Does this remind you of anything?

The goose-stepping troops are a bit unnerving for anyone who remembers that September is also the anniversary of Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 (joined by Russia a few weeks later). Meanwhile, Chinese warships are operating in the Bering Sea off Alaska, and making little forays into U.S. territorial waters, much as Russia is doing into Western Europe.

Who said that the fall of the Soviet Union marked the "end of history"? Sure hasn't worked out that way! Russia biting off pieces of its neighbors' territory, China building artificial islands in international waters, North Korea launching missiles, Iran developing atomic weapons -- what was called the Cold War is looking more and more a short interregnum of peace.