Cyrill Vatomsky, Where All Politics Are Global

I just came back from an exciting and always invigorating Memorial Day weekend trip to London, only to read an interview with Economist's Edward Lucas at Marginalia blog. I spent quite some time there in wandering around town, ST. Paul, Westminster Abbey, looking among other things at memorials to those perished over the XX-th century. Beds of red poppies in England always produce bitter sweet butterflies in my stomach. What Sacrifice!

You want scary? Here is your scary thought for the week from Edward Lucas:

It is scary not because of how imposing, assertive and in the long run, aggressive Russia has become. There is a cold chill of Munich and betrayal of Poland oozing from this sentiment. Will The West betray the Balts again?

On the emotional level, the first reaction is resentment. These countries are all NATO members. This can't be. US and UK will not forget and forgo NATO members, even if Europe will. And European Union is different from NATO, isn't it?

But then I look at the rise of petty isolationism, the rise of petty nationalistic temper tantrums in the US both on the left and on the right and realize that if these people ever get to power in the USA, they will forgo the Balts just like they want to forgo Iraqi people now and cut and run in the face of difficulties or, in most cases of the left - for petty political gains.

The West owes Eastern Europe big time. Abandoning them to the USSR allowed the West to recover, flourish and eventually reclaim therm back peacefully, but lives of generations were lost. Only the first half of my life was lost in the USSR but the feeling of loss is quite strong nonetheless, believe me.

Even during these proudest of moments, while reflecting on previous sacrifices we should never forget that they will mean nothing if more sacrifices are not made because the work has not been finished. Resting on laurels of others will get us nowhere. Call this pompous all you will. I will raise you your petty cynicism.

I do hope what Lucas is warning about will never come to pass.