01-23-2022
Russia's planned invasion of Ukraine seen from the US perspective
Putin is directing more than 120,000 troops to get ready to invade Ukraine. Russian ally Belarus is also amassing troops along its border with Ukraine, posing another threat to Ukraine from the North.
Ukraine is a fledgling democracy of 44 million people, with a small military equipped with left over weapons from the former Soviet days. In 2014, Ukraine and the EU signed an agreement. The agreement commits Ukraine to economic, judicial, and financial reforms to converge its policies and legislation to those of the European Union. Ukraine's people and elected leaders yearn for an independent country, a free and better life.
Should the US help Ukraine defend itself against imminent Russian invasion? Should the US help a young democracy that wants to be independent of the iron control of a well-known dictator?
The answer depends on who you are, how much you value freedom and what experience and knowledge you have about life under a dictator or non-democratic regime. To some, including respected TV personalities like Tucker Carson, the US must not bother with what appears to be Ukraine's own problem.
Before answering this question, it is worthwhile to hear what Ronald Reagan said back in 1967.
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”
The Chinese and Russian people, having had only a fleeting taste of very limited freedom, have lost their freedom under communism.
Suppose as an American you have some understanding or knowledge of real life under Putin or a communist regime, you are likely to better understand the strong, burning desire of Ukrainians who yearn for freedom and the prospect of joining EU. You may also realize that Germans and French, for whatever reason, are unlikely to stand up against an agressive dictator such as Putin, who is involved in cases of poisoning or killing of his critics and political opponents.
If you agree with Reagan, if you believe as Americans we have a duty to make NATO strong, defend freedom against an agressor like Putin, then the answer to the above question is straight forward - We must help and arm Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion. Not only that, we must do everything in our power to isolate and weaken the aggressor, who invaded Crimea in 2014 under the Obama administration. It is disappointing to hear some respected TV personalities like Tucker Carlson to say American people should not be involved in a far away country like Ukraine.
Back in the late 1930's and early part of 1941, the US was inward looking, making it clear to the world that no matter German invasion of Poland, France and Russia and no matter Japan's invasion of China and South East Asia, American isolationists wanted to live a peaceful and prosperous life separate from the rest of the world. The result was the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, which abruptly and rudely ended the American isolationist preferred way of life.
Today, the US is the most free and the powerful country in the world that stands for democracy and human rights. It is the only superpower militarily. However, dictators like Putin are making every effort to revive the former Soviet Union. If it is not Putin, there is Xi of China and Kim of North Korea. If given a chance, they will not hesitate to take over a country or region in order to show they are the justified ruler because they have expanded their country's territory. Such dictators never for once recognize their own or other people's freedom, human rights or universal values.
If we as Americans do not help a country like Ukraine, Taiwan or Israel, then in today's world driven by high technology, we will one day find aggressive actions taking place right in our doorstep.
Ukraine is a fledgling democracy of 44 million people, with a small military equipped with left over weapons from the former Soviet days. In 2014, Ukraine and the EU signed an agreement. The agreement commits Ukraine to economic, judicial, and financial reforms to converge its policies and legislation to those of the European Union. Ukraine's people and elected leaders yearn for an independent country, a free and better life.
Should the US help Ukraine defend itself against imminent Russian invasion? Should the US help a young democracy that wants to be independent of the iron control of a well-known dictator?
The answer depends on who you are, how much you value freedom and what experience and knowledge you have about life under a dictator or non-democratic regime. To some, including respected TV personalities like Tucker Carson, the US must not bother with what appears to be Ukraine's own problem.
Before answering this question, it is worthwhile to hear what Ronald Reagan said back in 1967.
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”
The Chinese and Russian people, having had only a fleeting taste of very limited freedom, have lost their freedom under communism.
Suppose as an American you have some understanding or knowledge of real life under Putin or a communist regime, you are likely to better understand the strong, burning desire of Ukrainians who yearn for freedom and the prospect of joining EU. You may also realize that Germans and French, for whatever reason, are unlikely to stand up against an agressive dictator such as Putin, who is involved in cases of poisoning or killing of his critics and political opponents.
If you agree with Reagan, if you believe as Americans we have a duty to make NATO strong, defend freedom against an agressor like Putin, then the answer to the above question is straight forward - We must help and arm Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion. Not only that, we must do everything in our power to isolate and weaken the aggressor, who invaded Crimea in 2014 under the Obama administration. It is disappointing to hear some respected TV personalities like Tucker Carlson to say American people should not be involved in a far away country like Ukraine.
Back in the late 1930's and early part of 1941, the US was inward looking, making it clear to the world that no matter German invasion of Poland, France and Russia and no matter Japan's invasion of China and South East Asia, American isolationists wanted to live a peaceful and prosperous life separate from the rest of the world. The result was the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, which abruptly and rudely ended the American isolationist preferred way of life.
Today, the US is the most free and the powerful country in the world that stands for democracy and human rights. It is the only superpower militarily. However, dictators like Putin are making every effort to revive the former Soviet Union. If it is not Putin, there is Xi of China and Kim of North Korea. If given a chance, they will not hesitate to take over a country or region in order to show they are the justified ruler because they have expanded their country's territory. Such dictators never for once recognize their own or other people's freedom, human rights or universal values.
If we as Americans do not help a country like Ukraine, Taiwan or Israel, then in today's world driven by high technology, we will one day find aggressive actions taking place right in our doorstep.
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