedom-loving, the pursuit of greed at all costs countries so love to behave.
Democracy simply means voting to make decisions. Nothing very grand and wonderful in that. To dissent and to be able speak and write without fear of being locked up is of far more value for me.
And the USA and the West must remain the policeman of the world upholding our culture and democracy and extending it at every opportunity.
I think it is a duty on wealthy countries to uphold human rights. I accept we have not been good at it, but just look at the alternative: Muslims in camps in China, for example.
The USA must always be TOP DOG in the world! This attitude hardly promotes international understanding and goodwill. Certainly not Christian teaching about serving rather than lauding it over other nations.
I agree that there are legitimate issues here, although Biden appears a positive on this score.
Christmas is, supposedly, a time of peace and goodwill to all nations. Perfect timing for the Russians but, we ignored them.
I think that was the best tactic. Continuing as usual, with no intention in the short or medium-term for Ukraine to be drawn in, but clear protection for our Baltic allies and a clear threat of consequences if Russi tries to use force.
I go along with the German CDU MP I heard on 'Today', this week.
We could have stated our position that Ukraine should be a buffer state between Russia and the West, outside our sphere of influence and, we would not fund, give armaments or support any anti-Russian feeling in Ukraine.
Presumably you intend that we should supply them with white flags, as the Russians walk in on the people we abandoned. I think some Czechs in 1938 may have something to be said about abandoning people in the face of intimidation.
Ukraine must be told it will not become a member of NATO for reasons of detente, and to try and improve relations with Russia. The country has more in common with Russia than Greater Than Ever Global Brexit Britain (or France/Germany).
Such a move would have lessened tensions and made it less likely that they would invade Ukraine.
I believe the absolute opposite is the case.
If they did, it would still allow the present measures that are being discussed to be implemented.
Too late … just look at Crimea (although to be fair, I think Russia should have organised a fair vote on Crimea rejoining Russia, as it may well have won).
Russia organised a vote in Crimea and won before taking it back. The West and Ukraine is foolish to stir things up by talking of escalating the war when a low-key war has been going on for some years in E Ukraine between Russian-backed forces and Ukraine.
We must include Russia as much as possible in G7 deliberations as being a much more positive and constructive path to take rather than condemning them for their taking back of Crimea. Crimea was given to Ukraine in 1954 by Khrushchev.
I would have no problem in diplomatic engagement, but be aware of posturing.
Empathy and understanding - "leaders using empathy as a vital tool in their diplomatic arsenal." Breaking History, Radio 4, on 5 January 2022, available for over a year, here:
In 1972, Richard Nixon and Premier Chou En-lai agreed -
"the Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, also known as the Shanghai Communique. The communique was highly unconventional; it essentially sees both sides as agreeing to disagree. However, within its text the two sides agreed that both countries, regardless of their social systems, should conduct their relations on the principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. It was an agreement that had far reaching consequences for world history - one that "built a bridge across 16,000 miles" and healed years of division and hostility."
"President Nixon met with Chairman Mao Tsetung of the Communist Party of China on February 21. The two leaders had a serious and frank exchange of views on Sino-US relations and world affairs." https://digitalarchive.
I do not think the Chinese would necessarily agree: they are quite happy domestically to play the victim card. They need to be treated with respect, but also caution. They are their own friends first and last.
Best wishes
Tim (Any thoughts about my 3 petitions on the one principal mainline railway, please? 38 Degrees are OK about it.)
On Sat, 8 Jan 2022 at 10:09, Anthony Verduyn <averduyn@st-philips.com> wrote:
Thanks Tim, save that the author perhaps misunderstands the Munich issues of 1938 (it bought crucial time for UK rearmament), I think this is a fair assessment. The policy proposal of ignoring Russia is an interesting one. I would like to see steady improvement in defences, and energy independence, in the Baltic states and Central Europe - solar, wind, and any other non-fossil (non Russia dependent) scheme would do, and be good for the planet
Tony V
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