Historian’s Corner

Victor Davis HansonHistorian’s Corner Afghanistan How does one destroy Afghanistan in a matter of days? How could anyone just abandon a new $1 billion embassy, a huge $300 million refitted Bagram air base, and $50-70 billion in military equipment to the Taliban? How could a president virtually destroy U.S. deterrence at a time when Russia […]

Victor Davis Hanson Historian’s Corner Critics of the Biden administration have a difficult time assessing motive, given the inexplicable suicidal nature of Biden’s chaotic policies. How could a kind, sane, or capable man do such things since January 20, 2021? Americans know the effects of his disastrous first 14 months but argue over the causes for

Victor Davis HansonHistorian’s Corner 8. History. It is critical to cite historical exempla. So by all means we need to learn of the tortured 500-year relationship between Ukraine and Russia. Remind us that Army Group South slaughtered 5-million Russians, including somewhere between 500,000 to 1 million Ukrainians during Operation Barbarossa. Do not forget Erich von

Victor Davis HansonHistorian’s Corner Here are three more paradoxes and pitfalls to be avoided in the Ukraine War. 5. Zelensky has a right to feel furious that he cannot stop the aerial bombardment of his nation, and the ease so far with which Russian missiles and bombs flatten his cities. It may indeed be wise

Victor Davis Hanson Historian’s Corner We hear daily dozens of Ukrainian war contradictions. One news show seems at odds on the war with the one following it—which is healthy. Corrupt CNN suddenly believes it is George Patton. MSNBC sounds like Uncle Billy Sherman marching through Georgia, furious that we are not triggering World War III

Victor Davis HansonHistorian’s Corner C. Analysis. So why is the Left Saber-rattling? There are four choices, and they are not mutually exclusive: The Left knows that Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden serially appeased Putin. They privately accept that his invasion of Ukraine is a manifestation of their own efforts that weakened U.S. deterrence that

Victor Davis HansonHistorian’s Corner A. The Record of Leftwing Appeasement Consider the following. From 2009 until the recent present, the Left did the following: Appeased Vladimir Putin with “reset.” This included both the relevant laxity toward Russia—inviting Russia into the Middle East, bringing it into the Iran Nuclear Deal discussions, the Obama hot mic revelation,

Victor Davis Hanson Historian’s Corner Alternative View #4: Paleo Putin Wait a minute. Putin is a dictator, yes, but have we recently cut off all dictators? Xi? The Saudi royal family? Castro, Inc.? The ayatollahs? At least Putin does not desecrate Christianity. At least Russians do not make apologies for their own country. Who fought

Victor Davis Hanson Historian’s Corner There are four schools of conservative thought in Ukraine. Alternative View #1: Realist Deterrence Putin is a thug—period. Putin violated global norms. Putin is getting thousands killed for some stupid irredentist dream of restoring a lost Russian Empire. So, he must be deterred. He must be stopped. He must be

Victor Davis Hanson Historian’s Corner Have We Learned Anything from Ukraine? 6) We have a 79-year-old impaired president and a vice president who is cogent but scarier. The former was nominated by the Democrats’ late primary season terror of woke candidates, the latter was the woke payoff for Biden’s nomination. Both nonentities likely convince Putin