The Russians are conducting war games, simulating a nuclear attack on Poland.
And why not? After all, the Poles are basically defenseless. They pitched their tent with NATO, and took the risk of accepting a missile defense system on their territory. They obviously didn’t count on the naivety of the Obama Administration.
In July, the region’s most famed and influential political figures, including Lech Walesa and Vaclav Havel, wrote an open letter Barack Obama warning him that Russia “is back as a revisionist power pursuing a 19th-century agenda with 21st-century tactics and methods.”
But Obama cancelled the missile defense system (on the anniversary of the invasion of Poland in 1939 – the start of WWII), signaling America’s willingness to sacrifice its East European allies. The Russians recognized this development for what it was. Norwegians mistook it for visionary policy.
Now the Poles are experiencing the predictable results. At least now they won’t have any irrational expectations of help from the West. Obama has no cards to play, having already folded his hand.
Ordinary Poles were outraged by news of the exercise and demanded a firm response from the government.
One man, identified only as Ted, told Polskie Radio: “Russia has laid bare its real intentions with respect to Poland. Every Pole most now get of the off the fence and be counted as a patriot or a traitor.”
The Poles deserve better. Despite suffering catastrophically from the feckless policies of the West leading up to WWII, they contributed much to the Allied victory.
Come to think of it, we all deserve better.
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