Obama Administration Drives Wedge into U.S. Foreign Policy/Political Economy

One wonders if driving wedges between economic blocks in Eurasia is good long-term policy for the United States? It is a matter of fact that the Ukraine and the Crimea have historically been a part of Russia. It is tempting to simply take the lands of other nations when one has military power advantages, yet it isn't necessarily a good idea.

Consider the U.S.A. and it's position with Russia, Western Europe and China as well as the Moslem world. The U.S.A. has engaged in two protracted nation rebuilding wars before withdrawing from each with about four trillion dollars of public debt added and actually an increase in terror activity after temporary occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Europe and the Russian Federation have had a kind of stability, there are some American and European investors in Russia. Europe and the United States are in a mild recovery from the results of post-cold war irrational exuberance in deregulation of Wall Street and banks causing a Western financial crash. Europe has been experiencing economic crisis in Greece, Italy and Spain. The United States has 17 trillion dollars of public debt and fewer Americans working than when President Obama took office. Returning to an irrational cold war posture with Russia over the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine isn't good policy, and neither is it particularly moral.

Russians defending Russian interests are like Americans seeking the return of part of the United States if a socialist U.S. Government left power after giving away New England to Canada after gutting the military and government. Americans would seek it's return whenever they could obviously, and Russians have sought the recovery of the Eastern Ukraine and the Crimea; boundaries recognized by the allies at the treaty of Versailles of 1918.

American direct foreign investment in China is huge. Russia is also being driven to increased trade with China and long-term sales of natural gas and other resources. Obviously Russians like Americans can buy everything they need in the way of consumer goods from China. European relations with Russia will be harmed from sanctions and that cuts off the prospects for a lot of direct European and American investment in Russia. Between China and Europe Russia will be driven further east in trade while Europe may find it's resources more costly and markets fewer. As China gets it's act together the west is led into division by the Obama administration, and for some reason I include Russia in the west.

Russia is a nation greater than 5000 miles wide spanning east and west. It has a Western tradition in Christianity and industrial development since Peter the Great visited western Europe to learn ship building in the 18^th century. Consistently western Europe and even the United States have invaded Russia. America did of course give Russia material supplies in then war against the Nazi's yet the Russians paid in blood. Without the Russian contribution on the Eastern front the Reich likely wouldn't have been defeated. Instead their excellent scientists would have developed the nuclear bomb in a dead heat with America. Russia dido have the Marxist infection, yet Marx was a German Jew working for the government of London in a Library. A humanitarian and socialist, Stalin and others killed millions in his name, more even than Hitler. A mature western leadership ought to recognize the greatness of the Russian people and strive to meet them on the road to economic and social progress.

In fighting together in the war against terrorism Russians and the United States have made substantial progress yet the war is never over till it's over. A new generation of post-9-11 terrorists have had time to matriculate and graduate from academies readying themselves as sleepers in critical businesses able to self-activate when the moment arises. Dividing the west and Russia now is just bad policy.

The narrow self-interests of select opportunist that took the Ukraine for-themselves perhaps over the recalcitrance of the Russian population to assert Ukrainian independence might be traced in 20^th century r movements of separatists and occasionally allies of anti-Russian forces. As Russia was weakened through the world war one invasion from Germany and the world war two invasion from Germany they lost Ukrainian territory. The treaty of Versailles punished Russia because the Soviet government signed a separate treaty with Germany. The West rewarded itself by taking the western Ukraine. For the United States to become involved now in consolidating the removal of the rest of the Ukraine and Crime from Russia is simply myopic. Good long-range relations with Russia are useful of the United States is not to become somewhat marginalized economically further for itself as China rises.

As the Chinese economy and military rises a Europe working well with Russia can help balance the world economy. That applies to the United States too. If Europe isn't to be just a regional economic entity becoming saturated with Moslem immigration while China is the center of the world economically speaking the United States will need to take a good look at its effort to promote China and degrade Russia because the Ukraine has value to some special interests on Wall Street. One wonders where diplomacy and wisdom went to in U.S. foreign policy. Foggy bottom seems lost in a fog all over again (not an original joke).