US is a bad ally to have. We always double cross.

for the US Senate as a republican.

Pretty much the same thing.

Alliances with countries like Poland are good for our economic interests, as well as for the economic interests of a few wealthy Poles I'm sure. As far as military concerns go, however, all we could really do if Russia attacked Poland (all we could do which might stop them) would be to use tactical nuclear weapons.

In other words, there is nothing acceptable and effective that we could do.

Poland is now a NATO member country, which means we would defend them to the fullest extent possible.

More than just tactical nukes- we would deploy anything and everything to their defense. We have to.

Besides, they signed a deal to buy F-16's.
You think our defense contractors would let them go down?

Not a chance.

We could deploy, but deploying is not the same as stopping the Russian forces. If Moscow really wanted Poland, we could not hope to stop them with our conventional forces alone. Were they willing to make the sacrifices required, only our nuclear weapons would be able to prevent them from seizing anything in eastern Europe they really wanted.

Our military is now constituted for the missions of fighting terrorists, defending middle east oil patches and keeping the World's sea lanes open. We no longer even have an army capable of fighting a major land war against a powerful, well equipped enemy, especially not one who is on his home ground, in the middle of the Eurasian land mass.

We would not even arrive with a creditable force before the fighting was over. Are you expecting Germany, France and England to go to war with Russia over eastern Europe? NATO or no NATO, I have serious doubts they would.

There are no longer tactical battlefield nukes in the US arsenal. The artillery and demolition charges went away under Reagan and Powell. The Air Force stuff is dial-a-yield, and maybe could be used tactically, but they are likely reserved as strategic weapons.

After disarming, of course.

Maybe Poland didn't get all the oil they had bargained for when they cut a deal to join the Iraq War.

I don't really feel sorry for him. It's been over twenty years since the Cold War ended. Why can't Eastern Europe form their own Goddamn defense pact against the Russians if they're so afraid of them? I'm really sick of these countries all reliant on the US for everything.

More like good hygiene.

I agree that it's time for a different defense arrangement. I do not agree with the, umm, smart diplomacy that creates trust failure.

...that it took this long to figure out.

- K&R

Or should I say, crawling.

He can go pound sand.

I'm sure they could get their hands on them if they wanted to.

Although Poland isn't the worst offender.

maybe they are worth something to the 1%ers, but not to you and I.