Tuesday 7 July 2015

Nato spoiling for a new cold war

 If there is anything more despairing than reading about the duplicitous Tory government trying to hide the increases in child poverty it has caused, it possibly is catching up on latest thinking at Nato (Nato rethinks nuclear weapon strategy,25/06/15). On learning that Russia has responded to Nato`s decision to store weapons on her border in Poland by stating an intent to "buy 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles", Nato has decided to "re-evaluate its nuclear weapons strategy". Presumably the extra missiles, added to Russia`s existing total of "515 missiles and bombers", take their numbers too close for comfort to Nato`s 785? Even though a superiority of 230 is apparently not enough, they still deny a return to cold war arms racing, begging a question about their knowledge of recent history.
       Added to this is the recent outburst from the US commander in charge of most of America`s nuclear missiles, General Wilson, whose claim that there has never been so much power "put in one person in Russia" as there is with Putin, reveals a total ignorance of Tsarist and Stalinist Russia. It seems that the lack of diplomatic skills is not the only problem at Nato`s headquarters!

      Unsurprisingly, the historical lessons of "squeezing until the pips squeak" have obviously not been learned at Nato, but sadly, not by EU politicians either; this is made obvious with the approval, "without debate", by EU foreign ministers of the extension of existing sanctions on Russia for another six months (Sanctions on Russia are extended until January,23/06/15). How can compromise solutions be made over, not only the future of Ukraine, but also the expansion of Nato, when economic uncertainty in Russia is being purposely exacerbated by the west? At a time when diplomatic talks are urgently needed, and when there are opportunities for east-west deals over energy provision, what can be achieved by the permanent exclusion of Russia from the G7? Isn`t 20th century history on the curricula of private schools?

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