EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis): What a wonderful article by Pat Buchanan!! Among the numerous truths he is listing, he is reminding all of us (Very timely – before the January US-Russia talks) that the most responsible and wise American experts on Russian policy and particularly George Kennan and Henry Kissinger, had insisted on NOT expanding NATO eastward after the end of the Cold War!! This they said would have as a result turned Russia away from democracy to its autocratic past and towards the East…
But the “Empire” did not listen… So now they will have to face the harsh reality of succumbing to a Russia-China alliance… Because have no doubt – America stands no chance against both of these superpowers…
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by
These, then, are three of the historic blunders that have forfeited for us the unique position America held at the close of the Cold War.
As 1991 turned into 1992, America appeared to have arrived at the apogee of its national power and world prestige.
President George H.W. Bush had just sent an army of half a million men to expel, in a 100-hour campaign, Saddam Hussein’s invading army from Kuwait. The world, including Russia, China and Iran, had supported U.S.-led military action to overturn Iraq’s aggression.
Our Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union, had just collapsed and disintegrated into 15 nations. The Warsaw Pact had dissolved. All of Eastern Europe was free. We were the sole surviving superpower.
In the reviewing stand on Constitution Avenue for the victory parade of the troops of Desert Storm, the thought occurred: This is what it must have been like when the generals returned in triumph to Rome to take the cheers of the crowds.
But, instead of making America again “a normal country in a normal time,” as Jeane Kirkpatrick had urged, we set out on our path to empire.
There was much hubristic talk in those days of a “unipolar moment” in which we would establish a “benevolent global hegemony” and create a New World Order under U.S. dominance and tutelage.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright explained: “If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future.”
Three decades after those heady days, how has it gone for us?
Today, the world’s other great powers, Russia and China, are united against us in a “relationship” that, the autocrat Xi Jinping says, “in its closeness and effectiveness … even exceeds an alliance.”
Russia is issuing virtual ultimata against any further advance of NATO into Ukraine or Georgia. Beijing, after digesting Hong Kong, is indicating that the time draws near for its annexation of Taiwan.
How did we get here?
At age 90, Mikhail Gorbachev, who gave up power in December 1991, identifies a primary cause: “The triumphal mood in the West, especially in the U.S. Arrogance and self-confidence went to their heads.”
Indeed. Back in February of 1997, George Kennan, the architect of Cold War containment of Joseph Stalin’s USSR, implored America not to seize its triumphal moment and move NATO into Eastern Europe:
“Expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-Cold War era.”
“Such a decision may be expected to inflame the nationalistic, anti-Western and militaristic tendencies in Russian opinion; to have an adverse effect on the development of Russian democracy; to restore the atmosphere of the cold war to East-West relations, and to impel Russian foreign policy in directions decidedly not to our liking.”
So said Kennan. And so it came to pass, as Russia has placed 100,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine and told us that any further expansion of NATO into its border states, or the installation of weapons there that can threaten Russia, would be intolerable — and resisted.
Because we admitted into an alliance to contain Russia all of its former Warsaw Pact allies and three former Soviet republics, we are now close to sword’s point with a Russia that our own actions have driven into an entente with the greatest rival the U.S. has ever known: China.
And who built up China, with four times our population, into the first world power with a capacity to challenge America across all fronts — strategic, military, diplomatic and economic?
Capitalist America did.
Clinton Democrats and Bush Republicans, reveling in the riches global trade would realize for our prosperity, threw open America’s markets to production from anywhere and everywhere on earth.
U.S. corporations swiftly began to transfer production out of the United States to where it could be done cheapest — the People’s Republic of China. From 1991 on, China surged and eventually swept past the U.S. as the first manufacturing power on earth.
A self-sufficient America that provided for all its needs in World Wars I and II is now dependent on foreign nations for the necessities of its national life.
Meanwhile, a mighty China is rolling up islands, rocks and reefs in the South and East China seas and warning the United States against any effort to prevent the reunion of Taiwan and the motherland.
These, then, are three of the historic blunders that have forfeited for us the unique position America held at the close of the Cold War.
First, alienating Russia by treating it as an incorrigible and permanent enemy by pushing our alliance onto its front porch.
Second, pursuing a globalist trade policy that China exploited to become an economic and military rival of the United States.
Third, America’s plunge into the Middle East, with our forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and then Syria, Libya and Yemen.
They availed us nothing and led only to death and destruction.
Of the passing of that preeminence we had in 1991, let it be said: We did it to ourselves.
Truth:
“ But the “Empire” did not listen… So now they will have to face the harsh reality of succumbing to a Russia-China alliance… Because have no doubt – America stands no chance against both of these superpowers…”
OTHER MISTAKES US COMMITTED:
In 2001 the derivatives were introduced in Wall Street ,that Government officials did not regulate ,as they did not understand them and now an ~90 tril$ World Economy has to support an 800 tril$ speculation Economy/ THE GLOVAL MINOTAUR/ Varoufakis.
The SUBPRIME MORTGAGES of 2006 should never have been allowed to be issued ,because they caused ,as expected ( see the movie the BIG SHORT)an 800bil$ bubble burst in US in 2008 and brought the bankruptcy of Greece to save the German banks ,that had also invested in the US real estate market.
The ARAB SPRING in 2011 of then secretary of State Ms H.Clinton was ill conceived and executed and brought the destruction of Libya and Syria the destabilization of Middle East and the emergence of terrorist ISIS.
Biden ,short sighted, withdrew from Taliban destroyed Afghanistan, abandoning 85bill$ of modern military equipment to the Taliban terrorists ,who are still dizzy from this amazing gift from the US and we will soon see the adverse effects of this.
In 2016 China announced the ONE BELT ONE ROAD GLOBAL INITIATIVE, to replace lost trade with US president Trump imposed, and is financing and building railroads and ports in Africa, Asia and Europe by lending cheap loans to these countries ,thus binding them to their sphere of influence for generations.
In the mean time a 20 trill$ USA ECONOMY has a debt of 30 trl$ ,which is 150% of its GDP and thank God for senator Munchkin, who refuses to increase spending and a debt increase ,that may bring the horrible 1929 markets collapse.
The Woke and Critical Race Theory of 2020 brought about the persecution of the white race in the US .The insistence to keep the southern border open, to defund the Police , to increase the sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants , to increase the students in specialized institutions not by merit ,but by color ,to postpone high speed trains in US, to promote Green Energy at all costs, to abandon US energy independence, the 3 trill $ spent for covid19 that still affects the economy,do not portend well for the US.
A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND/ Lincoln
BUY AMERICAN TO SAVE THIS AMAZING COUNTRY!
Globalist on 2008 and during the Olympics
Tested Russia and Putin by giving the green light to Georgia government to clear the matter of
the disputed States of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia and went to war with them . The result
was catastrophic for Georgia and both republics
of Caucasus under the support of Russia became
independent and are recognised by many countries. Of course their patron since then
remained Russia. Six years later EU and America
tested again Russia at semi autonomous Crimea
with result to be seized by Russia .
They did not learn their lessons and now again
are attempting to confront Russia using the
the territory of Donbas with intervention of
NATO allies .
Let’s hope that this is not going to happen because is going to be the second time that
new clear stuff is going to be used since the II
world war with much more powerful ,dangerous ,
and catastrophic ammunitions .
I like pat Buchanan and his theory . He wants
a strong economical and military American that
may do business world wide but the wars of each
country is there baby and only when America will
be attacked within it’s borders only then will
attack and destroy the enemy. He is a real American who loves his Country.