Curious Rob.
March 7, 2014 - Push the Bear Back Into the Cave
Let’s not be naïve. Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine is a scourge, and the beginning of Putin’s larger plans of re-establishing a new version of the former Soviet Republic. Continued swift, strong, and collaborative action is required to either push the Russian bear back into the cave, or to help it acknowledge its responsibility as a true, progressive, andcollaborative leader in the region.
At this point, this is not being written as a criticism of any leader’s actions, especially President Obama’s. There will be political punditry and talking points evaluating and criticizing one decision or another; but there must be agreement on the severity and dire consequences of Putin’s actions and our moral responsibility to lead.
This current episode of Putin’s intransigence has long-term geopolitical consequences. How we continue to respond to, and support, an evolving and democratically elected country will determine the future of U.S. position in the world for the next century. In situations like this there are typically no winners, only losers. A U.S. “win” would create and strengthen our relationships with the Independent States, Asia, and perhaps even Russia, long-term. It’s not the leadership we’ve sought, but we either accept the challenge or let an entire region tumble, politically and economically. The instability will last a century or longer.
To strengthen our hand, we must clearly define and reiterate our values and the principles of freedom that we have long fought for. We must then determine what we are willing to pay. In my humble opinion, Ukraine must be treated by the U.S. as any NATO country, with all of the security requirements therein. Our credibility as a 21st Century world leader depends on it.
Many on both sides of the aisle would vehemently disagree with me—and that’s the point. We have the freedom to agree or dissent. It is the inalienable right of all human beings, although it is not practiced in places like Russia where a rock band can be imprisoned for criticizing their supreme leader! Seriously, more than half of U.S. musicians would’ve been imprisoned in the 2000’s if that were the case here—maybe even the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. We may not personally like dissent, but we better love it. What the U.S. does now matters, and has long-term consequences. Hopefully leveraging diplomacy and world opinion will be enough to help Putin realize that even the “great bear” can be defeated if he strays into the wrong liar. If we fail, we will see appeasement along the line of Nazi Germany and Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. And remember, the bear doesn’t eat everything in one bite. He takes a couple nibbles at a time. Or does he?