Hans Hermann Hoppe/Kremlintarianism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muzL7fMm6yM&lc=UgwPRkT7iJzDJQJhp254AaABAg
This is beyond idiotic.
It's extremely disappointing, as I've not only attended, but spoken at this conference. And I've held professor Hoppe in high regard. I'm Ukrainian American, and I lived in Ukraine for many years. What a disappointment.
- NATO Expansion? The US withdrew all its tanks from Germany in 2013, thinking they were no longer needed.
- The many millions of people of the Intermarium are not neutral on this subject. They know the hell on earth that Moscow creates, and prioritize protecting themselves against those monsters. They WANTED NATO.
- Countries have joined and left NATO peacefully. By contrast, Warsaw Pact countries were invaded by Russia when they tried to leave.
- Who the hell talks about "members" of the Soviet Union? Post-Soviet countries were not "members", they were "prisoners."
- Why doesn't Hoppe apply just 1% of the scrutiny he gives to Western governments to Russia? They've stated their goals for genocide of Ukrainians in their propaganda channels, and have carried out many genocides in their histories - Assyrians, and others.
- There was no coup in Ukraine. We threw off a corrupt Russian puppet who stole elections and MURDERED protesters.
- The Donbas voted > 80% to join independent Ukraine in 1991. All polls showed that the majority were pro Russian. 70% of 2014 refugees from Donbas fled to Ukraine. They include a handful of my friends and one former business partner.
- In Donbas, Russia used overwhelming violence against pro-Ukrainian protests in 2014. People were beaten and murdered by Russian thugs. There is no moral equivalence between the different sides.
- The Russian language was absolutely NOT outlawed in Ukraine. That is ridiculous, and completely untrue.
- Russia has been trying to annihilate Ukraine for 500 years.
- The Russians killed more people in Mariupol than were killed in Hiroshima. There is no equivalence between the American wars in the Middle East (which I've condemned and criticized elsewhere). Yes, the reaction against Russians (many of whom cheerlead the worst brutality) and against Putin was strong. I would hope it would be.
- The US never rubbled entire cities in Iraq. And we took extraordinary pains to avoid civilian casualties. I know. I was there.
Addendum:
- Conflating language (ie. Russian speakers) with national loyalty is ridiculous. It's like saying the Irish want to be part of England because they all speak English. There are better indicators of the sentiments in Eastern Ukraine: 1) countless polls which ask the question directly. 2) The fact that Russia has found it necessary to wipe Russian-speaking Ukrainian cities off the face of the Earth. 3) The fact that almost all refugees from Kharkiv flee 1000km to Western Ukraine or Europe instead of 30km to Russia. The argument is intellectually and morally bankrupt.
- What has Mises said about Russia?
"Of course, even among the Russian people there are some who do not share this attitude. It is only to be regretted that they have not been able to prevail over their compatriots. Ever since Russia was first in a position to exercise an influence on European politics, it has continually behaved like a robber who lies in wait for the moment when he can pounce upon his victim and plunder him of his possessions. At no time did the Russian Czars acknowledge any other limits to the expansion of their empire than those dictated by the force of circumstances. The position of the Bolsheviks in regard to the problem of the territorial expansion of their dominions is not a whit different. They too acknowledge no other rule than that, in the conquest of new lands, one may and indeed must go as far as one dares, with due regard to one’s resources. The fortunate circumstance that saved civilization from being destroyed by the Russians was the fact that the nations of Europe were strong enough to be able successfully to stand off the onslaught of the hordes of Russian barbarians. The experiences of the Russians in the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, and the Turkish campaign of 1877-78 showed them that, in spite of the great number of their soldiers, their army is unable to seize the offensive against Europe. The World War merely confirmed this." from Liberalism: In the Classical Tradition, 3. Liberal Foreign Policy
