Above, "A Brief History of 31 Years of Blind Date between the United States and Russia: Unable to Be Husband and Wife, Friends, and Forgotten in the Jianghu", we talked about Russia as a weak party, in order to get rid of the past notoriety in the era of Russia's new era of federation, in the past, especially in the era of Tsarist Russia, what image does Russia give to the world? Greedy land addicts, constantly aggressive and expanding.
But the question is, is the Russian Federation still that era? Obviously not, but constantly tolerated. Even if Crimea were to be reconquered, Russia would be recovering its former homeland, but if the Ukrainian government's intention at the time was not to drive out Russian troops and introduce American troops, Russia would not recover its homeland.
There is no neutral country in the world, and the times have changed
Some would argue that every country has autonomous power. This is the same as the so-called universal values that the United States has always flaunted, and it can be done to oneself, to one's true friends, and to the country it wants to overthrow is a poison. In one's own country the thug is the mob, and in other countries it is free expression.
The world is still the essence of the existence of Tsarist Russia, the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Empire of France, the Empire of america — the world is a jungle. It's just to give you a beautiful picture. If you believe it, you're stupid. In fact, the security between countries lies in the fact that neighbors of big countries must accept their fate. No matter how corrupt the great powers are, they will be stronger than you. The best thing to do between two elephants is to make a bridge. Some say that Russia won't let you do it. But the question is does the U.S. let you do it?
That's the way the world is. To be a bridge, we must also strengthen ourselves. Why are the neutral countries of the two world wars now not neutral? Because times have changed, the defeat of a country is not as costly as hundreds of thousands of lives in the past, and now it only takes an hour or two. Therefore, there will be no more neutral countries in the future, of course, unless neither side wants to fight for you, you may be neutral.
It is precisely because there is no neutral country that it depends on who gives more benefits. So who determines how much the benefit is? Elites, for this reason we can see that whether it is the 14 countries that NATO is expanding eastward, or several countries that intend to enter NATO, they are either closely related to the West economically or have serious problems with oligarchs within the country.
At present, Russia has no way to retreat. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's argument that NATO is a defensive organization is something that only those who "share the heart of the West" would think so.
Thus, we can see Russia's reaction: figure 160-M strategic bombers take off, warning of a possible recurrence of the Cuban missile crisis (deployment of missiles in Cuba, Venezuela). The only thing the United States can do is compromise, otherwise if you put a dagger in the heart of others and hope that others will not resist, it can only mean that you are crazy.
Those countries that have joined NATO are no way, but those countries that have not joined are identified by Russia as the bottom line. Some people say, what is the relationship between Finland and Sweden on Russia? You have to look at the map, whether it matters or not. I have used an inappropriate metaphor for the relationships and contradictions between European countries, that is, a fart will affect and threaten other people.
Europe is too small, there are too many countries, and the history of bullying each other is complicated. Finland and Sweden were bullied by the Slavic nation before the "Great Northern War" in history, and it was only after the rise of Peter the Great that Sweden lost the strength to win eastern Europe after the defeat of the "Great Northern" campaign. History For European countries, everyone is not to say who bullied whom. It's hard to say clearly.
These countries now intend to join NATO, and if not as crazy as Ukraine, they can only be said to be a kind of "psychological warfare". So, at this point, some people will wonder: why are these countries scrambling to join NATO? The reason for this is simple: the hope of getting aid, the hope that the United States will be completely determined to bring down Russia, and will not be shattered by the hammer of Russian anger.
In the process of 30 years of eastward expansion, who is the vanguard of eastward expansion? The answer is Poland. The United States and the European Union also took Poland, a successful country in transition, as a case study to tell the future picture of Eastern European countries. However, the success of others is never that you necessarily lead to your own success.
Eastward Expansion Model Room: Poland
The United States commanded NATO's five eastward expansions:
In 1999, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic were admitted;
In 2004, estonia, latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria were admitted;
In 2009, Croatia and Albania were admitted;
In 2017, Montenegro was admitted;
In 2020, North Macedonia will be admitted.
But who is the core of the five eastward expansions? It's Poland. Poland has become a "model room" for eastward expansion in terms of the rise in national strength with economic development as the manifestation.
Because of the historical and practical relationship between Poland and Russia, and the influence on Russia as a symbol of capitalist victory, Western support for Poland is sincere and real. But for Ukraine and Kazakhstan, it is false, just to reduce Russia's influence.
From the perspective of continuously reducing influence, attracting small countries under Russia's wings to defect to the United States and NATO, thereby weakening Russia's strength on the one hand, enhancing the United States to threaten Russia faster, the United States and NATO are more urgently needive of "model room" to show to the world, so that people will feel that the House built by the United States is good, sunny, ventilated, green enough, and supporting equipment from kindergartens to universities, etc., in short, there is a beautiful home.
In this way, we can say to the countries of Eastern Europe: You see, follow me like Poland and have a good life.
The result? We will elaborate on this issue below.
The fourth in the series
The United States and Russia have been fighting for 31 years, and they cannot be husband and wife friends, so they are desperate to join the first three links: how to evaluate the thousand-year history of Eastern Europe; the protectors of the three factors of Russia's rise and the Polish-Ukrainian infighting; the root of the insoluble lies in the 30 years of oligarchic governance
From the 8 million taels handed in by Li Hongzhang, talk about Li Hongzhang-style thinking and Zuo Zongtang-style spirit
Zhang Bingwen, the martyr, and Zhang Bingzhen, the Qing Dynasty: The Difference Between Historical Evaluation and Narrative