In an odd turn of events I find myself in total disagreement
with both Liberals and Conservatives about how to re-act to the downing of MA
17 last week in Ukraine by Russian separatist forces and what our response
should be to Vladimir Putin’s recent foreign policy of taking what he wants by
aggression. Liberals, to no one’s
surprise, back either a policy of strict economic sanctions or one of “turn the
other cheek”, be a friend and eventually he’ll stop. Conservatives, also as
expected, are screaming for a show of force and military strength. Both groups,
in my opinion, are completely wrong.
As anyone can tell from the photos of Putin (carefully staged
and released by the state-controlled Russian media) showing him shirtless and
engaged in so-called “manly pursuits” the guy has a HUGE ego. Reading his
speeches and analyzing his actions clearly paint a picture of a man who sees
himself as a world leader, a statesman and the George Washington of the “New
Russia”. He believes he is invincible because his ego will not allow him to
believe anything else and because the leaders of the rest of the world have
been spineless in dealing with him. The President of the US, Barack Obama, has
been notably and most particularly feckless in his dealings with Putin at a
time when US leadership is sorely needed. But the POTUS could change all this
quickly by showing the same kind of leadership demonstrated by John
F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan in confronting Russian
aggression. And if I were Obama’s Chief-of-Staff I would insist he do so by
delivering a speech at the UN and calling Putin out in front of a world body.
It would sound something like this.
Friday July 25, 2014
Friday July 25, 2014
10:00 AM
The UN General Assembly
New York
POTUS stands at the dais of the UN and welcomes those in
attendance as required by protocol. He pauses for a moment (for dramatic
effect), shuffles his “notes”, discards them with flourish then proceeds to
speak.
“I came here today with the original intent of addressing this
world body about several current global events. And if you were to see the
notes I just threw away you would know that was the text they contained. But as
I rode here from my hotel I changed my mind about the content and purpose of my
speech this morning. Yes, I still want to address this body as a whole but in
so doing I want my message to be unmistakably targeted to someone who isn’t
here- -Vladimir Putin. So, Ambassador Churkin would you please dispatch someone
from your delegation to phone President Putin and let him know that as I stand
at this podium I am talking directly to him.”
POTUS shifts, smiles and acknowledges the sea of flashes from
the cameras of the startled world press and cups his ear to take in the growing
murmur of the assembled diplomats. Then he continues.
“Recently the world was shocked and saddened by the downing of
Malaysian Air Flight 17 by Russian separatists in Ukraine. 298 innocent people
who had nothing to do with the politics of that region died. And why did they
die? They died because you, Mr. Putin, did not respect the laws of
international sovereignty and took Crimea by force. Then while signaling that
your designs did not stop there you installed a proxy army of unschooled
partisans inside Ukraine and sent your military advisors to arm and train them.
The problem is that your advisors and trainers made two errors with the proxy
army you installed in sovereign Ukraine territory: They over armed them and under
trained them. Thus the blood of those 298 people is on your hands as head
of an aggressive Russian state.
By now Mr. Putin, as you watch from your office in the Kremlin,
you are probably angrily sneering, “What hypocrisy coming from a man who leads
a nation which has armies stationed in Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea,
Okinawa, The Philippines and virtually
every western European country. . .how dare he lecture me about a comparatively small “proxy army” in Ukraine!”
But consider this: in Afghanistan as it was in Iraq, Russia
did little to stem the forces of global radicalism- -forces that are as much a
threat to the Russian people as they are to the people of the western
democracies. And so it was left to a coalition of the willing led by the US to try to turn that tide.
And what have you done during that period? You’ve armed those radicals and
their sponsor states like Iran and North Korea with the ability to make and
deliver atomic weapons ignoring the fact that in so doing you are probably handing the rope to your own
executioners.
Also consider that every other country in which the US has military bases, the
people of those countries are politically free, secure and economically
prosperous. Yet, almost unanimously the former Soviet states are seeking
alliances with the western democracies because they want that same political
freedom, security and prosperity. What does that tell you about the message and
the universal needs of people as well as the intent of America and the world’s
great democracies?
President Putin I know that you have a strong desire to be
considered a world leader, a great statesman and the founding father of the New
Russia. So, I am calling you out here and now. I am issuing a “put-up or
shut-up, yes or no” challenge. Will you join the leaders and statesmen of the
western democracies in working jointly to stem the tide of radicalism? Will you
stop arming proxy armies and client trouble makers? Will you give up your
policy of aggression for one of international détente? Will you put Iran and
North Korea on notice that you will no longer bankroll their subversion,
sponsorships of terrorism and dreams of world domination? Will you become a true leader, a respected
statesman and a founding figure? The answer to each of these questions is a
simple “yes” or “no”- -“Da or Nyet”. Any other response of any sort or explanation is unacceptable. So Mr. Putin, what
is your answer? The world waits? It’s your move. Pick up the phone, call
Ambassador Churkin who is sitting just a few feet away from me and tell him to
stand up and say, “Da”. If you do, and
demonstrate it, the world will start to change tomorrow. If you don’t the
continuing danger and chaos will be on you. It will be your legacy. Yes or No?
POTUS leaves the podium and for several seconds there is a stunned and complete silence in the Assembly
Chamber. Then, one by one, each delegation stands and applauds loudly. The
applause is broken by the ring of a telephone in the Russian delegation.
Ambassador Churkin walks to the podium and utters one word. . .
OK,
so I’ve put forth an improbable scenario. But the improbability is there only
because unlike Kennedy and Reagan who were true leaders and can
easily be imagined delivering such a speech, Barack Obama is unlikely to have
such courage. After all, what are we expecting from a man with such a paucity
of experience and a scarcity of leadership skills on his résumé not to
mention a complete lack of testicular fortitude.
And meanwhile, Rome burns.
And meanwhile, Rome burns.
3 comments:
I vote for HAL! Spot on commentary and brilliant speech to give to Mr. Putin before the U.N. I vote for HAL, the sage of Tampa.
Thanks for painting a picture of leadership and strength Sage. Welcome back!!
Outstanding, Hal! It reads almost like a wonderful novel imparting not only a vital message but a visual impression that makes it truly come to life. Well done, my friend...well done, indeed.
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