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Obama's Win: 'Somehow, Poland will Have to Live with it' (Rzeczpospolita, Poland)

"Mr. Romneys declarations gave us more hope - but he lost. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama has a long track record of failing to satisfy Polish desires. ... Two Americancombat brigades will disappear from Europe, and the remaining ground forces will be unable to effectively support its NATO allies, one of whom, perhaps Poland, will eventually be attacked. As if that isn't enough, Mr. Obama has also announced cuts to military spending. On this matter, he will definitely keep his word."

By Andrzej Talaga

Translated By Agnieszka Gosiewska

November 9, 2012

Poland  Rzeczpospolita  Original Article (Polish)

2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney: There is a reason it is unwise for outsiders to pick favorites in U.S. presidential elections. Poles today may be thinking they backed the wrong horse. RUSSIA TODAY NEWS VIDEO: After Obama wins, world watches for policy shift, Nov. 7, 00:05:59

In the American presidential election, Mr. Obama won. But for the fact that we cannot expect any change in Polish-American relations, it is no tragedy for Poland. Mr. Romneys declarations gave us more hope - but he lost. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama has a long track record of failing to satisfy Polish desires. This we find on issues like security and the more symbolic issue of American visas for Poles.

The worst matters fall under the first category. According to the America's new defense doctrine announced by Obama, the U.S. is shifting its forces and resources to the Pacific. Two combat brigades will disappear from Europe, and the remaining ground forces will be unable to effectively support its NATO allies, one of whom, perhaps Poland, will eventually be attacked. As if that isn't enough, Mr. Obama has also announced cuts to military spending. On this matter, he will definitely keep his word.

Posted by Worldmeets.US

Romney recognized Russia as a strategic adversary of the United States, then softened his position, but Obama had no cause to do any such thing. For him, Russia is barely a regional power, located far down the list of U.S. problems. It doesn't cause America too much trouble, except perhaps in Syria, but in any case, Washington has no plans to intervene there.

Therefore, when it comes to disputes with Moscow, we should not count on U.S. support, even with the Smolensk investigation or our efforts to maintain the post-Soviet states of the Visegrád Group, which are outside Moscows sphere of influence. This marks the end of any illusions we may have had. The Visegrád Group will not feature as an important issue in American politics. In fact, it will not even be a distant priority.

[Editor's Note: The Visegrád Group is the post-Cold War successor of the Intermarium, which was a group of nations that formed after World War I to dismember the Soviet Union, i.e., to deny it its East European conquests. Since the end of the Cold war, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, in an effort to better integrate with the European Union, have formed the Visegrád Group.]

Republican think tanks have suggested a stronger U.S. alliance with Poland and a transfer of American military technology to the Vistula [Poland's longest waterway]. While such imperatives weren't part of Romneys official electoral agenda, we could have pressed for it if he had won and played on Polish fondness for America. Alas, this turned out to be impossible.

We have had to deal with Obama before, and we have to do so again. Somehow, we have to try and live with it.

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