A New Big Three?
By G. Murphy Donovan
SWJ Blog Post | May 16 2016 - 1:27pm
A New Big Three?
G. Murphy Donovan
If nothing else, Vladimir Putin is a leader who paints Russia’s image with broad strokes. He overcame a
KGB and Communist past to create a kind of democratic autocracy in Russia. He literally, and
figuratively, restored Christianity and orthodox churches across the land. In his spare time, Putin rides
Harley Davidson bikes with the Night Wolves, Russia’s first post-Communist motorcycle club, an
organization that might be the only state-sponsored political club for bikers on the planet.
The Russian president rehabilitated the Russian armed forces too in the wake of the Afghan/Chechen
debacles. More recently, Putin has unchained the bear and changed the complexion of politics and dissent
in the Caucuses, Georgia, Ukraine, and now Syria. Russian push back against NATO expansion, and
regime change follies, is a predictable, if not understandable, response to a hapless Brussels. Why
European politicians seek a fight with Russia in the middle of an Islamic migrant blitz is a mystery to
tacticians, strategists, and veteran diplomats alike.
The Russian president recently exposed Turkey too, as NATO’s Achilles’ heel, a terrorist 5th column
between East and West. NATO turned a blind eye to the Erdogan/Baghdadi oil cartel until the Russian
Air Force began destroying north bound convoys. The CFO for the Turk/ISIS connection appears to be
Billy Erdogan, son of the duplicitous Turkish president. Across the border, Syria was another small war
stalemate until Putin stepped in.
Russians still carry American astronauts into space too, while Washington maintains spite sanctions
against Moscow - a testimony to Russian character and Obama era vapidity. With Putin, diplomacy is
often just a door left ajar. The Russian space taxi serves Americans at NSA and affirmative action
astronauts worldwide. The cutting edge of extra-terrestrial travel now requires a Kazak base and a Russian
rocket.
Unlike European and American leaders, Vladimir Putin has no illusions about existential threats like open
borders, Islamic imperialism, or religious fascism.
The Muslim world has been providing fighters to a half century of global jihad that targets and kills
Americans and West Europeans with near impunity. Ironically, no Muslim nations are burdened with
economic sanctions like those imposed on Russia. Indeed, America and Europe are now suffering from
atrocity fatigue. Muslims continue to kill and maim while Washington and Brussels continue to rationalize
global terror as the new normal.
For apologists, calling Islam a “great” culture is the feckless rhetoric of enablers.
The boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is similar to the Russian sanctions,
movements motivated by bias and historical bigotry. Just as Israel won a series of wars against predatory
Arabs, the West won the Cold War with inept Communism - and Europe still can’t take yes for an answer
from a Russia that has reinvented itself.
Victory Day, celebrating Soviet success in World War II, has become the most significant holiday on the
Russian calendar under Putin. Unlike America and Europe; victory, success, and the need to oppose
fascism, including the religious variety, are mainstays of contemporary Russian vigilance. President
Obama is about to visit Hiroshima in Japan, he has declined invitations to celebrate Victory Day in
Russia. Of the WWII “Big Three” allies that defeated fascist Germany and imperial Japan, Russia
sacrificed the most to defeat the Nazis and save Europe. Russia may have to rescue Europe from itself
again in the 21st Century.
While the Russian president cultivates “a never forget” ethic, the American president seems to never
remember. Indeed, Barack Obama, as with Muslim history, seems to be ignorant about the legacy of
uncommon cultures - and the difference between friendly and lethal competition. If a liberal like
Roosevelt could make common cause with Joseph Stalin and a conservative like Ronald Reagan could do
business with Mikhail Gorbachev, how is it that a political footnote like Barack Hussein Obama can’t do
business with Vladimir Putin?
The face of 21st century fascism is religious – and Islamic. There’s not much difference between secular
and religious totalitarians. Coercion, terror, and atrocity is what they have in common. Alas Europe, with
the possible exception of Brexit England, seems to be channeling early 20th Century behaviors that
enabled National Socialism. Recall that Italy and Spain made common cause with fascism. France and
Belgium rolled over like streetwalkers, and most of Scandinavia allowed Hitler’s vermin to take control
uncontested. “Neutrality” in Europe before and during WWII was another word for appeasement. In the
North, the flavor was Quisling; in the South, collaboration was called Vichy. The EU and NATO are not
about defense today so much as they are about flirting with historical folly.
The parallels between mid- Century Europe and early the early 21st Century European Union are difficult
to ignore anymore. Euocrats do not have a clue about common cultural or common kinetic defense.
Terrorists live cheek to jowl with oblivious Belgians. The European Union seeks to solve the 5th Column
problem now by making Turkey an open border too!
Some days it’s not difficult to conclude that clueless Europe and ruthless Mecca deserve each other. In the
distant past, Islam was at the Gates of Vienna. Now the crescent and sword knocks on the doors of
Westminster Abby. If common sense were currency, the European Union would be insolvent.
The loss of a feckless West Europe is sure to provide new opportunities for new alliances. Given the
endemic chaos and aggression emanating from the Muslim world; Russia, China, and the United States
might be the logical core for a new “big three,” alliance against 21st Century totalitarians. One of the most
obvious advantages of a new global military coalition would be economy. Unlike NATO dependencies,
the Chinese and Russians will surely pay their own way.
Ironically, China and Russia are already fiscal allies, in so much as both have emerged as a kind budget
Viagra for the US Department of Defense. It’s difficult to justify “huge” defense budgets at the Pentagon
if the real threat is 5th column migrants and terror driving a Toyota.
Only one candidate in the US presidential primaries suggests that small wars, strategy, and alliances
should on the table in 2016. Hard as it is to forecast how such a discussion might go, any movement in
new directions would be an improvement over the “new normal;” cooked threats, sanguinary inertia, and
suicidal appeasement.
In small wars of a thousand cuts, time is not an American or European ally.
About the Author
G. Murphy Donovan
The author is a former USAF Intelligence officer, Vietnam veteran, a graduate of
Iona College (BA), the University of Southern California (MS), the Defense
Intelligence College, and the Air War College. He is a former Senior USAF
Research Fellow at RAND Corporation, Santa Monica and the former Director of
Research and Russian (nee Soviet) Studies, ACS Intelligence, HQ USAF, serving
under General James Clapper. Colonel Donovan has served at the Defense
Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Central intelligence
Agency.
Available online at : http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/a-new-big-three
Links:
{1} http://smallwarsjournal.com/author/g-murphy-donovan-1
{2} http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/us-foreign-policy-veterans-say-washington-destroyed-relationsrussia/ri13376
{3} http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/12/perfidious_turkey.html
{4} http://abcnews.go.com/International/russian-victory-day-celebration-short-jabs-us/story?id=38987014
{5} https://pjmedia.com/trending/2015/12/7/putin-we-support-islam-allah-has-decided-to-punish-turkeysleaders/
{6} http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21695393-europe-has-suffered-another-series-murderousattacks-jihadists-they-will-not-be
{7} https://richarddawkins.net/2014/10/the-inner-workings-of-the-apologist-mindset/
{8} http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/29/opinion/the-bds-movement-and-anti-semitism-oncampus.html?_r=0
{9} http://www.politico.eu/article/europe-visa-free-travel-open-borders-turkey-deal/
{10} http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/russia-us-cooperation-will-lead-to-fundamental-changes-insyria-putin_1883949.html
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