Thursday, February 19, 2015

Zbig on Morning Joe

The best thing about "Morining Joe" is when Mika's Dad, Zbigniew Brzeznski appears.  He makes more sense than almost anyone else pontificating on TV.  Today he warned that the US should do everything it can to avoid being perceived in the Middle East and remaining colonial power hated by all who lived under colonialism for the past 100 or so years.  Many in the US seem determined to take on this mantel.  Robin Wright warned against being sucked into defending the artificial Middle Eastern boundaries created by the West after WW I.  The problem with this is that tearing up old borders and creating new ones may lead to more violence than trying to maintain the old ones.  Look at what is going on in Ukraine, where the Russians are trying to establish new boundaries.

It's too bad Joe or Mika did not ask Zbig about Ukraine.  As Pole, this has got to be an issue that is close to his heart and that is perhaps more difficult for him to be objective about.  After all, western Ukraine used to be an important part of Poland.  The borders of poor Poland have moved east or west over the centuries, depending on which power was predominant (Russia or Germany), and who won the last war.

On the Middle East, Mika asked her dad about Netanyahu's address to Congress.  Zbig correctly said that this invitation was a terrible idea.  It was an attempt to undercut Obama's policy and negotiations on Iran.  It was an attack by the Congress on the President.  Joe said it was a diplomatic response; Katy Kay said it was pretty strong.  I think it was a strong rejection of the Republican effort.

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