American government and media endlessly demonize Russian president Putin over fears he’ll invade Ukraine.
Not one word appears on how America broke its promise 30 years ago not to expand NATO up to Russia’s doorstep; even placing offensive weaponry nearby. Not one word on how America inspired and supported the 2014 coup in Ukraine to depose the Russian leaning president to turn Ukraine away from Russia and its welcomed economic overtures to Ukraine.
We’re told Putin is simply an aggressive brute trying to re-establish the Soviet Union.
But nearly 60 years ago, revered U.S. president John Kennedy, brought the world to the brink of nuclear Armageddon to do precisely what Putin is doing today: demanding a strong nuclear adversary remove its offensive weaponry and influence from his neighborhood.
Indeed, Russia had more justification for putting nukes on America’s doorstep in client state Cuba than America has doing the same to Russia today in Ukraine. The Russian missiles were being installed to prevent another US invasion of Cuba just 16 months previously. They were also Russia’s answer to US nukes placed on Russia’s doorstep in Turkey. Yet, when Russia backed down, the US forbad Russia from even mentioning that the resolution included a secret US pledge to remove those offensive missiles in Turkey at a later date. JFK demanded and got a Win-Win for the glorious USA.
President Putin may be a thug at home. But on international affairs he’s simply channeling one of America’s greatest presidents. The US government and its fawning mainstream media would be wise to recognize and heed his sensible demands…and get the hell out of his neighborhood.
Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.
Except getting out of his neighborhood, as others have pointed out recently, would neuter NATO and send the EU drifting into Russia’s orbit of influence because of energy needs.
And the US isn’t going to accept that because hegemony. Also the fact that the elites of the US – especially the CIA, the neocons, and the paleo-conservatives (as in old men from the Cold War) – hate Russia for primitive reflexive emotional reasons.
As for the US electorate, probably one percent of them remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. And probably less than one percent have any notion of the current military balance of power.
In short, don’t expect this to end well.
“Except getting out of his neighborhood, as others have pointed out recently, would neuter NATO and send the EU drifting into Russia’s orbit of influence because of energy needs.”
First, Nato should be neutered. It’s a force for war, not peace. Second, all Russia wants is a zone of security. Assuming that they’re trying to dominate Europe is just projection on your part.
I never said anything about Russia wanting to “dominate Europe”. I said Europe would naturally drift towards Russia for economic and energy reasons – and rightly so.
I see; thanks for clarifying. But it seems western Europe has been anti-Russia since at least the 1850’s. I hope they can get over that.
You can thank France and Britain for starting the anti-Russian propaganda in the 19th century. The British have been relentless ever since and remain committed to bring the world to an end in a Russia vs. US nuclear Armageddon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Russian_sentiment
I guess I better end things now then
I was tracking with the author until, “President Putin may be a thug at home.” I’m questioning why the author included such a sentence? To me, it seemed more like a cheap attempt to appeal to those who believe in American exceptionalism. I don’t think any of the American Presidents has been less “thuggish” in the past 60 years.
Totally agree. Even the use of the word “thug” betrays the presence of propaganda.
SOP. It seems these authors have some kind of innate fear that if they don’t do the obligatory bashing of our perceived enemies, they won’t get published?
The headline needs to read JFK not JKF.