Re: the Cold War

> You wrote in response to Charlie mentioning
> an existential threat to Western Europe by the USSR:
> 
> <quote>
> Well, yeah, but that was pretty much decided during the Berlin airlift when 
> Uncle Joe made the decision that the USSR didn't want to fight.
> All that followed after that showdown was just postering.
> <end quote>
> 
> If all that followed that showdown was just posturing, then nothing that
> followed that showdown had any real meaning.

I understand the problem. Context doesn't travel or easily survive in
these written forums.

By posturing I was refering to the military deployments in Europe as an
existential threat (meaning the liklihood of them being used in an
invasion of Western, or Eastern, Europe).