Everyone's propaganda machines are pumping at full volume, the Americans are much better at it than the Russians. So rather than worrying about the source of an idea, let's just discuss on the merits.

I responded to another post on this same article about whether NATO expansion eastward was a threat to Russia. Basically it boils down to the fact that YOU may not think it is threatening, but they do and that's really all that matters. I take them at their word on this matter. They've repeated their concern many times over the last thirty years and they have some cause.

Imagine you are a Russia general around the time of the fall of the Soviet Union. You look at the map of Europe and all the NATO states are colored in blue. As the years go by, more countries start to turn blue one by one until pretty much all of them are blue.

What are you to make of that? Historically these people have not be very friendly to Russia. Germany gave it a go back in the '40s and managed to murder tens of millions of Russians, after all. Would you (be honest, now!) seriously look at this sea of blue and shrug your shoulders? "Meh, it's just a defensive alliance! What could go wrong?"

If you think the massive expansion of a "defensive alliance" aimed at your country is no big deal, you have no business being a general or a president of Russia. And if a Russian president DID ignore it, he would be deposed and replaced with someone smarter and with Russia's true interests at heart.

You would have to have rocks in your head not to be fearful of it. America is an extremely aggressive and extremely powerful country that has spent the 75 years since WW2 fighting and bombing countries all over the world. Not one person in a thousand could remember and name thm all. We've killed millions and we have used nukes on a civilian population. Nothing could be more fearsome than that, and America is the chief country in NATO.

If you are on America's shitlist and you're NOT afraid of America, you're going to win the Darwin award.

Your other points are more agreeable. I did read that Russia asked to join NATO, perhaps as a peace offering or perhaps as a joke. I can't tell which. Clinton seemed surprised at the offer and refused. What would NATO be an alliance against if Russia was part of NATO?

And perhaps more importantly, why would NATO nations buy American weapons if there was no enemy to guard against?

Finland does indeed have some reason to worry about Russia, especially since they showed their cards and asked for the alliance. My amateur assessment is that Russia will leave them alone because they are not a threat...so long as they stay out of NATO.

I do agree that Putin is a nationalist who wants to restore Russia's place in the world and make her great again. He is the most skillful leader they've had in a century, although perhaps that's not saying much when you look at his competition.

But is he and his successors going to embark on wars of conquest? My feeling is no. And even if it was "yes" bluntly it is not our problem. We cannot save the whole world and we should not try. We should leave Finland and Sweden out of NATO and admit no new members. Come to terms in Ukraine, establish neutrality in that place and in Finland and Sweden.

If Russia attacks a NATO country, well then maybe we all just nuke each other and get it over with. Hopefully Russia understands that. Until then, armageddon can wait.