US Policy of Isolating Russia and Expanding NATO Is a Dismal Failure

[polly7]

by Rodrigue Tremblay / March 5th, 2014

(NATO's goal is) to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.
— Hastings Ismay, first NATO Secretary-General

Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.
— James Madison (1751-1836), fourth American President

The hazards associated with American foreign policy since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 should appear obvious to all, because it is precisely this policy that has caused the crisis in Ukraine with all its negative consequences for the coming months and years.

President Barack Obama was candid in admitting it on March 3, 2014: “we are indicating to the Russians [that] if in fact they continue on the current trajectory they’re on, then we are examining a whole series of steps — economic, diplomatic— that will isolate Russia.”

Well, it is precisely this desire to expand NATO and to isolate Russia by incorporating all the countries bordering Russia into NATO; i.e., a strategy of geopolitical and military encirclement of Russia, which has provoked that country when it felt threatened in its national security.

This is easy to understand......

Full article: http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/03/us-policy-of-isolating-russia-and-expanding-nato-is-a-dismal-failure/#more-53238

[bemildred]

1. An obvious, expensive, dismal failure. And pointless too. nt

[TwilightGardener]

2. Poor Russia. So misunderstood.

[polly7]

3. Oh I know.

The same thing was said about Hussein and Iraq, more or less ..... if you look back at some of the freepwad sites I'm sure you can come up with exact and more impactful(is that a word) quotes.

Except that people conveniently forget a nation is made up of its people, and that the people of Crimea deserve the right to speak their own language and be part of whatever gov't they feel most represents their own interests.

No Pootie love here, just amazement at the hypocrisy of it all.

[TwilightGardener]

4. I agree--the people of Ukraine (I notice you said "Crimea", but it's still a part of

Ukraine, no matter how many Russians are planted there) deserve to freely vote on whatever government they choose. And not under the pressure of unidentified gunmen who are really Russian troops, either.

[Catherina]

5. "It may be not too late for European leaders to rectify the situation."

"It may be not too late for European leaders to rectify the situation. This would, however, require wisdom and the courage to tell the American neo-cons who have designed American foreign policy for a quarter of a century that they are not masters of the world and that the European Union has no intention to pursue an aggressive policy of military encirclement of Russia. Point to the line."

One can only hope but I'm not holding my breath. The European governments are just as corrupt, hypocritical and plundering as we are. Greed and hypocrisy rule.