Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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American news reporting about the intention of Sweden and Finland to join NATO lacks historical perspective.
Without this, one naturally thinks it makes sense for them to extend their defensive capabilities by obtaining the assistance of other nations.
However, democracies obtain safety from violent neighbors not by inflaming their insecurities but by announcing friendship with all, and military alliance with none, as America did in its first 130 years.
A democracy defends itself on its own because it has natural pride and morale, while tyrannies and monarchies lack military staying power. That is why Ukraine is doing so well today and Russia so poorly.
Switzerland famously avoided the horrors of World Wars I and II by maintaining strict but armed neutrality.
The U.S. is giving bad advice to Finland and Sweden, as it did to Ukraine. Our advice is good for war industries and politicians lagging in the polls, but bad for peace and democracy.
