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Think of what you're arguing, and then ask yourself how the folks in Cuba and Venezuela would think about it? What goes for Georgia et. al., goes for America's near abroad as well. People have mentioned US actions in Central America - but judging by the views on Russia, they presumably believe that while they might have been a bit ugly at times, the states of Latin America should understand that adopting a geopolitical stance in opposition to the US will have nasty consequences, and have only themselves to blame.
by MarekNYC on Tue Aug 12th, 2008 at 07:13:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
If Mexico were to court a military alliance with Russia and then proceed to invade an autonomous, US-aligned region on the border to Texas whose independence were guaranteed by the US (and bomb US peacekeeping troops in the process), then yes, of course the US would be justified in responding with sufficient force to repel the aggression.

Or, to take a slightly more real-world example, if Serbia were to invade Kosova and bomb Camp Bondsteel, the EU would indeed be justified in responding with sufficient force to end Serbian aggression. "Sufficient force to end Serbian Aggression" does not, however, include terror-bombing Beograd.

But there is a world of difference between this scenario and toppling moderately social democratic governments in Latin America at the behest of various US-based transnational companies and replacing them with unreconstructed fascists.

For what it's worth I would even say that taking various hostile actions (short of war, however) against Cuba was justified while they were playing host to Soviet rockets aimed at the US. What's not OK is keeping Cuba in thumbscrews after the rockets have been taken away. (And of course the same goes for Poland and the missile defence system strategic radar installations.)

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Wed Aug 13th, 2008 at 11:10:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I case you didn't notice, I said in a couple places that Georgia's actions were stupid, and didn't particularly object to Russia's counterattack, to the extent it was limited to retaking and strengthening its hold on the autonomous regions. On the other hand, your comparison of the missile shield with the Cuban Missile Crisis seems a bit off base. The US is not stationing nukes in Poland, and the USSR did have military bases in Cuba during the Cold War.
by MarekNYC on Wed Aug 13th, 2008 at 12:23:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Even if a missile shield would actually work, it would be just as bad as nukes - arguably worse, even, because it would allow the US to use nuclear first strikes with (military) impunity, whereas more nukes would at this point merely be ridiculous overkill.

But we know it won't work in the first place, which makes it awfully suspicious. Going through that much foreign policy hassle just to get a site for a pork barrel project? I wouldn't be willing to bet money against it, but I wouldn't be willing to bet money on it either.

But of course you're right that absent strategic weapons - all kinds of strategic weapons - the "Cuba justification" breaks down. I agree with you that military bases from a power you don't like are not in and of themselves sufficient reason to give an independent country grief.

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Wed Aug 13th, 2008 at 01:07:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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