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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