If you've never heard of the 'Reagan Doctrine' and have no idea how its application helped to bring about the collapse of the Soviet Union, then a new film 'Charlie Wilson's War' starring Tom Hanks might just encourage you to read your history a bit closer.
The chief architect of the Reagan Doctrine was Dr. Jack Wheeler -- adventurer, freedom fighter and Aristotelian scholar -- who notes in this fascinating interview [pdf] that the Doctrine "was launched in the early 1980s, at a time it seemed almost inconceivable that the Soviet Union would ever collapse, much less quickly, within 8 short years. But our analysis showed that the structure of the Soviet Empire, including the Soviet Union itself, was brittle... which is why the result of the stress placed upon it by the Reagan Doctrine was that the Soviet Union shattered virtually overnight."
Charlie Wilson was Wheeler's friend, a principled anti-communist and the guy who ran the crucial Afghanistan section of the operation. Of the film Wheeler says "it is both true and not true, magnificent and ludicrous at the same time," and concludes,
caveats aside, I am so glad this movie was made. It is so much better than the book, which is hopelessly permeated with hyper-liberal prejudice. It is wonderful that the world knows about this extraordinary man, knows what a hero Charlie Wilson is.
The movie overplays his flamboyance as much as the décolletage of his staff...
The moral lesson of the movie should be a very sobering one for the Democrat Party. Charlie Wilson was proudly and unashamedly a Pro-American, Anti-Communist Democrat. His heroism should be a deep embarrassment to the party of Pelosi Galore and Lost Harry Reid, the party who apologizes for America's existence and has neither the spine nor will to defend her.
The Democrat Party - indeed, America - needs more Charlie Wilsons. I will always have the greatest respect for what he did for our country, and I will always treasure his friendship.
Read Wheeler's full review here at his ToThePoint News.
4 comments:
I read a good book by Bob Woodward in the late 1980s about the war in Afghanistan that the CIA was at the forefront of that war. They trained the mujahadeen and supplied them with weapons, especially the stingers that were so effective in downing Russians fighters and attack choppers. It has been widely mentioned that one of the reason the Soviets were losing that war because of the stingers.
Bob Woodward's book, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987 about William Casey , (the CIA Director during Reagan - It was Casey's war). Charlie Wilson's frequent trips to Afghanistan (briefly mentioned in the book) were done on the guidance of the CIA operatives and their Afghan informants. I am keen to see this movie when it comes out.
Yes, well said, Falafulu, I was going to post about that book by Woodward earlier, but had to pop out to a meeting.
Yes, Bob Woodward (with his usual Anti-American fantasy world) is highly critical of Wilson's activities...just typical!
Pelosi Galore
Someone deserves a slap for tainting my memory of the sublime Honor Blackman in Goldfinger with that unfortunate image. :)
Russia's fall had more to do with sabotaged pipleline equipment we sold them, that blew up and cut off their natural gas supply and not very much to do with Afghanistan.
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