Democrats bitterly complained about Trump flattering tyrants. Biden has adopted the spit-on-the-table and yell-insults approach. How is that working out?
That’s cool as hell. Chances are likely that he met guys like John Basilone and Robert Leckie.
Every Marine on that island was brave as hell. They weren’t provisioned well at all and had to fight the Japanese with no land artillery or even naval artillery for the first few weeks of the operation. They were using old WWI stockpiles for their machine guns and rifles.
So Russia should have trusted their security on some rule in a NATO plan? Seriously? I can see Putin telling his generals after Ukraine became a member “But NATO PROOOMISED”.
At the June 2021 Brussels summit, NATO leaders reiterated the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest summit that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance with the MAP as an integral part of the process and Ukraine’s right to determine its future and foreign policy, of course without outside interference.[11] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also stressed that Russia will not be able to veto Ukraine’s accession to NATO “as we will not return to the era of spheres of interest, when large countries decide what smaller ones should do.”[12]
It is reasonable when thinking about this to consider the national motivation and character of the nations involved.
Ukraine was concerned about its defense, (and rightly so) and sought to join a defensive organization. In addition, we have noted repeatedly that Ukraine was not in a position to enter NATO anytime soon.
By contrast, China is currently in an expansionist mood, and a naval base in the Solomons is an extension of the radically expansionist 9-Dash line.
Therefore, it is appropriate to regard these two different assertions of a red line differently. But as ever, in geopolitical relations, might makes right. Australia may view this as a red line, but I doubt that Biden will.
not some rule in a NATO plan, the NATO charter. No nation can join NATO if they have unresolved border disputes. It is an ironclad element of the charter itself. It cannot be changed unless all nations in NATO agree to change the charter. That ain’t happening. Russia had complete control of it as long as they occupied Crimea.
There was an honest belief that bringing China in from the cold would have a democratizing effect. And to be fair, it is Xi who has changed China’s trajectory. Prior to his ascension, China was reasonably content to be an economic powerhouse.
So I wouldn’t say “fools”, I’d say “naive”. But also greedy. We wanted that enormous market opened.
Seriously now… I don’t expect to change your mind but if you look at Russian history in the 20th century, you will see that they have some experience with agreements, ironclad elements, treaties, whatever. You know the saying “fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me” ? I’m sure there must be a Russian translation. They were not going to be fooled twice. They were not going to put their trust in any “ironclad element” of any foreign document. It is just fact.
My Uncle didn’t talk about that time, even to his 4 brothers who also served. My Uncle Jack was on the DD. The Uncle on Guadalcanal was the youngest of the 5 who served. My Dad was the middle brother (Army Air Corps}. The older 2 brothers were Army Infantry in Europe. My Dad and Uncle Jack also served in the Korean War.
I am sure that the US would have no problem with Russian and Chinese biolabs in Tijuana, just like enforcement of drug laws and kidnapping laws in Mexico is strictly up to the Mexican government.