Two World Wars devastated Europe in the first half of the 20th Century. Calculating fatalities resulting from these wars has always been a difficult proposition, but estimates on the lower end put the number of deaths from these two wars at roughly 70 million people. This includes deaths in the Pacific Theater during World War II, where for the first time the world saw the destructive power of the newly developed atomic weapons.
The common denominator in these two wars was of course Germany. After the first conflict, Germany was isolated, punished, and ridiculed. This isolation lead of course to the rise of intense Nationalism and history has recorded that this in turn unleashed Adolf Hitler on the world.
Subsequent to Hitler being dispatched to hell, the United States made sure to include Germany in the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. This had two primary effects on the world. It displayed America living up to the ideal of promoting democracy and freedom, of being a generous people and showing a willingness to extend a friendly hand to assist a defeated foe to rise to its feet and rejoin the family of Nations. The second and perhaps even more important result of including Germany in the Marshall Plan was to prevent the isolation of Germany and to diminish the possibility of dangerous Nationalism returning to Europe.
Due in large part to American leadership, many international institutions have been established in the 70 years since the end of World War II and this period has been the longest period of peace in Europe in recorded time. It is fair to say that the success of some these institutions have greatly contributed to the stability of Europe in our lifetime.
Because the end of World War II left the world with two nuclear powers that were at opposite ends of the political and social spectrum, freedom loving peoples came together to oppose the Soviet Union and its oppressive authoritarianism.
In 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created to provide collective security against the Soviet Red Menace. One of the most profoundly important and beautiful testaments to the good that mankind is capable of, is the provision that an attack against one member is an attack against all. This provision has only been invoked one time, after the attacks on September 11, 2001 against the United States of America.
45 has called NATO obsolete. Just this past week he questioned its benefit to America. He has lamented the cost in dollars to America and demanded that its other members pony up more money. This is a reasonable position, but we do need to ask ourselves just how much military spending are we comfortable with in Europe? Their history would suggest that perhaps it is better after all if we do most of the heavy lifting in the area of military spending, especially in Germany.
45 sees it differently than I do and I pray that God gives him the wisdom to see the right. Here is what he said upon his arrival at this year’s NATO summit on July 11. He was questioning an oil pipeline being built between Germany and Russia.
“Germany is a captive of Russia, It’s very inappropriate. It certainly doesn’t seem to make sense that they paid billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia. How can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection against?”
Again, there are very good reasons why Germany has recently been discouraged from pursuing heavy military development. Even the Germans agree with this.
At the Bretton Wood Conference in 1944 the idea was brought to life of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The purpose was to stabilize exchange rates and improve international liquidity. The benefits to the US economy of a more stable and predictable international economy are as immeasurable as they are obvious.
Representatives of 50 countries, including the Soviet Union met in San Francisco in 1945. The result of their labors was the signing in June of that year of the Charter of the United Nations. By October 24, 1945 all original 51 members had ratified the Charter and to this day October 24 is celebrated as United Nation Day.
The idea of a European trading pact was first discussed in 1951. Its first area of concern was steel and coal trading. Over time it evolved to include 28 members and eventually became known as the European Union. For the purposes of trade it eliminates borders for the transmission of goods, people and technology.
Over the weekend, 45 stated that the European Union “Is a foe with what they have done to us on trade.”
It is impossible to know if any of these institutions have prevented any wars, but they have provided a voice to countries that might otherwise have been drowned out by their larger and more powerful neighbors. If only for this reason they have served mankind well. They can certainly be improved but if they are discredited, disparaged, and ridiculed to the point that people lose confidence in their effectiveness, then that semblance of order these institutions provide will be lost and chaos will rush into the void left by their demise.
After putting America first at the NATO summit and depositing Germany in its rightful place, it’s off to merry old England to meet with the Queen. Prior to his meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May, he said her plan to exit the European Union would “probably kill” any future trade deal with the US. He went on to say that her nemesis Boris Johnson would “make a great prime minister.”
American tradition dictates that the President should not inject himself into the political machinations of other countries. I suspect the reason for this is we would not take it well if other countries did it to us. Most Americans, with the exception of 45 are somewhat bothered by the Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
Citizens of the United States are not expected to bow to the Queen of England, but they should respect the traditions and rituals that accompany her position. Meeting her for the first time, I hope his advisers educated 45 on the correct protocols for meeting the longest reining monarch in the world. Apparently that either didn’t happen or as he is wont to do, he just played it off the cuff. The result was insulting too much of the English population.
Inspecting her military guard, 45 body-blocked the Queen by walking in front of her, something even her husband doesn’t do. Never mind the fact that she a 92 year old woman. Sigh.
One gets the sense that 45 was forced to endure these boring meeting with our European allies as a necessary evil prior to the main event. When do we get to Helsinki? Oh, the same day Vlad is watching a soccer game in Moscow, he will be here tomorrow. The President of the United States of America, waiting a full day for the leader of Russia is at best a scheduling mishap, and at worst Vlad showing who is really in charge here.
45 has assured us since the campaign that he would be tough on Russia. There was no way they would rather have him in the Oval Office than Hillary. Nobody would be as hard on Russia than 45.
We all saw on Monday how tough 45 is going to be on Russia. What we saw was embarrassing to our country, our allies and even though he can’t see it, embarrassing to our President. Make America Great Again? I don’t think so, not on Monday!
Above all else, our President’s deference to our most threatening adversary, was just plain sad.
