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Buchanan on the Ukraine Debacle and Neocon Russophobia

Among the agencies and organizations used to assist pro-West and pro-NATO parties with men, money and training are the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy and its subsidiaries – the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute – Freedom House, and George Soros’ assorted charities. Who chairs IRI? John McCain. […]

Among the agencies and organizations used to assist pro-West and pro-NATO parties with men, money and training are the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy and its subsidiaries – the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute – Freedom House, and George Soros’ assorted charities.

Who chairs IRI? John McCain. Who chairs NDI? Ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Who chairs Freedom House? Ex-CIA Director Woolsey. Did the White House give these groups a green light to interfere in and tip the Ukrainian elections to Yushchenko?

Writing in The Washington Post, Hoover Institution scholar Michael McFaul concedes, “American agents of influence … meddle(d) in the internal affairs of Ukraine,” and adds that we have a moral right to do so.

What is the truth? Has Bush surrendered control of Russia policy to freelancers who detest Putin and want to isolate his government, or is the White House giving itself plausible deniability, while letting freelancers do the work done in Cold War days by the CIA?

If Putin is enraged, can we blame him? How we would react if the Chinese or French meddled in our elections, and then the EU and Putin denounced the 2000 Florida recount and 2004 Ohio returns as fraudulent?

Winning Russia’s friendship was among the great achievements of Ronald Reagan and great dividends of our victory in the Cold War. We ought not allow unelected, foreign-policy freelancers – or rogue agencies, or non-governmental organizations – to put that vital relationship at risk. ~Pat Buchanan

From the first, Mr. Buchanan has taken a strong stand on this outrageous and counterproductive U.S. interference in the Ukrainian presidential election. Thank goodness there are prominent voices such as his speaking out against this senseless and ultimately very dangerous policy towards Russia and the old Soviet republics. Mr. Buchanan’s advice on Russia policy is one of sober realism aimed at organising the greatest number of allied and sympathetic countries for American anti-terrorist and other foreign policy efforts.

I would add that we should all remember that the first government to send its condolences and offer assistance to the United States after September 11 was not that of Tony Blair, nor Mr. Bush’s beloved Vicente Fox, but Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was extremely helpful in facilitating the coordination of American efforts in central Asia during the campaign in Afghanistan. Those who now want to forget that (usually the same sort who accuse others of ‘forgetting 9/11’) and bash and undermine Russia and Mr. Putin at every turn betray a strange malevolence for our first ally in the anti-terrorism campaign that hints that their Russophobia may be overriding the legitimate national security and geopolitical interests of our country. Viewed as objectively as possible, if we accept the idea of an ‘arc of instability’, as the more hawkish in America refer to central Asia and the Near East, among other areas, then it is strategically wise to ally with a nation that straddles the overwhelming majority of Eurasia and has extensive political connections with all the nations in that ‘arc’.

No one need pretend that Russian and American interests coincide always or even most of the time, as they may not, but the deliberate and hostile attempt to push Russia in a corner is both unnecessary and actually detrimental to our own stated policies. That is the reason why all Americans should be disturbed at the continued anti-Russian trend in our foreign policy, as it does nothing but multiply our enemies, weaken our resources in the fight against terrorism and push what is still the second-greater nuclear power on earth from a friendly to an indifferent or hostile posture.

Here is yet another example where Mr. Buchanan’s counsel to look to the interests of America first is not only the best course for the United States, which is the main and relevant criterion for Americans deciding what policies to pursue, but also the most just towards the nations of the world. The proponents of hegemony and democratisation seem to have the interests of neither our country nor those of the countries they want to “help” at heart.

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