Below is just a point of opinion that Ive been thinking on when seeing the current issues facing our world. Ive thought long and hard about the subject of Russia and China and their threat for many years now. Despite a multitude of contrary evidence people laugh at the thought of either being a danger. Most seem to think that Russia is a toothless and grumpy bear that longs for the spotlight it once had and they too think that China has far too much invested into Capitalism to ever want to war with The West. Both assumptions could not be ever more so wrong. Under Putins direct, indirect and yet again direct influence,he has done something that was accomplished prior by German Dictator Adolph Hitler, he took a nation out of ruin. He took control of all resources and made it a state affair. Earnings from the sales of these resources has funded a massive modernization effort and build up of The Russian Military. Any in Russia that has offered any degree of opposing viewpoints has either ended up dead or in a gulag. Putin has also been very active with propaganda within Russia that has done nothing but paint The West and most particularly The United States as the enemy of Russia, its influence in world affairs and The World at large. Citing that fear and the examples of our many brush-fire wars since the fall of The Soviet Union and often a heavy handed approach to international politics, Putin has used not only their resources and a beefed up military to bring Russia back on center stage but he has proven that Russia can and will be an able bodied allied nation to those who have fears of Western Powers. Russia threw aside decades of conflict with China over border and trade disputes and has formed an active alliance with them. Its far from perfect and there are growing pains, but they both have agreed to work together due to a mutual fear of The West. China and Russia have courted and aided many nations to shore up a stronger alliance. Pakistan formally joined China in a mutual defense pact and alliance following The American operation to kill Osama Bin Laden. They overheard the rumblings of the armchair generals in Washington about how Pakistan should be punished for harboring such an enemy of The West. That proposed punishment differed from sanctions to the cutting of provided fiscal support to military intervention. Keep in mind that none of the people who called for such actions were of the ability to cause such actions but it was enough to put the fear into The Pakistani Government to seek alternatives for their safety and security. The other nations that are considered players for a Russian/Chinese and Pakistani pact are of course big ones like Iran and North Korea and such small fry as Syria. While nothing formal has been signed, the degree of support and the improvement of their military infrastructure by both Russia and China has been quite obvious. They will tow the line when the time comes and too will play a part. While The United States and her Allies have been planning for what they see as inevitable conflict with China. (To the point of establishing a military battle plan called Air-Sea war, moving major military assets to the region under the formally called Asian Pivot and establishing a military coalition that has an Australian general leading it.) The planners need to expand such plans to include the possibility of an even far reaching military engagement that The World has not seen since the end of The Second World War. That other key nations will be involved as well. With the rise of Russian aggression with expansionist gains in regards to former Soviet States and currently independent neighbors over the last ten years, we must be willing to admit and to take a stronger stance against the renewed, revived and even stronger Russian Bear. The art of modern warfare has changed since the end of The Cold War. And Russia has done a damn good job of moving its capabilities into the modern age based on paranoia and a drive for survival and the renewed ideas of being a strong influence on World affairs. While I myself an by far not a war monger, most of The World does not share the same hopes for peace and stability. In fact since the end of The Cold War there have been more acts of war on our Planet that what took place during the time of The Cold War. The United States has failed miserably with its self appointed role as sole superpower and global guardian of the peace. It has been seen as a perpetrator of conflict either directly or indirectly and like it or not, their are others with views that feel that the status quo is in need of change. I strongly feel that Western Nations need to be more united than ever in standing up to the aggression but also more open to change in how the policies of international diplomacy have been implemented. This is now the time to either stand strong or to remain passive. While sanctions are one approach it is by far not enough. We need to send a clear message to The World, our Allies as well as to those who would seek to be bold enough to step over the line to bring actions to the next level. Because currently, we are sending the clear message that we are too scared to make too much noise or strong effort to counter in response to atrocities like the current situation in The Ukraine. That other players like Russia can do what they want no matter global opinion and that there is no chances of consequences. That message is being heard loud and clear and what is to stop China from taking the steps to invade Taiwan or perhaps to open a shooting war in response to its claims of rights regarding the disputed natural resources that were found in abundance under the waters of The Pacific Ocean. As a history, economics and political science major, I cant help but see parallels with the past. That again, like Hitler, oppressive regimes can strike out, invade and expand their goals and all the supposed powerful Western Nations will do in response is whimper and respond with pointless and ineffective sanctions. Back then as well as now all these weak responses do is to leave a clear and open road to conflict. I was taught that when we forget history we are always certain to repeat it. Mistakes and all. And when I learn about current affairs day to day I can see that we have yet to really learn anything at all. Peace is a noble gesture but sometimes we have to let others know that if they continue to erode the prospects of peace, that there are consequences to be paid and that we will always strive to keep the peace by any means necessary. That was what I learned living through The Cold War. That the powers than be knew to not cross clearly set lines. While there was the fear of war it was the threat of greater war that kept governments from pushing issues too far. Now we truly live in an age seemingly of no consequences. I fear for the youth of today and my Children and the stability of all. That in being too fearful of any conflicts and refusing to wake up to the reality of the here and now, that eventually conflicts will come to us just as history has shown it to happen in the past. Joseph R. Graniczny. March 22nd 2014.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 17:31:02 +0000