Fulfilling Our Commitments

I have not written and published any articles here for quite a while, but at the other place where Mike Ford and I interact; a Political Discussion Group I administrate over on “Zuck land,” I have been posting about the Ukraine War, and on one post, Colonel Ford egged me on to type “something up” and send it to him similar to it. Ok.

Now, as Col Ford knows, and maybe a few of you here do as well, I do not consider myself of any Political Affiliation. I call myself a “True Progressive.” Now, don’t get excited! I have zero Liberal connections and those in the Democratic party who use the word ‘progressive’ are doing just that; using the word. I and those I align with, believe in non-alignment and common sense and moderation above all. That this is the only way to truly progress the wealth and health of our Nation and its People FORWARD in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution.

He also knows that I fully believe in a healthy type of Nationalism, a MAGA that disconnects America from the corrupt Global trade system that only serves the good of Corporations and will even put Capitalism and Democratic values on the back burner to serve the goals of corporate wealth building. I also believe we need to disengage from our 70 or so years of our policing the world. Trying to bat clean-up for the failed Imperial Colonial Empires of (namely) Britain and France. Isn’t it just amazing how both of those Nations have basically been able to hand off their post colonial troubles and dependent nations to us and walk away like some quiet man on a bus who had just farted and slunk away at the next stop as if nothing had happened?

Now, all of that in preamble aside, the issue of fulfilling our Nation’s commitments that our National Leadership has laid onto us in decades past, haunt us now. They hold us back. They keep us from all of the “MAGA – doing” that needs to be done with the massive amounts of money, material and plain BLOOD spent by Americans over the decades from Korea in 1950 to Afghanistan in 2021, and we STILL have men and women in combat zones today with forces in Syria, a fact many people do not know.

But we have to maintain and follow up, but we need to also draw these commitments to a close. Too many Nations have grown dependent on the presence of our military in their Nations. To the point where those Nations still have draftees as a notion of “national service” rather than one of National Defense performed by professionals. The Republic of Korea and Germany come to mind as chief offenders. Convincing these Nations to adopt a full time, professional military is key to our disengagement. We have to leave these Nations to defend themselves if we want to be able to hold on to our own.

Now the specific topic: Ukraine. Many people believe, wrongly , that our involvement in Ukraine started in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea. This is incorrect. It began much earlier, basically in 1992 when the USSR completely failed and dissolved itself into its component Republics as independent States.

Ukraine inherited much of the USSR’s military capability as well as a large part of the USSR’s industrial capability. A large portion of the USSR’s nuclear forces were stationed in Ukraine along with a huge Air Force that numbered approximately 200 strategic bombers of various types.

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, or Budapest Accords of 1994, was in short, a agreement in which Ukraine agreed to give up all of its Nuclear weapons and the systems that they could be delivered by- like long range missiles and Strategic Bombers. In return, Ukraine was “guaranteed” by France, Britain, the US and Russia that its National Security would be maintained.

But in reality, the four Nations were only looking after themselves, over worried about rogue actors, terrorist purchasers of nuclear material and “suitcase nukes”- you remember.

So, as part of this, Ukraine gave up 200 Strategic Bombers and hundreds or more, cruise missiles,all of which could have had nuke or conventional warheads. Some planes were destroyed outright, some were sold to other nations, some were even given to Russia in “payment” for utilities and services Ukraine had received from Russia between 1992 and 1994- namely natural gas and coal.

Interesting to note as well, in this time frame, Ukraine also leased the Naval Base of Sevastopol, Crimea to Russia. Though there is no documentation, some scholars believe that Ukraine was coaxed into doing this by members of European Leadership looking to make nice with Russia and its then President Yeltsin. Defending this base from Ukrainian attack and an American take over of it was part of the pre-text Putin used for moving into Crimea.

Now, today,many of these bombers are being used by the Russians to launch stand off cruise missile attakcs against Ukraine; consider if Ukraine had been allowed to keep even a quarter of what they had; what they may have done with them in the last 50 days?

Since we gave our guarantee, the US,UK and France have been failing in its commitment. Anyone would be hard pressed to find any type of assistance given to Ukraine in the form of training, or modernization of leadership training for its military. Now consider if we had lived up to our commitment? If in the mid 90’s we, along with the UK and France, had been equipping, training and helping Ukraine in both its military and economic sectors, all outside of NATO parameters, just as the Budapest Accords were a non NATO affair? Would Russia have ever considered taking Crimea in 2014? Perhaps if Ukraine had emerged strong enough from our leadership and improvements; keeping its bombers and a modernized navy, it may have even made some sort of “Black Sea alliance” to counter Russia? Maybe Georgia would have been a partner in this and Russia would have never invaded it?

All strategic magic ball gazing now of course.

But, we must fulfill what our previous leaders have gotten us into; we are Americans, this is our WORD, it is our COMMITMENT to our VALUES. In a world that already is beginning to think so much less of us over the last decade or so, we do not need to fail any other Nation that we have placed into OUR CARE now.

When this war is over and won, then the US can hopefully engage on a course that those like me would like to see; not hardset isolationist, but America first; North America first, then the Western Hemisphere- first. This should not be Conservative or Liberal, it is just Common Sense that needs to be done. Consider and allow one more diversion.

If we had engaged on this track of America/our hemisphere first, 20 years ago- with an allowance for dealing with Al Qaeda only, and spent those trillions not on Iraq and Afghanistan, but in Central and South America, building their security, infrastructure, social programs and fighting corruption, would we have an immigration problem at our southern border now? Would Venezuela be awash with Iranian military and Intelligence Operatives and home to itinerant long range Russian bombers? Would the Panama Canal be operated by China? Would the Old Sandinista, Daniel Oretega still be President of Nicaragua? I think no to all.

So, let’s finish all of our commitments and make no new ones that are 6000 miles away. Let’s own up to the title “American” and then let’s bring our people and our National Treasury back to our shores.

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