Finland has never fully trusted outsiders to come to our aid. History has taught us to be wary of lofty promises of support, no matter how significant. When the Winter War broke out in 1939, the world at large was terrified and nearly unanimous words of support were uttered by great Western powers. When it came to actually getting aid, it suddenly became very difficult. This, more than anything else, was the reason that Finland never demilitarized and kept building strong defenses while others dismantled or shrunk their militaries.
It took mere 5 weeks for a single man to tear down 80 years of global security structures. This is bad, but what is even worse: no one tried to stop him. While you could argue that it was too late now, he did tell the voters what he would do if elected. Thus, this is not a failure of a single person, but the US society at large. This means that even when the inevitable correction occurs, it will take decades to build back the trust that has been lost. Meanwhile, every dictator in the world feels vindicated and sees that strong-arm tactics are the way to go.
It’s not all bad, however. The betrayal witnessed has forced Europe to finally get its act together regarding security. It’s good to have friends, but you must be able to stand alone if needed.
There’s a stone tablet at the King’s Gate in Suomenlinna fortress near Helsinki, with Augustin Ehrensvärd’s words from around 1753:
“Sveaborg som rörer hafvet på den ena sidan och stranden på den andra, giver den kloke herravälde på både haf och land
Ifrån ödemarker äro desse Vargskiärsholmar ombytte till ett Sveaborg. Eftervard, stå här på egen botn, och lita icke på främmande hielp.”
Translated from Swedish to English:
“Sveaborg (Suomenlinna), which touches the sea on one side and the shore on the other, gives the wise control both on sea and on land.
From desolate lands, these Wolf Islands have been transformed into a Sveaborg (Suomenlinna). Progeny, stand here on your own foundation, and do not rely on foreign help.”
#thoughtoftheday
