HL 166 – The Unfinlandization of Finland is a Historic Biden/Blinken Accomplishment

April 4, 2023

Home | Blog | HL 166 – The Unfinlandization of Finland is a Historic Biden/Blinken Accomplishment

With Turkey’s withdrawal of its dispositive vote to block its application, Finland will today become a member of NATO.

“Finlandization” is jargon used by political scientists of its international studies sect to signal they’ve got game and doctorate.  It describes not only something until recently very important about Finland but also about many nations of moderate size or power that pull their international punches – and sometimes ones domestic – from fear of pissing off a big and powerful neighbor.  In Finland’s case that was the USSR and later the RR, Residual Russia.

Joe Biden & Lloyd Austin

Well, all that is not merely over for Finland, but as a member of NATO and signatory of its Article 5, it will not merely have the protection of the armed forces of the other 30 NATO member-nations but will commit its own large military enterprise, including 280,000 troops, to aid any NATO member attacked by “Russia, Russia, Russia.”[1]  Members like Poland, that like Finland, borders Russia, and those like Turkey that have a maritime border with Russia.  As does Sweden, still blocked from NATO membership by Turkey’s opposition.

Finland’s unFinlandization through NATO membership is first and last a major triumph for the international and military policies of Joe Biden and his state secretary, Tony Blinken.  Biden ran in 2020 with a promise to repair the grievous damage to NATO and U.S. leadership of the alliance inflicted by Trump and his various state and defense flunkies.  With massive help from Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Biden quickly fulfilled those campaign pledges and most importantly by coordinating support for NATO – wannabe Ukraine.

Tony Blinken

While Finlandization no longer describes its namesake, the malady is still widespread, infecting other neighbors of Russia as well as countries intimidated by China, the USA and certain regional powers.

Given recent history it is ironic that the most recent and most substantive acts and inactions displaying a pattern of Finlandization come from the country whose acquiescence paved the way for Finland’s full and effective sovereignty.  Russian money, fuel, visitors’ influence and even would-be immigrants currently flood a country that once would have been labeled Finlandized but now is just doing the Turkey Trot.

[1]  We are quoting one of the tics of a recently indicted former federal officeholder.

 

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