More on the Chamberlin / appeasement trope, this time from Glenn Greenwald
This same mindset -- even, in some cases, the very same individuals -- now launching the "Chamberlain/appeasement" insult even viewed Ronald Reagan that way because he negotiated and signed treaties with the Soviets and tried to find ways to avoid constant wars. The Cold War didn't end with wars on the Soviets but with engagement of them and treaties with them, signed by the Neville Chamberlain of the 1980s, Ronald Reagan. Those who considered Reagan a Chamberlain appeaser back then were radicals and extremists (and were viewed as such). They still are extremists, but they also happen to be the ones guiding the dominant political party in our country and they don't just want to prolong the war in Iraq but want several new wars (at least). That ought to be the principal issue in this election.
Its worth pointing out that as Bush's Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney often counseled against negotiating with Gorbachev, going so far as to suggest that his perestroika program was merely a ruse designed to convince us to lower our guard. In fact, even as the Berlin Wall tumbled, he continued to argue against moderating our Cold War policies. Apparently he hasn't learned anything from his past mistakes.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
