In the 1980’s, jailed USSR dissidents heard the recordings of President Ronald Reagan extolling the virtues of democracy and the calls for the Berlin Wall to come down.
Today, the government-run Russian media plays the Tucker Carlson show that questions why would Americans hate Vladimir Putin.
There was a time when disagreements on U.S. foreign policy ended at our waters. Much like the rest of the political landscape, that has changed in the years since Reagan lived in the White House.
But New Jerseyans may be wondering: Why do the actions in Eastern Europe between Russia and Ukraine matter to me?
It starts with the women and men hailing from North Jersey who may be called upon to defend the western border that is shared by NATO member Poland. While a remote possibility, the threat to our allies exists and we must be read to respond.
That is followed by the new frontier in battle, a cyber attack—an issue highlighted by both Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Gov. Phil Murphy. Colonial Pipeline, an oil pipeline system carrying gasoline and jet fuel mainly to the Southeastern part of the nation, suffered a ransomware cyber attack just last year that impacted computerized equipment managing the pipeline. The hack led to 17 states having a temporary gas shortage last Spring.
Hacking is not just a private sector concern but one that local, state and federal government agencies have to be ready for. Imagine as retaliation for the economic sanctions put in place that foreign adversaries gained access to the Defense Departments plans to help Ukraine, CIA assets in Russia, or control of the power grid to a large American city. The damage is incalculable.
The most immediate effect is the one already being felt—the rise in energy prices. With the Saudi’s and other Arab countries refusing to increase output, the price of gas at the pump has increased by a quarter in the last month and is expected to continue to rise.
But the biggest reason is that the pain it is causing our friends and family of Ukrainian descent that we live and work with.
North Jersey is the home to the Ukrainian National Association, which publishes the Ukrainian Weekly, formerly based in Jersey City before recently relocating to Parsippany. Hudson County is estimated to be home to roughly 3,000 Ukrainians, served by two churches in Bayonne and a church, community center and credit union in Jersey City. Their communities, with large swaths in Passaic, Clifton and Whippany as well, include both families who emigrated generations ago and newcomers.
There are national concerns that should be atop the list for North Jersey residents as well. The lead item is a democratic country being overrun by another country just because it wanted to. Make no mistake, there were no justifications for Russian President Vladimir Putin to order troops into Ukraine.
And while we are a weary country from our two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, we can not shrink from our role on the world stage. The U.S. must continue to work with our allies to confront injustice around the globe.
The arguments at home should be how severe and the effectiveness of President Joe Biden’s actions, not if we should. Russia is lead by a murderous authoritarian who must be confronted and aid must be provided to countries that share our democratic values.
It is a stand that we must make today and for the future.
How is it possible that the editors of NJ.com could be so clueless and tone deaf about every major issue.
Nato should have ceased to exist after the USSR fell apart. The only reason NATO continues to exist is so companies and special interests in the military industrial complex can sell weapons and make money maintaining military bases.
if western countries and the corrupt Biden family hadnt proppped up NATO and the authoritarian Ukranian government, Russia would never had taken the action it just took
This whole situation is the fault of the US foreign policy establisshment and they are too cowardly to admit their failures so they just keep doubling down. Its very similar to the failed government efforts to mitigate covid
Its astonishing that this news organisation could be so utterly misinformed and clueless or biased
You’re misinformed and wrong in your views. History has shown that USSR and Russia citizens are not free to vote and thus exist in a dictatorship. These dictators have, and are not interested, in abiding by reasonable norms or laws. Thus, one day you will be facing an unfair opponent and by then its too late when a gun is pointed at you or your family.
WELL;WELL;WELL; AGAIN; What we are seeing here is: “The Pot Calling the Kettle Black.” Russia was FORCED Into this act 0f Self Preservation’s!! The Ukraine had many 0pportunity’s to resolve these differences by sitting down in Candid 0pen discussion’s with Russia!! AND; China urged such negotiations, while some countries offered to act as mediators to facilitate a Peaceful Conclusion!! BUT; Other Agenda Driven Interest are Basking with Glee 0ver such results!! NOW! Russia must NOT be BACKED Into that Proverbial Wall & Given every 0pprtunity to achieve a Peaceful 0ut come!!//
1,000,000 ^. After two years of a now-collapsing Covid narrative, the MSM needs a new scapegoat for the disastrous policies of the socialist/Marxist Biden regime. Hence, we now get non-stop “coverage” of the Ukrainian conflict from the highly compromised (and widely distrusted) MSM.
For the record, while Ukraine exhibits some characteristics of a democracy, it operates more as an oligarchy and is acknowledged as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. It is alleged to be a lucrative piggy bank for corrupt U.S. politicians (both Ds and Rs), including the Biden family. How? The U.S. sends our tax dollars to Ukraine, then the oligarchs (after taking their cut) peel off a slice to return to politically connected individuals like Hunter Biden. (Remember Hunter’s $50,000 per month consulting gig for a business about which he admits he knows nothing?) That’s why they went ballistic when Trump encouraged the Ukrainians to investigate Biden–which might have exposed the whole rotten scam.
Putin is certainly no choir boy, but what would the U.S. do if Russia compelled, say, Canada and Mexico to join a Russian defense organization, as the U.S. has done with all of Russia’s neighbors? When the Biden regime, George Soros, Sean Penn, perennial war-mongering Neocons, and the entire MSM are all vilifying Russia’s actions, then my Spidey-senses tell me to beware the prevailing narrative.