Well, it was dramatic at times and inspired some famous poetry, but I don't think it did anything to the British Empire other than make it stronger. More generally, blah does have a point, in a sense that it is a bit of a melting pot, ethnically. Also has a pretty notorious history, what with the Russians, the Tatars, the Cossacks, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Stalin, etc.
Poland requests NATO consultations under Article 4 Reuters 50 minutes ago BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will hold emergency discussions on Ukraine on Tuesday after Poland requested consultations under Article 4 of the alliance's treaty, NATO said in a statement on Monday. Under Article 4, any ally can request consultations whenever, in the opinion of any of them, their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. "The developments in and around Ukraine are seen to constitute a threat to neighboring Allied countries and having direct and serious implications for the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area," the alliance said. Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski earlier announced the meeting on Twitter.
I've felt now for many years that if [modern] politicians world wide were required to have their own son/daughter or next of kin at the front line. War would all but cease to exist. I say "modern" politicians as in this was not always the case historically. Many ancient leaders actually had balls and often led their armies into battle, personally.
Unfortunately, we will now see the worst of the republican party on display, like that idiot congressman someone quoted earlier. And of course Johnny McCain and Linsey Graham, the two military "experts", will be braying for war. We are going to see the same situation we saw on Syria, amnesty, the government shutdown and Obamacare. The republican "leaders" will be going to their traditional positions, as advised by their inside the beltway consultants, then be astonished that the bulk of the actual party is adamantly opposed.