Never learning from old mistakes.
GAFFNEY: Betraying America to placate Russia
New concessions to Moscow would hamstring U.S. security
Franklin Delano Roosevelt should have described Nov. 16, 1933, as a day that will live in infamy. As syndicated columnist Diana West notes in her splendid new book, “American Betrayal,” that date marked the beginning of a sustained and odious practice of our government lying to us about the Russians. It appears that the Obama administration is determined to perpetrate a reprise of this practice. Call it “American Betrayal 2.0.”
According to Ms. West, the betrayal syndrome began when FDR normalized relations with the Soviet Union on the basis of a written promise from the Kremlin not to subvert the United States. Of course, the Soviets lied. For years thereafter, so did our own government — with horrific effects — by insisting the Soviets were reliable
friends and even wartime allies.
Does this sound familiar? Today, Team Obama is engaging in its own, serial and disastrous betrayals — from promising Americans that they can keep their health care to a deal that will allow Iran to keep its nuclear-weapons program. Two others regarding the Russians warrant special attention.
First, The New York Times reported on the 80th anniversary of the infamous normalization deal (without, of course, noting the irony) that the U.S. Department of State was beavering away at a new arrangement that would allow a half-dozen Russian facilities to be installed across the United States. Ostensibly, these sites would be used to help the Kremlin build out and operate its so-called Glonass satellite system, a counterpart to and competitor with America’s Global Positioning System (GPS).
