Putin: "I want to remind you that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear nations"

[wuapinmon]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...nd-status.html

And, just like that, that unspoken angst of growing up during the Cold War creeps back into my life. This is all bluster, but I don't see our feckless leader capable of doing more than scolding Putin. Can you imagine war with Russia? China would certainly attack Taiwan if they were ever going to...everywhere would erupt against US interests. How should we respond?

Do we do this, "We want to remind Mr. Putin that we are the most powerful nuclear nation AND we are the only one to have used them against an enemy."

Or this, "Mr. Putin should remember that our submarine fleet could destroy the Russian oil economy in an afternoon."

Or, what we'll probably get, "The United States of America strongly protests this violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and insists that the Russian government return its troops to the pre-2014 borders."

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

[Lost Student]

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

[CardiacCoug]

Putin is no Hitler, but I think it's interesting that Putin is exactly replicating Hitler's excuses -- expansion of territory simply to include and protect ethnic Russians, just like Hitler simply wanted to expand to include ethnic Germans. Ethnic composition of the entire former Soviet Union is pretty complex and Putin could certainly justify bringing back the old Soviet Union almost in its entirety if he is going to go with Hitler's old arguments.

I thought this was a pretty interesting article about Putin and Ambassador McFaul: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...tching-eclipse

An ideology, a world view, was taking shape: Putin was now putting Russia at the center of an anti-Western, socially conservative axis—Russia as a bulwark against a menacing America. “Of course, this is a conservative position,” he said in a speech last year, “but, speaking in the words of Nikolai Berdyayev, the point of conservatism is not that it prevents movement forward and upward but that it prevents movement backward and downward, into chaotic darkness and a return to a primitive state.”

You can see why Putin's "conservatism" -- his anti-gay, "anti-liberal" and totalitarian agenda -- has earned Putin admirers among some of Cougarboard's finest.

[fusnik]

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

Why?

[Maximus]

You can see why Putin's "conservatism" -- his anti-gay, "anti-liberal" and totalitarian agenda -- has earned Putin admirers among some of Cougarboard's finest.

[Maximus]

Why?

Why not?

[Non Sequitur]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...nd-status.html

And, just like that, that unspoken angst of growing up during the Cold War creeps back into my life. This is all bluster, but I don't see our feckless leader capable of doing more than scolding Putin. Can you imagine war with Russia? China would certainly attack Taiwan if they were ever going to...everywhere would erupt against US interests. How should we respond?

Do we do this, "We want to remind Mr. Putin that we are the most powerful nuclear nation AND we are the only one to have used them against an enemy."

Or this, "Mr. Putin should remember that our submarine fleet could destroy the Russian oil economy in an afternoon."

Or, what we'll probably get, "The United States of America strongly protests this violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and insists that the Russian government return its troops to the pre-2014 borders."

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

If Romney used this kind of "tough talk", the lunatic right would applaud him.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...nd-status.html

And, just like that, that unspoken angst of growing up during the Cold War creeps back into my life. This is all bluster, but I don't see our feckless leader capable of doing more than scolding Putin. Can you imagine war with Russia? China would certainly attack Taiwan if they were ever going to...everywhere would erupt against US interests. How should we respond?

Do we do this, "We want to remind Mr. Putin that we are the most powerful nuclear nation AND we are the only one to have used them against an enemy."

Or this, "Mr. Putin should remember that our submarine fleet could destroy the Russian oil economy in an afternoon."

Or, what we'll probably get, "The United States of America strongly protests this violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and insists that the Russian government return its troops to the pre-2014 borders."

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

The US should go back to Teddy Roosevelt's advice -- speak softly and carry a big stick. The US, UK, etc. should never have told the Ukraine back in the mid-90s to surrender their weapons to Russia if the US, UK, etc. wasn't prepared to uphold their end of the bargain -- namely, sticking up for the Ukraine if Russia ever invaded it. While I can understand wanting fewer countries to be in possession of nuclear weapons, I'm not sure whether Russia is, or has ever been a more reliable country than the Ukraine.

There's obviously a number of problems here that were previously caused by the Obama administration or still persist. First, the administration idiotically removed took away the missile defense in Poland within the first 10 months of Obama's inauguration. They received ZERO concessions from Russia in return. Hillary Clinton then goes to Russia with a shit-eating grin and a reset button letting Putin know exactly how naive and feckless this administration was going to be.

Then this happened:

Look at his Secretary of State, look at his vice-president, look at the former campaign chauffeur who now is on his national security staff. A people hire A people, B people hire C people. Additionally, we have a problem when we have a president who essentially thinks US involvement around the world is a net negative. THe results around the world speak for themselves. Obama simply didn't have the experience, temperament or ideology to be a fit president.

Obama first needs to acknowledge that Russia is a corrupt regime with a thug at its head. He then needs to cut out the idiotic scolding about Russia not being in the 21st century, as if Putin really cares about that. Then, if possible, he needs to restore the missile defense plans in Poland. Finally, he needs to set out assuring Western Europe of a plentiful oil supply coming from the US or domestically so he can cut Western Europe's reliance on Russian oil. This last part is difficult, takes time and means probably opening up federal lands to fracking along with encouraging Western Europe to do some of their own fracking (Germany supposedly has plentiful supply) -- something that would piss off one of his main constituencies and require hard work -- which is also something this President has been totally unwilling to do either of.

[TripletDaddy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...nd-status.html

And, just like that, that unspoken angst of growing up during the Cold War creeps back into my life. This is all bluster, but I don't see our feckless leader capable of doing more than scolding Putin. Can you imagine war with Russia? China would certainly attack Taiwan if they were ever going to...everywhere would erupt against US interests. How should we respond?

Do we do this, "We want to remind Mr. Putin that we are the most powerful nuclear nation AND we are the only one to have used them against an enemy."

Or this, "Mr. Putin should remember that our submarine fleet could destroy the Russian oil economy in an afternoon."

Or, what we'll probably get, "The United States of America strongly protests this violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and insists that the Russian government return its troops to the pre-2014 borders."

Good hell, I wish Romney were President right now.

im totally with you. im getting very paranoid about World War 3 among the USA, Russia, and China. Seems more and more likely, almost inevitable. If Romney were president, Russia wouldnt have attacked the Ukraine or at the very least Russia would obey Romney's orders to leave the Ukraine immediately.

[wuapinmon]

im totally with you. im getting very paranoid about World War 3 among the USA, Russia, and China. Seems more and more likely, almost inevitable. If Romney were president, Russia wouldnt have attacked the Ukraine or at the very least Russia would obey Romney's orders to leave the Ukraine immediately.

To address your mockery, I don't think things wouldn't be bad under Romney, but I do think the leadership team in place would make a difference long-term. Obama may wind up looking like Carter.

[fusnik]

To address your mockery, I don't think things wouldn't be bad under Romney, but I do think the leadership team in place would make a difference long-term. Obama may wind up looking like Carter.

Lol.

What would Romney do different? Do you really think that Putins actions would be any different with Romney in the White House? I for one am glad that someone who had already deemed Russia our geopolitical foe is not the one making the decisions when that Russia acts up. Putin is crazy and last thing we need is political dick measuring with Russia just as the markets celebrate 5 years of run.

[wuapinmon]

Lol.

What would Romney do different? Do you really think that Putins actions would be any different with Romney in the White House? I for one am glad that someone who had already deemed Russia our geopolitical foe is not the one making the decisions when that Russia acts up. Putin is crazy and last thing we need is political dick measuring with Russia just as the markets celebrate 5 years of run.

You'd rather just punt and see what happens?

[Maximus]

Lol.

What would Romney do different? Do you really think that Putins actions would be any different with Romney in the White House? I for one am glad that someone who had already deemed Russia our geopolitical foe is not the one making the decisions when that Russia acts up. Putin is crazy and last thing we need is political dick measuring with Russia just as the markets celebrate 5 years of run.

So you are glad that someone who correctly characterized Russia is not in charge?

[fusnik]

You'd rather just punt and see what happens?

Question with a question. No thanks.

Apparently you have some Cold War angst which in itself is LOLz funny.

[wuapinmon]

Question with a question. No thanks.

Apparently you have some Cold War angst which in itself is LOLz funny.

I remember listening to Jesus Jones singing about what was happening in the world and feeling a tremendous sense of relief that the dread in my heart ever since my parents, stupidly, let me watch The Day After at age 9 was finally going to be baseless. It wasn't funny back then; I don't see the humor now.