[TheRealThing]

The former Soviet Union was a truly vast empire. Their eastern border went from the Baltic Sea, through Berlin and down the eastern border of the Czech Republic, and engulfing all of the Ukraine down to the Black Sea, then it got a little complicated at the Caspian Sea and the eastern borders of all of the What's-It's-Stans , LOL. Russia came very close to putting Afghanistan in her quiver as well when they invaded in 1980, and since that time Iran has remained under heavy Russian influence. Off to the west, the only thing separating the western shores of the former USSR and the State of Alaska is the Bering Strait.

To the south, had Russia been successful in Annexing Afghanistan, they could have easily bought the affections of Iran who hates America and everything she stands for. That would have given Russia uncontested control of both sides of the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman. So, not only would we have had to buy our oil through watchful Russian interests but, Russia would have had access to the high seas of the Southern Hemisphere and would have likely controlled the Suez Canal to boot. The military community of the day was very justifiably horrified, as the feckless Carter Administration (ironically itself in the throes of an oil shortage) was content to watch Russia work in Afghanistan. In short, under dovish Jimmy Carter, America almost ceded Russia control of a vast portion of the globe. We dodged the bullet that time. This time, though the circumstances are not as grim, our chances to affect a rightful outcome in the Ukraine are much better, as it is America who holds all the cards. The problem may be the guy holding those cards.

So, can Russia regain her former greatness? Maybe, maybe (probably) not. But, as of last weekend, the Crimean Peninsula is certainly back in the Russian fold. Therefore when the La-La's try to say that this all means nothing, remember the ramifications posed had Afghanistan actually fallen in the Carter Era. That in part, is why we didn't sit on our hands when things heated up in Afghanistan the last time. And we'd do well to remember. Under George W, 575 American soldiers were KIA. Under Barrack Obama there has so far been 1,681 KIA, the vast majority of those being due to the ridiculous rules of engagement foisted upon them by present administration bleeding hearts.

I did notice a pattern with regard to our president however. On the campaign trail in 2008, he promised everybody everything. It would be belly up to the bar time for all Americans, (except the rich of course, we hate those jerks, LOL). Since his election, gifts for votes are wide open. Illegal immigrants will get amnesty and a full range of entitlements, government, labor and teacher unions, will continue to get the red carpet treatment, the global warming insane, let's call them weather-wackos, will be sated as the war on fossil fuels rages on. And, let's be honest about ObamaCare, the reason the administration doesn't give a flip whether or not the payment end of HealthCare.Gov works or not, is because folks are going to be given ObamaCare at first and we'll "true up" at a later time. That would be after, the American taxpayer has spent their trillions to get the whole mess up and running. Similarly, we screwed Poland to give Putin the gift of no NATO based ground interceptors, and he has laughed at us.