In light of 50 years of bondage of Eastern Europe, [invading the Soviet Union in 1948 to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons] was probably a reasonable thing to do.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Rice defends a historical military action against the Soviet Union as reasonable given fifty years of Eastern European bondage.
- In plain terms
- She says invading to stop nukes was reasonable due to decades of oppression nearby.
- What can you take from it?
- Historical actions may be justified by long-term security threats.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is preventive invasion reasonable?
- How do we weigh past oppression?
Another view
Labeling invasion as reasonable ignores the victims of aggression.
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