Common Sense EP 323 Gas Up the Cold War
Added 2022-03-03 05:41:35 +0000 UTCPublish Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 15:20:00 PST
Duration: 40:18 minutes – Size: 29.7mb
Show Description: Vladimir Putin has instantaneously reignited the Cold War by savagely attacking Ukraine this week. In response to requests, Dan shares a few thoughts.
Show Notes:
“Buchanan on Empire” - Common Sense 71 Publish date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/dancarlin/cswdcd23_Gas_Up_the_Cold_War.mp3
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Comments
Thanks Dan & Co
Warren
2022-03-07 12:58:28 +0000 UTCGreat points, Max!
Jamie Bruno
2022-03-06 19:10:21 +0000 UTCWith regards to Europe’s dependence on Russian oil and gas, as a European I can give perspective on that. Most Americans it seems connect the downfall of the Soviet Union with Reagan’s policies, with America outspending the USSR and bankrupting it in the process. Surely that was a push, but in Europe there was a pull that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention in the US. For example, during Willy Brandt’s chancellorship West Germany established stronger trading relations with Eastern Germany and established channels of communication with the USSR. Even though these were decried by conservatives, conservative governments used and extended these channels. Eastern Germany, for example, became more and more dependent on Western German money. It wasn’t just trade, it was subsidies for roads, ransom for political prisoners, etc. That continued after the reunification where Germany established peaceful relations with its former victims such as Poland, and let trade flourish. Symbiotic trade relations and things like free movement of people and goods have become the basis for peace in Europe. I think the idea was to get Russia into the fold this way, too. Yes, Europe has become quite dependent on Russian gas, but Europe has become Russia’s biggest trading partner — co-dependence as a form of symbiosis.
Max Lein
2022-03-05 02:00:27 +0000 UTCI don’t think the point is that Cuba is exactly like Ukraine, it obviously isn’t. Technology has marched on, now nuclear weapons can also be launched from submarines, satellite surveillance, etc., so having missiles stationed close to the US or USSR isn’t giving one side the same advantage now as then. But it is worth an analogy and further scrutiny. First of all, the US supported a friendly dictatorship in Cuba that Castro overthrew. And while I agree that to us an invasion of Mexico seems preposterous to us, I don’t think full scale invasions are the, well, weapon of choice if countries want to take influence in other countries. Small scale operations by special forces and drone strikes are much more common. It is hard to differentiate between the US assassinating someone in a foreign country by drone strike (without trial) and another country doing the same (e. g. Russia poisoning several dissidents and former intelligence operatives). Yes, we can argue all day that we had good reason for one and the other side did not for the other, but that’s quite hard. Especially when things go wrong (like a drone strike that essentially kills large parts of two families during a wedding), it makes it quite hard for us to take the moral high ground. I am focussing on us, because I think this is one of the key steps to getting out of this situation. In my opinion we (meaning all countries of the Western block and its new-found allies) should take steps to bring us closer to our ideals. People should come to our side because they want to emulate us and our values, not because there is a quick buck to be made in an alliance of convenience. We should get more comfortable with not being in complete control in all situations at all times, because that is not how life works. The situation reminds me very much of the concept of “late nation” even though it does not apply 100 % here. Japan was late to the game when it came to colonies, for example. Germany and Italy were late to becoming a modern, unified state. Germany and Japan were local intermediate powers, i. e. they were the local hegemon, but too small for being a superpower. This description fits Russia quite well: Putin is stuck in a world order that is outdated by today’s standards, and it is too powerful to be an “average” country (on account of its nuclear arsenal alone), but it is no longer the superpower it used to be.
Max Lein
2022-03-05 01:44:02 +0000 UTCThe one thing I disagree with you about is that blockading a dictatorship in Cuba isn't the same as invading a budding liberal democracy. Also, the norms of the 60s were so much worse than now. Could you imagine the US invading Mexico today if they joined a Chinese backed alliance? It's preposterous. Spheres of influence should not be a thing. If a liberal democracy chooses to do something their neighbors need to respect that. I also think Biden has handled this about as well as he could. I wish the west would stop buying their oil though.
Adam Seraphin
2022-03-04 13:25:04 +0000 UTCThank you for taking the extra time to give your thoughts on the current situation.
Brad DeMaagd
2022-03-03 12:11:38 +0000 UTCThanks - but please add to the Addendum Feed for those of us not listening to Common Sense
David De Zwirek
2022-03-03 10:11:41 +0000 UTCThere’s a saying doing the rounds at the EU parliament are the moment that Lenin said. “Sometimes decades happen in days”. This feels like that time and the perfect moment for your perspective.
Crypto Steve
2022-03-03 06:16:33 +0000 UTC*This* is why I am a Patreon member. Thanks for the thoughtful contribution to the subject. It felt like an inner dialog of mine if I knew more about the (recent) history of the region and the conflict. It is so hard to figure out what you should even think if what you find is morally best is so different from what could be the best option practically speaking.
Max Lein
2022-03-03 05:59:59 +0000 UTC
