As the scandal over the suspected poisoning of Mr Skripal, KGB double agent, gathers pace it is important to take a pause and reflect on causes and effects of the proceedings.
Watching PM Theresa May and Foreign Secretary take turns painting Russia as the Beast from the East and comparing the incoming World Cup in Russia as being akin to 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany left a very bitter taste. These comparisons and overall approach are not worthy of UK diplomatic service and tradition. It is borderline amateur and criminal. But what do we expect from the incompetent lightweights that populate both sides of the chamber in Westminster? With one exception. Corbyn’s reaction was one of a true statesman who tends to find himself on the right side of history most of the time. It was also curious to see a somewhat lukewarm support from the US and the EU. Both Trump and Juncker have congratulated Putin on his re-election. US president did so against fierce opposition from his own staff. Yes, there were words of solidarity but not much in terms of real action. Not all, of course. Baltic countries and Poland are always first in line when it comes to Russia bashing. After all, they find themselves on the edge of the abyss that is modern day Russia. Do they do it because they love UK? I doubt it. They do it because they have an inherent hatred of Russia (see chequered history between all involved) and because they like the political points they score by placing themselves in the avant-garde of neoliberal and democratic movement. How do they reconcile these endeavours with recent covert attempts to control state media and courts, God only knows but I digress. I draw the attention of my readers to two outstanding articles that shed much needed light on the issue.
One by prominent blogger and writer Peter Hitchens on why the expansion on NATO imperilled the security of Europe and not made it stronger:
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2017/02/lemmings-nato-the-russian-threat-and-the-merchants-of-death-.html
It is a very powerful piece that dissects the issue with logic and common sense. And if Mr Hitchens is somewhat of an unknown quantity to you, then I draw your attention to an article that he mentions in his piece, which concerns the supposed Father of the Cold War, George Kennan. My Kennan makes the same point in this excerpt from the article (full article available here http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/02/opinion/foreign-affairs-now-a-word-from-x.html) :
”And Russia’s democracy is as far advanced, if not farther, as any of these countries we’ve just signed up to defend from Russia,” said Mr. Kennan, who joined the State Department in 1926 and was U.S. Ambassador to Moscow in 1952. ”It shows so little understanding of Russian history and Soviet history. Of course there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are — but this is just wrong.”
Having read both or even one, do you still think that it is Russia that is being the aggressor? In alternative universe somewhere, Russia and Europe (with US) have created an economic & security zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok, as was envisaged by the maitre of French state and politics Charles De Gaulle. The future where misspent defence billions are rightfully spent on education, health and science. Alas, not in our universe. The mind-numbing and self-induced struggle for glory of unknown quality continues.