A nation must stand up to its enemies. Long ago, when the Danes swept across the North Sea into what is now England, its rulers tried to pay off the Danes with gold. Historians call that the “Danegeld.” However, the bribes did not work. The Danes kept coming back for more and ultimately took all of what is now England.
More recently, in the late 1930s, the United Kingdom and France tried to appease the appetite of Adolph Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany. The two countries thought that appeasement would satisfy Hitler. Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain and former Prime Minister Edouard Daladier of France were wrong. First, Hitler just wanted Austria. Then he said he would be satisfied with the Sudetenland, the German-speaking region of what was then Czechoslovakia. Only when Hitler demanded Poland did Britain and France stand up to the bully. Only after 6 years and tens of millions of deaths was Nazi Germany defeated.
In the Cold War, former President Harry S. Truman stood up to North Korea, Russia, and China. In the 1950s, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower deterred and contained the nuclear power of the Soviet Union. In the 1950s, the United States devoted 8% or more of the gross domestic product toward national security. Superior firepower ensured peace. In 1962, former President John F. Kennedy, during the Cuban missile crisis, decided that liberty and the American way of life were worth defending. He went eyeball to eyeball with former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev blinked.
In this century, however, American leaders have forgotten the lessons of history. Former President Barack Obama talked about the red line that Bashar Assad could not cross: using chemical weapons against his own people. However, the now-deposed Syrian dictator and Russia repeatedly used chemical weapons. Obama did nothing. Similarly, the U.S. has repeatedly tried to appease the regime in Iran, which has not worked. Iran, through its proxy forces, has killed many Americans and seeks to kill far more. Iran now has the capability to build a nuclear bomb. American appeasement of Iran is a failure.
Now, too many Americans want to appease Russia, whose president wants to devour Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine twice. However, it appears he will now get a large part of eastern Ukraine. Soon, a temporary peace will come to Ukraine, and Putin will promise not to invade again. However, in time, he will come back for more. Putin is already trying to get more across free Europe, especially against the Baltic states. Russia is engaged in a hybrid war against the free world. Russian sabotage is taking place throughout free Europe. Russia is destabilizing Georgia and Moldova. European communications cables are being cut. China is complicit with Russia in sabotage against the European Union and against the U.S.
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Yet Biden and the leaders of free Europe do nothing. They feed the Russian crocodile. Appeasing the crocodiles of Russia, China, Iran, and other enemies is not working. It is time for the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the European Union to say, “No more.” The West must rearm, remilitarize, and go eyeball to eyeball with our enemies to defend our way of life and our liberties.
James Rogan is a former U.S. foreign service officer who later worked in finance and law for 30 years. He writes a daily note on the markets, politics, and society. He can be reached at [email protected]