I have to reply to Marc Thiessen’s opinion column, “Trump can shut down critics with a bold move east” (July 24, The Columbian). His idea of moving U.S. troops to Poland must be disingenuous. Poland was part of the Warsaw Pact. President Trump would never slap his benefactor in the face. Why? No more money for failed projects! Germany is forbidden by treaty to have a large military. This has had side benefits: universal healthcare, great retiree benefits, modern infrastructure, leader in clean energy. Germans won’t give up these to buy items for killing.
Russia is a cyber threat, not a military threat. This is much easier and much less costly than a large bloated military force. They’ve shown how successful they can be with it. Their military may be large in number, but their weapons are obsolete. It is my understanding that most of the ballistic missile submarines are in need of major repairs.
I find the argument about the pipeline confusing and a lot of double talk. Russia’s only real source of income is fossil fuels. No one buys anything they make.
As far as worrying about the welfare of our allies in Western or Eastern Europe, I thought we were cutting them loose.
