Sarah Palin: Diplomat Without Porfolio (Yet?) « The Washington Independent
Jul 31, 20202.9K Shares737.9K Views
ABC News is reporting that newly minted Republican superstar and vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has said war “may be” necessary if Russia invades another country. Um, yeah.
But, when campaigning in Michigan, back when the Russians invaded Georgia, Sen. John McCain stood next to his wife, Cindy, Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, and insisted that he didn’t want to restart the Cold War.
Apparently, though, it’s game on.
Remember that in the actual Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union fought through proxy conflicts (Korea, Vietnam) and never came to full blows. Leaders on both sides understood where full blows would take them — the bomb.
Maybe it’s piling on to take Palin to task for such remarks. And in no way am I trying to defend the Russian government since Vladimir Putin came to power.
But from 1945 to 1991, the world lived under a cloud of fear — knowing that one word, one diplomatic slip-up, could cost millions of lives. Even the relatively inexperienced President John F. Kennedy understood the consequences of killing Soviet personnel, and so, working against the advice of his own military leaders, did his best to prevent escalation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Yes, these are just words. And we are all Georgians. I get that. But Palin has a great deal to prove not only to the country, but to the world, that she’s ready for the job she is seeking.
A hypothetical war with our once adversary is not the best way to start.
Hajra Shannon
Reviewer
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