Soap Box

*NOTE* While Charlie is still on vacation and working on his next book, he's mostly been doing just one new soapbox a week, so here's a soapbox rewind from 2012 about the threat of Russia. - TeamCDB

I recently wrote an article for this column questioning the ability of Barack Obama to redesign our military and feel that my apprehensions are well founded.

Some have questioned my reasoning and I will respond,

First of all, in my humble opinion, in spite of all his posturing and rhetoric, I'm not sure Obama and his cabinet really like the military all that much and secondly, also in my humble opinion I believe they are extremely naive in assessing the dangers to America when it comes to our enemies, declared and undeclared.

Again, in my humble opinion anybody who ever swallowed the line that we had heard the last of Russia when the Berlin Wall came down is dreaming. I have never believed that Russia was going to be content to be the second or third-rate military power in the world.

Now the Russian Bear is growling and showing its teeth again and I'm sure they're extremely happy about Obama pruning back America's military power. Just wait and see if they reciprocate by cutting back theirs.

I know Obama and his ilk would argue with me but I will go on record now, the powers that be in Russia are still enemies of The United States of America and when and if they consider us to be weak enough they will use any slight provocation they can find to face us down with threats of military action

Early example, any act of aggression against Iran will be considered an act of aggression against a Russian ally.

There is deep resentment in the Russian power structure over the breakup of the Soviet Union and the loss of influence in Eastern Europe; in fact, it is viewed as humiliation

The facts are plain and simple. Ronald Reagan built our military to the point that a top heavy (I'll explain that in a minute) Soviet Union could not keep up, so they allow Germany to reunite and loosen their hold on Eastern Europe and the Baltic States as if in acts of good faith that they were ready to renounce communism and embrace democracy.

I have always thought and am more convinced than ever that what Russia did in the Gorbachev days with Perestroika and the other seemingly Western-friendly overtures were nothing more than a ruse to take the incessant pressure off of Russia to keep up with America and get some breathing space to rebuild their military.

When I say top heavy I am referring to the cost of trying to keep a modern, well-equipped Army have enough secret police to keep an eye on all the deprived citizens, maintain enough prisons to retain all the dissidents and occupy the vast territories they claimed.

They simply couldn't do it and the first signs of the system coming apart were in places like Cuba where they left Fidel Castro high and dry with a hungry population and no market for his sugar.

Then the first panels of the Berlin Wall were pushed over, the big deception was on and an unsuspecting West swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

The real Russian power never had any intentions of becoming a real democracy and the Russian economy was taken over by hoodlums and crooks who made billions of rubles and kicked back a portion to the government officials who protected them, it was only the millions of unfortunate citizens who lived at the bottom of the food chain that suffered.

No wonder they never thought democracy was working, the politicians and crooks skimmed the cream off the top, and there was no trickle down.

The KGB never disbanded, they just changed the name and they are just as formidable as ever and, the current leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin is a former officer.

As Russia rebuilds her military and domestic political power and gathers more influence in the world petroleum market they will become more and more belligerent.

And as America's military and political influence wanes under a weak and bewildered president I predict that Russian adventurism and intransigence will increase.

No matter what the American media says, no matter how rosy Obama and previous administrations may try to paint it, Russia is not our friend, they never have been, the truth be known, they would like nothing better than to see us become an impotent military power, unwilling and unable to influence world events.

We need to start re-evaluating our friends and act accordingly when we dole out foreign aid. Pakistan and Egypt come to mind.

Why just bring our troops home, why not bring our money home too?

That way we could spend it on our military, not theirs.

Pray for our troops

What do you think?

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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