Yesterday's events set in motion decades ago.

 FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE FOREIGN POLICY MISTAKE BY SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS

WHO ARE THE REAL ARCHITECTS OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY?

Today we are hearing the recriminations by Republicans and others that the dismemberment of Ukraine is the fault of weak policy by Joe Biden. Joe Biden, like the presidents before him are locked into a foreign policy that is not of their making. Any attempt by Biden to take a different direction by addressing the legitimate concerns of the Russian federation would have resulted in recriminations of being weak or having caved to Russian demands. There is nothing he could have done to change this outcome.

Donald Trump, ran on improving relations with the Russian federation, He was right to consider a change in direction in our foreign policy. He was immediately attacked and labeled a Russian agent. It was insinuated that Russia helped to get him elected. They attempted to have him removed from office by an elaborate Russian collusion hoax. 

No President has been able to change direction of our foreign policy for at least 3 decades. A foreign policy that has destroyed most of the countries in the middle east, resulted in the death of 100's of thousands of civilians in the middle east, destabilized the economic and social fabric of Europe. Cost the United States and our allies trillions of dollars and thousands of our young lives. A foreign policy that is a dismal failure, and yet, no one can dare to rethink or alter the direction.

Below is excerpt from an article Sept. 21. 2017

As the Soviet Union was being replaced by independence of the former Warsaw Pact countries and Russia, many negotiations were being engaged in to create a stable transition. The Russian Federation and NATO agreed that the unified Germany could be a member of NATO, but that all of the former Warsaw Pact countries would be independent entities. These agreements have been verified by former west German diplomats and former negotiators for the United States. 

Russia still had a memory of the fact that their survival was secured in the wars with Napoleon, WW1 and WW2 by the large distances from their possible enemies. Their large terrain was similar to our security of the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. This agreement was broken on July 8, 1997 when NATO agreed to the inclusion of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland into NATO. This was accomplished in 1999. In 2004 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania were also included.  According to George F. Kennan, an American diplomat and an advocate of the containment policy, stated that this decision "may be expected to have an adverse effect on the development of Russian democracy, to restore the atmosphere of the cold war to East-West relations, to impel Russian foreign policy in directions decidedly not to our liking. This decision was criticized by many military, political and academic leaders as a " policy error of historic proportions." It seemed to be more than a policy error, but an intentional attempt to abort the democratization of Russia. This could be compared to Stalin's refusal to abide by his commitments at the end of WW2.

This attempt to encircle the Russian Federation at a time of its vulnerability brought out the worst fears of the Russians. It would be no different than Mexico and Canada joining the former Warsaw Pact. This was the beginning of the new distrust between Russia and the United States and its allies.

So today we see the much anticipated sanctions placed on Russia and the independent sections of Ukraine. I don't believe sanctions have had any real effect at changing any countries decisions. It did not work on Japan in WW2 and has not been an effective deterrent that I could see at any time. It mostly just hardens ones view that they are the enemy.

Russia is indeed now our enemy. The goal of some in our state department. Also retribution by some on the left for their being traitors to the world socialist cause. It did not have to be so. Russia wanted to become a member of the world community, but was rejected, dismissed, alienated, insulted and humiliated by our diplomatic experts.  They now understand that they will always be our enemy and have planned accordingly. 

Russia has been under some form of outright sanctions for 8 years and one could say unspoken sanctions forever. They have adapted to were they are mostly self sufficient, and can likely out weather the west when it comes to sacrifice and suffering.

In the last 10 years they have modernized their armed forces to be quite formidable. 

Most likely every sanction will be followed by a response that will be costly to the west. Possibly a tax or surcharge on gas on countries who engage in sanctions. Also a discount on those who do not. Energy is the mothers milk of economic prosperity. 

Energy independence will require the West to abort all their clean energy plans and reopen coal mines and pump a lot more oil. Or, continue on their path of windmills and solar panels and descend into 3rd world economic status.

Biden does not have many friends left in the middle east and many countries distrust the promises of being beholding to this country. Again, our foreign policy has created either enemies or distrust. There are many who will desire to stay out of this conflict. It may be time when money will not be enough to buy friends.