History Repeats?

 

"Looks like a lot of tanks."
"PFFFT!  This will take care of them."

    On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union.  Codenamed “Operation Barbarossa,” this military misadventure resulted in disaster for the Germans when it finally concluded, with 8 million casualties, on December 5, 1941.

    Fun Fact:  “Barbarossa,” meaning “Red Beard,” took its name after the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, leader of the Third Crusade.  Unfortunately, for him, he drowned in Asia Minor and the Third Crusade was pretty much a bust.  Frankly, you’d think Hitler would’ve caught a clue.  Anyway, legend had it that Barbarossa was merely asleep and, like King Arthur of England, would come to the aid of his country at a time of need.

Wrong King Arthur

    The invasion of the USSR may have come as kind of a surprise to Josef Stalin, especially since his nation and the Nazis signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop, or non-aggression, Pact in 1939.

    Mind you, Stalin was no choir boy himself.  Even though he had suspicions, he didn’t mobilize his forces lest he antagonize the Germans.

    He also probably figured Adolph wouldn’t be stupid enough to spark a two-front war.

"You know England's not defeated, ja?"
"PFFFT!  What's the worst that could happen?"

    Well, the Arrogant Head Cheerleader for the Master Race invaded anyway and, like Napoleon, promptly got his ass kicked by Mother Russia.  

"Whew!  I did not see that coming!"

    Further, in classic “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” fashion, the Allies could now include the Soviet Union.

And we all know how that turned out.

    With this in mind, I have my worries about the bombast concerning Communist Cuba. 

"Mr. President, about Cuba...  Aren't you concerned that Iran's not defeated?" 
"PFFFT!  What's the worst that could happen?"

    To be sure, I don’t think Donald Trump is the second coming of Adolph Hitler.  Those who think so are idiots.

    However, the action in Iran is not over.  Do we really want another military operation in the Caribbean?  To be sure, the weather is much nicer and American supply lines are much, much shorter.  But.........

    History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure can rhyme sometime.

    I hope I’m wrong.