THE HUNGARY GAMES

Most people know about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. There was a nationwide revolution against the Hungarian People’s Republic, which was a puppet of the Soviet Union. It did not end well.

If you look this up in Wikipedia it says the following:

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 – Wikipedia

Initially appearing open to negotiating a withdrawal of Soviet forces, the Politburo changed its mind and moved to crush the revolution. On 4 November, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest and other regions of the country. The Hungarian resistance continued until 10 November. Over 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed in the conflict, and 200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees. In Austria, large refugee camps were constructed from which emigration to other countries was arranged for the many refugees who escaped across the border prior to the military closure.[7] Mass arrests and denunciations continued for months thereafter. By January 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition. These Soviet actions, while strengthening control over the Eastern Bloc, alienated many Western Marxists, leading to splits and/or considerable losses of membership for communist parties in capitalist states.

These facts are true, but they are not the entire story. President Eisenhower was caught in a dilemma. If he intervened to save Hungary, some felt there was risk of a nuclear war. That was something Eisenhower would not risk. But the Soviet Union was terrified at the prospect of intervention by the U.S. After all, Eisenhower was the General who had ordered the D Day invasion. This was a man who could make a serious decision. The Soviet Union feared and respected him. There is a report, unconfirmed, that there was a Soviet Spy buried deep in the Eisenhower administration. We do not know that for sure, but we do know that Eisenhower decided not to intervene in Hungary. Once word about that decision reached Moscow, they attacked within hours. The rest is history, very brutal and disgusting history.

More recently, Russia again flexed its muscles during the George W. Bush administration. The following article in Slate explains what happened regarding Georgia during 2008.

The Bush administration’s feckless response to the Russian invasion of Georgia. (slate.com)

“ It’s heartbreaking, but even more infuriating, to read so many Georgians quoted in the New York Times—officials, soldiers, and citizens—wondering when the United States is coming to their rescue. It’s infuriating because it’s clear that Bush did everything to encourage them to believe that he would. When Bush (properly) pushed for Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, Putin warned that he would do the same for pro-Russian secessionists elsewhere, by which he could only have meant Georgia’s separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Putin had taken drastic steps in earlier disputes over those regions—for instance, embargoing all trade with Georgia—with an implicit threat that he could inflict far greater punishment. Yet Bush continued to entice Saakashvili with weapons, training, and talk of entry into NATO. Of course, the Georgians believed that if they got into a firefight with Russia, the Americans would bail them out. “

A cease fire was signed on August 5, 2008. Russia “partially” withdrew troops from Georgia. Russia recognized the “independent” states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Today, Georgia still considers these “republics” to be under military occupation by Russia.

In February of 2014, thousands of extra soldiers were quietly sent into bases located in Crimea. Civilian “volunteers” also arrived. Before the Obama administration knew what was happening, the Russian invasion was successful, and Russia annexed Crimea.

Russia officially annexes Crimea away from Ukraine with signature from Vladimir Putin – CBS News

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Friday completing his country’s annexation of Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula which voted overwhelmingly less than a week earlier to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.

Russia did not even attempt to annex territory while Trump was President. In addition, Salon, which hated Trump, recommended the exact action taken by Trump to control Russia.

“In the long term, the best way to take Russia down a notch (along with Iran, Venezuela, and other hostile powers overflowing with oil money) is to pursue policies and fund technologies that slash the demand for oil. The Georgia crisis should make clear, if it isn’t already, that this is a matter of hard-headed national security.”

Salon was wrong about one thing. The world needs oil and trying to change this with renewable energy is a fool’s errand. Trump realized that and pursued policies that made the U.S. energy independent. In 2019, the U.S. was Energy Independent for the first time since 1957:

The United States Was Energy Independent in 2019 for the First Time Since 1957 – IER (instituteforenergyresearch.org)

Sadly, Biden changed things immediately. He cancelled the Keystone Pipeline and made it clear he intends to stop fracking. That sound you heard in the background was the cheering by those surrounding Vladimir Putin. Putin is also certain to be terrified by a transgender U.S. military. Now that the greatest threat to Russia has been thrown away, Russia is flexing its military muscle again. Russian troops are already gathering at the border with Ukraine.  One thing is clear, Russia is not impressed by Joe Biden. We do not know what will or will not happen in Ukraine, but we do know that Joe Biden is absolutely worthless in addressing this crisis.

We should have learned our lesson from Hungary, but those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Sadly, while the liberal left accused Trump, falsely, of being a Russian puppet, Joe Biden is the one dancing to their favorite tunes. This is unlikely to end well.

TDM