Article

2014-03-10 Europe

Ukraine: Dangerous bovine blundering from John Kerry

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Posted by Besoeker 2014-03-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 I just want everybody to know that the diplomatic waters are pretty deep over there in the Ukraine and the Russian Bulldogs are very fierce protecting what they think is their territory. I'm just warning you that I have to take a tough stand against these people, and the odds of winning are very difficult to predict, especially with me on your side.

Posted by Glomons Omoth1944 2014-03-10 00:25|| 2014-03-10 00:25|| Front Page Top

#2 See WORLD NEWS > [Sacramento Bee] CRIMEA SHIFT TO RUSSIA NOT CERTAIN, US OFFICIAL SAYS | RUSSIA'S TAKEOVER OF CRIMEA "IS NOT A DONE DEAL".

I say again - Putin desires a "Guantanamo" Scenario in the Crimea, not annexation of the Crimea or breakup of sovereign Ukraine???

and

* SAME > [Various] KIEV HAS NO PLANS TO DEPLOY ARMED FORCES/TROOPS TO CRIMEA.

* 1ST HEADLINES > [WaPo] ROBERT GATES PREDICTS CRIMEA WILL COME UNDER RUSSIAN CONTROL.

'Tis a "lost cause" as far as Gates is concerned.

See above???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2014-03-10 01:40|| 2014-03-10 01:40|| Front Page Top

#3 More as related to a possible "GITMO/GUANTANAMO" solution in the Crimea. ...

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Independent.UK] DESPITE THE FEARS OF SMALL STATES, PUTIN IS UNLIKELY TO REDRAW HIS COUNTRY'S [Russia] BORDERS.

and

* SAME > [Guardian.UK] NICK CLEGG [UK Deputy PM] HINTS AT CRIMEA DEAL IFF VLADIMIR PUTIN DROPS "KGB MENTALITY", DEPUTY PM SAYS CRIMEA IS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY NEXT TO THE UKRAINE, + RUSSIA [already] HAS A "PRONOUNCED IMPRINT" THERE.

British geopol pragmatism or reality, or the Brits = Clegg proudly surrrendering like France???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2014-03-10 03:12|| 2014-03-10 03:12|| Front Page Top

#4 A bit harder than backstabbing Israel, is it John?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2014-03-10 06:25|| 2014-03-10 06:25|| Front Page Top

#5 ..but bovine scatology is a major export of the Beltway.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-03-10 08:47|| 2014-03-10 08:47|| Front Page Top

He's up to his old stuff again, he's opening his mouth !

Posted by Besoeker 2014-03-10 09:40|| 2014-03-10 09:40|| Front Page Top

#7 ..Obama stages of grief:
1.Denial As the reality of loss is hard to face, one of the first reactions to follow the loss is Denial. What this means is that the person is trying to shut out the reality or magnitude of their situation, and begin to develop a false, preferable reality.
2.See Above
3.Blame George Bush
4. Rinse-lather-repeat..

Posted by Uncle Phester 2014-03-10 11:02|| 2014-03-10 11:02|| Front Page Top

#8 A bit harder than backstabbing Israel, is it John?

Harder in practical terms - easier from the standpoint of American public opinion. Russia has been the enemy for close to 70 years, responsible for close to 500K American GI deaths via the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The real difficulty is Obama's unwillingness to move beyond pro forma steps against Russia. Arming Ukraine would help deter further Russian adventurism, but Obama's timid steps have opened the door to the annexation of Eastern Ukraine and the Baltics after that of the Crimea is done. The EU's purely self-interested actions haven't helped. Maybe the only way to inject some spine into these people is to withdraw from NATO.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2014-03-10 14:42|| 2014-03-10 14:42|| Front Page Top

#9 "Harder in practical terms - easier from the standpoint of American public opinion. Russia has been the enemy for close to 70 years,"

Lets see that a staunch Cold War warrior, the man who played an important (perhaps critical) role in US adoption of SDI --- IMO, the proximal factor of Soviet Union's collapse, Jerry Pournelle says
The great fear of the Cold Warriors at least all of my colleagues and those I associated with was that the USSR would destroy the world in its death throes. Sun Tzu said you should build golden bridges for your enemies. Machiavelli tells us never to do an enemy a small injury. One must strive to keep the respect of your enemies, and never confuse your real objectives with speculative dreams.

And so, when the USSR dissolved, and Yeltsin essentially ended the rule of Communism and the Party and the Nomenklatura, and tens of thousands of nuclear weapons were dismantled, there was some euphoria. A few of us worried, particularly since Yeltsins influence and power began to melt. Putin emerged: a KGB Colonel who restored the established church and made it clear he put Russian national interests ahead of all else: a Tsarist without a Tsar.

And there was opportunity for the United States to play the realist balance of power game in this suddenly created New World with Russia, China, Europe, as players, and the United States as the sole superpower. It was possible to build a world on that.

And then came Clinton and Madeleine Albright, and the Balkan crisis. Of all places where the US had few interests the Balkans ranked quite high: yet because we had this great army we had to do something with it, and liberal ideology prevailed. We intervened in a territorial dispute in Europe, and we did so to the chagrin and humiliation of Russia. It came close to a shooting engagement. And then our air power dropped bridges over the Danube. We wrecked the economy of the lower Danube to no gain of our own, thus infuriating the pan-Slavic Russians and leaving a lasting grudge that will not go away. Instead of looking for common interests with Russia, we chose hostility for its own sake with no national interest of ours at stake, and chose sides in the ancient blood feuds of Christian and Moslem inhabitants of the Balkans. We chose to bomb Christian Slavs, thus making enemies of pro-Slavic Russia.

We sowed the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind; and now we are supposed to rescue Crimea from Russia? It was crazy to intervene in the Balkans. It is stark raving madness to contemplate intervention in the Crimea. Perhaps we can send The Light Brigade?

"Arming Ukraine would help deter further Russian adventurism"

(a) Protecting one's vital national interests i.e. Russia only access to Mediterranean---is not adventurism.
(b) You give staff to Ukraine it'll end in Russia. Though Russians don't really need it now: they've access to US tech in Egypt, and---through Iran, in Iraq.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2014-03-10 15:31|| 2014-03-10 15:31|| Front Page Top

#10 * TOPIX > [Various] LAVROV: RUSSIA DEVELOPING PROPOSALS TO SOLVE UKRAINE CRISIS.

Again, a possible "Guantanamo" Scenario or Solution for Crimea???

versus

* TOPIX > [North Jersey] OPINION: UKRAINE INVASION A MODEL FOR FUTURE CONFLICTS.

OWG Co-Superpower Rising China = East Asia-Pacific, + OWG Co-Superpower Rising Iran = ME + Persian Gulf, ... ... Brazil?, I'M A'LOOKIN AT YOUSE.

* SAME > [NRO] KRAUTHAMMER'S TAKE: CRIMEA WILL LIKELY BE PART OF RUSSIA WITHIN TWO WEEKS. Thers nothing the Bammer = USA can do about it in the short-run.

* SAME > CRIMEAN TATARS FEAR RETURN OF RUSSIAN CONTROL.

This where thingys may get subjectively problematic for Putin as per local Tatar resistance [mass civil disobedience?], BUT MOST ESPEC AS PER FOREIGN MILTERR/JIHADI DESIRE TO UNILATERALLY HELP THEIR MUSLIM TATAR BROTHERS BY "LIBERATING" THE CRIMEA, ETC. PERPHERALS FROM PUTIN'S CONTROL IN THE NAME OF ALLAN + 72 RAISINS.

* WAFF > [Ria.RU] CRIMEA PREPARATIONS FOR JOINING RUSSIA ALREADY UNDERWAY - AKSYROV [Crimea PM Sergei A.].

* SAME > RUSSIA DEPUTY PM [Rogozin] SAYS RUSSIA SHOULD RE-ARM AMID US, ANTO "THREATS".

* RUSSIA TODAY > CRIMEA CREATES OWN MILITARY BY SWEARING IN SELF-DEFENSE UNITS.

* VOICE OF RUSSIA > CRIMEAN AUTHORITIES TO NATIONALIZE UKRAINIAN FLEET, MINERAL-PRODUCING FACILITIES.

versus

* Also from VOICE OF RUSSIA > US WISHES TO SHAKE OFF FINANCIAL AID BURDEN TO UKRAINE ON TO EUROPE [EuroUnion] - PUSHKOV.

Iff true, this is NOT going to endear Amerika's EU Allies to the Bammer + SecState Jaawhn [aka MSM-Net's "Lurch"].

Posted by JosephMendiola 2014-03-10 20:45|| 2014-03-10 20:45|| Front Page Top

23:56 JosephMendiola
22:21 SteveS
21:14 SteveS
20:45 JosephMendiola
19:41 Besoeker
18:53 Au Auric
18:42 Uncle Phester
18:35 Uncle Phester
18:29 Uncle Phester
18:03 Au Auric
18:00 Uncle Phester
17:53 Uncle Phester
17:14 Old Patriot
17:11 Old Patriot
16:54 Alaska Paul
16:28 g(r)omgoru
16:22 Zenobia Floger6220
16:06 Uncle Phester
15:31 g(r)omgoru
15:28 Zenobia Floger6220
15:22 USN, Ret.
15:07 g(r)omgoru
14:52 trailing wife
14:42 Zhang Fei