Is Obama just posturing or do these types of sanctions have influence on countries like Russia? Will our NATO allies flex with us or impose their own set of sanctions?
How many different times will Ukraine be the whipping boy of Russia?
It appears that Obama is meting out a little whup-ass to Putin’s pals. Good. Maybe they won’t like it and will convince their bully bud to rein in what appears to be his reign of terror.
Whup-ass? You have got to be kidding. The Russians are laughing at Obama.
http://abcnews.go.com/news/t/blogEntry?id=22944509&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drudgereport.com%2F
So do you want to nuke the Russians? How would you ‘fix ‘ them?
Kelly, if they really felt – as authoritarian right-wingers want to believe – that Putin is taking advantage of Obama, they wouldn’t be bothering to blurt out insults. They’re not looking forward to sanctions.
Obama is handling this matter quite well, in a calm and rational way. I’m sick to death of hearing the FOX News viewers of the world disguise their admiration for Putin and for authoritarianism as some supposedly valid criticism of Obama.
The world is not NEARLY as simple as the right wing in America likes to pretend. Which is presumably a big part of why they f***ed up everything they touched in recent times.
The Daily Show’s excellent segment on this aired again last night. Let me try to dig it up …
Standing ovation for Rick Bentley!!!!
here it is – I really hope you take the time to watch and internalize this – http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/8gpcf5/big-vladdy—semi-delusional-autocrats
The larger issue is that Russia seems to have become disconnected with the modern world. They are going to be an ongoing concern.
Some of them haven’t gotten past KGB mentality.
Russia is intimately connected to the modern world. The “modern” world is exactly the same as the “primitive” world. Might makes right.
Sanctions? Compared to losing control over the Crimea and Sevastopol? Putin is laughing at Obama’s “red lines.” Obama made the mistake, yet again, of drawing a line in the sand without anything to back it up. He needs to learn from Teddy Roosevelt.
Since I don’t watch Fox News, I have no idea how they are portraying this issue, but, from my perspective, Obama is helpless in this situation. We don’t have any power in that sphere of influence. And so….he should stay quiet. Obama is looking like a fool.
Obama wanted America to have a “lighter” footprint on the world. Well, he got what he wanted. As long as Russia supplies all the fuel to Europe…they can basically do what they want. Reagan warned Europe about that in the 80’s when the Soviets wanted to build the pipeline. They should have listened.
Regardless of the fact that the vote was 123% of turnout, Crimea has been “Russian” since Stalin’s time. Resettling that area was part of the reason for starving all those Ukrainians.
Oh…what what has the right wing “f###ed” up in recent times? Seeing as how the “right wing” hasn’t been in charge for decades?
Closing the government, for starters.
Have you repressed the George Bush regime?
I disagree with your assertion that the President should “stay quiet”. This is an issue that we are going to have a part in dealing with. It’s not a question of “red lines” and rhetoric (i.e. “evil empire”, “bring it on”). It’s a question of rationally handling issues long-term like a responsible adult who shepherds the United States’ interest.
Not sure what you want to happen here … you think that if we had a higher military budget, Putin would be more afraid of us? You don;t think he’s aware that we have weapons at our disposal right now that could obliterate his country?
As to what the right wing “messed up” – I’m thinking of the Bush Presidency – and I would say :
– Our economy – arguably this was bipartisan incompetence but it was the Republicans who particularly fought to eliminate regulation and financial responsibility
– Our debt and deficit
– Our tax system, which post 2000 reverted to not paying for what we spend, creating an era of entitlement among all classes, and rewarding companies who ship jobs overseas
– Our military strength, after engaging us rather naively in Iraq and Afganistan
Where are the sanctions bills out of the House? THe House can come up with sanctions bills to try and derail any progress on Iran. Where is the declaration of war? What we have is the same group that complains about Obama being in Libya without Congressional approval is complaining about Obama not moving into the Ukraine and Crimea without Congressional approval. No matter what Obama does, they will be on the other side of it – and doing more damage to our credibility.
The Democrats behaved in similar ways when Bush was President – blaming everything on him, sometimes seeming gleeful when things went badly for America.
But the Republicans are worse. They ACTIVELY WORK TO MAKE AMERICA FAIL. This is what I see and this is why I’ve taken a side again.
If you are happy when the US Government shuts down – you just might not be a Patriot.
If you express admiration for Vladimir Putin, while simultaneously working to make the President of the US look weaker – you just might not be a Patriot.
If you hold the working poor and lower middle class in disdain because they don’t pay Federal taxes – you just might not be a Patriot.
If you cheer for failure of the Affordable Care Act, meaning that you want America to continue to pay out more (borrowed) money for less health care – you just might not be a Patriot.
If you begrudge the United States the tax revenue that it takes to actually make it run – you just might not be a Patriot.
I think I might have to agree with you, Rick.
If you spend your days and nights working to play semantic games and fan flames of ignorance, so as to try to prevent any progress on any issue while the other side is in the Oval Office, you just might not be a Patriot.
And in fact, I would submit that people who fit these criteria might be in many cases nasty anal-retentive maniacs who care more about trying to shape the real world into their fantasy image than they actually care about the future of the United States of America.
And here’s a GREAT example of such a person – Mitt Romney, an elitist who made his money breaking up companies and putting Americans out of work, and who now has nothing constructive to say but feels compelled to “speak out”. . http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/18/romney-obama-failed-act-russia-when-action-was-pos/
Last guy in the world that we should ever elect as President.
I’m with you Rick. It goes all the way back to Mitch McConnell saying that the number one job for Republicans was to make sure President Obama was a one term president. I wonder what Republicans would do if, for example, President Obama decided to “annex” Cuba. Or maybe Nova Scotia?
I will say that Putin does have a big hammer with the gas supply. But how long could they do without the income from selling gas? Few will remember but during WWII Europeans found ways to replace gasoline and other fuels. Plus we could up our export of LNG. Maybe those buying gas should turn it off themselves-stick a financial finger in Putin’s eye.
And at that – Obama won reelection, we’re as far away from the next cycle as can be, and they still reflexively work to make America weaker. They have a whole television channel where they brag about it and detach further from reality. Not feeling it. If the Republicans were an honorable bunch I would be one of those guys, like my Dad before me, who tended to vote for division of power. As it is I think I’d rather have the Democrats in charge.
Putin already had free and steady access to that gas. I don’t think there’s deep strategic thinking going on here. He seems to me to be rather desperately trying to hang on to the notion of empire.
“He seems to me to be rather desperately trying to hang on to the notion of empire.” People should remember he was former head (I believe) of the KGB and I would agree, he wants to resurrect a Stalinist empire. One of the many reasons they spent billions on the Olympics to show they are a world power. I’m not certain that he is above starting a war. He is saying, Crimea is all we want. Seems to me we heard similar words from a certain paper hanger about 75 years ago regarding the annexation of the Sudetenland.
Yeah, there are some obvious parallels.
The idea that this guy once had a tiger drugged and shacked, so that he could shoot it in a photo op, also screams out to me that this guy is not all there.
The stunt with Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl ring may be another point of evidence.
(Apparently when he shot it, it was with another tranquilizer; he wasn’t shooting to kill but as part of some tag-and-release conservation effort).
@Rick Bentley
“That was the time to talk with our global allies about punishments and sanctions, to secure their solidarity, and to communicate these to the Russian president. These steps, plus assurances that we would not exclude Russia from its base in Sevastopol or threaten its influence in Kiev, might have dissuaded him from invasion,” he wrote.”
The fact that you find anything objectionable in Romney’s statements demonstrates that you are merely partisan. Romney was ridiculed when he suggested that Putin might become aggressive. Guess those idiots were wrong.
Let’s examine your little statements.
As to what the right wing “messed up” – I’m thinking of the Bush Presidency – and I would say :
– Our economy – arguably this was bipartisan incompetence but it was the Republicans who particularly fought to eliminate regulation and financial responsibility
Yet…. it was Frank and Dodd that stopped regulation of Fannie and Freddie and under Bush, we had 5% unemployment.
– Our debt and deficit
So, DOUBLING said debt and deficit is Better?
– Our tax system, which post 2000 reverted to not paying for what we spend, creating an era of entitlement among all classes, and rewarding companies who ship jobs overseas
Our tax system cannot pay for what we spend no matter what we do, especially since we borrow 42% of it. And its Obama that has been rewarding companies for going overseas. Nothing stopped them from “fixing that” when the Democrats held power.
– Our military strength, after engaging us rather naively in Iraq and Afganistan
And yet…. it endured. Now..our strength is failing. What has he done in five years to strengthen the military? Absolutely nothing.
But the Republicans are worse. They ACTIVELY WORK TO MAKE AMERICA FAIL. This is what I see and this is why I’ve taken a side again.
You see this because you want Democrat policies to succeed whereas we think that Democrat and Obama policies are horrible for the welfare of this nation.
If you are happy when the US Government shuts down – you just might not be a Patriot. Damn Right….too bad the Democrat Senate decided that shutting down the gov’t was more important than delaying the individual mandate…..oh. Wait. The president is doing that ANYWAY.
If you express admiration for Vladimir Putin, while simultaneously working to make the President of the US look weaker – you just might not be a Patriot. I agree. Name one that is doing that. Pointing out that Putin seems to be acting out of strength while Obama has been demonstrably weak…is not supporting Putin.
If you hold the working poor and lower middle class in disdain because they don’t pay Federal taxes – you just might not be a Patriot.
If I hold the fact that the poor and lower middle class don’t pay taxes while clamoring for MORE programs….makes me a Patriot. Who was it that stated that deficit spending wasn’t patriotic?…..oh, that’s right CANDIDATE Obama.
If you cheer for failure of the Affordable Care Act, meaning that you want America to continue to pay out more (borrowed) money for less health care – you just might not be a Patriot. If you cheer for this disaster of a scam called the ACA that will bankrupt us, raises costs, raises rates, doesn’t work, and doesn’t insure any more people than the last system….you’re something…..
If you begrudge the United States the tax revenue that it takes to actually make it run – you just might not be a Patriot. Damn right I begrudge the US the tax revenue. That’s one of the reasons that we had a revolution. When the gov’t feels that my money is First- theirs and THEN mine….when the gov’t spends trillions in wasteful spending….when the gov’t keeps spending more and more with no end in sight and expects we taxpayers to foot the bill….. if you DON’T begrudge that tax, then you are not a patriot.
If you spend your days and nights working to play semantic games and fan flames of ignorance, so as to try to prevent any progress on any issue while the other side is in the Oval Office, you just might not be a Patriot.
Oh…look…you just described most of the Democrat party.
Putin was not head of the KGB. He served only 16 years (1975-1991) and resigned as a lieutenant-colonel after a career that was no more than average. His biggest post was Dresden, where he was assigned to find East Germans who could be sent into the West as spies and to find other means to collect intelligence on NATO. He quit the KGB in 1991 to go into politics in St. Petersburg. Americans mention KGB and Putin in the same breath and mistakenly assume that he was a Lavrenti Beria of the modern era.
Ooops..change that to read: “….. find foreigners in East Germany who could be sent….
The issue is that the Russians were becoming disconnected from the world in 2008 after the invasion of Georgia. Bush implemented sanctions on Russia at that time, but Obama thought he knew better and sought to re-set relations. Putin played along while it was in Russia’s interest to do so. After Syria crossed Obama’s red line with impunity and Hagel announced that Army would be reduced to pre-WWII levels, Putin knew that he could do whatever he wanted.
So Obama looks very stupid and naive for not continuing or strengthening the measures taken against Russia by his predecessor.
The huge cuts to the military and withdrawal from world leadership mean that Obama cannot do much to escalate beyond sanctions. The Russians know this, which is why they are not shy about taunting us.
After the Reagan buildup, Gorbachev certainly did not taunt Reagan.
Yes, lets spend even MORE money on our military. What a fabulous idea. Who says that in 2014? Only a republican. What exactly do the republicans want to do? Start a war with Russia? Send troops to defend Crimea? WHAT?
We could just leave the whole problem in the hands of Jon Stewart. Putin will surely wither under the comedic blasts of the Daily Show.
Crimea isn’t our fight. I would have preferred that the President stay out of this issue, and not put forth lukewarm and meaningless “sanctions” that only embolden Putin to keep flipping him the bird. I’ve heard the same sentiment from many conservatives. I’m not sure where the perception comes from that conservatives are calling for war.
No one is looking for war, but a military response has to be a credible option in order for measures short of war to be effective.
Sanctions CAN be effective, but they have to be something that truly affects their economy. For example, if Europe could find a supply of fossil fuels other than Russia, an embargo of Russian oil and gas would bring Putin to his knees.
@Elena
Yes. You can be an silly liberal ostrich with your head in the sand if you want, but threats do not go away simply because you believe the world is more civilized in the 21st century. Hagel’s 2013 plan cut $500B from the defense budget over the next few years by downsizing the Army by 100,000 troops, mothballing numerous ships, and eliminating numerous air squadrons including the A10. This will result in the smallest military fielded by the U.S. since WWII.
Weakness makes large-scale war (like WWII) more likely.
You do not get to define patriotism for me. Obamacare should be repealed, because it is driving up medical costs and massively increasing the power of the federal government over private health issues. There is no need to cheer for failure, because Obama seems to have “achieved” that all by himself.
@Cargosquid
Actually Romney was ridiculed for suggesting that Putin was the biggest threat to the USA.
The USA clearly isn’t Ukraine. I find what he said to be objectionable.
Romney might be president now if he had stuck to being Romney. Instead, he tried a make over like he was a tea party dude. He was not.
@Kelly_3406
Do you deny that people have cheered for its flaws and pray for failure?
I think that is pretty unpatriotic. I also believe people who get all bunched up over life and fail to vote for those who would ensure that all Americans have access to health care are hypocrites.
@Moon-howler
Yes…people have cheered its flaws…by pointing out that those flaws were described at the outset. We are enjoying schadenfreude. NOTHING that was described in the ACA outset has been accurate. The President and the Democrats lied to our faces repeatedly.
We do want it to fail. Because it is a hopeless mess that will damage our medical system, bankrupt our nation, and if allowed to stand, will give more strength to the precedent that a gov’t can mandate that we purchase a product for our “own good.” This program does not do anything that it said it would It does not ensure that “all Americans” have access to health care. It doesn’t even ensure that all Americans have access to health insurance AND has been the cause for the opposite effect.
We want it repealed, buried, and the earth salted. We want every single politician that voted for it to be kicked out of office and possibly charged with malfeasance for fraud.
Sounds like a plan to me, Cargo. Put me down for the burial and salting detail.
What part of kids on your plan till 26 is a fraud?
What part of no more pre-existing conditions is a fraud?
What part of no more caps is a fraud?
ACA is far from perfect, but is the first attempt to change a broken system in since Clinton tried in the 90’s. How is a single person supposed to know what to have in an insurance plan? Many of the offered plan were really scams and paid little to no benefits, yet were still offered. It is the most free market system – it allows any private insurance company to participate – why would a consumer want to have to go to multiple insurance companies instead of one place?
The problem is too much dis-information is being hyped. The EMLTA needs to be repealed – how can the government tell a company that they have to give away enormous services with no guarantee that they will be paid? All the insured are paying to keep those services afloat, but people with no concern for their personal responsibility are riding the system. The Conservative way is that people should pay their own way – yet on this, they want the Government to tell a company to give away services. It was the Conservative way until Obama said – Good Idea!
@Cargosquid
yep cargo – everything was just so rosy and perfect in 2007/2008 – if we could just get back to that time – first time the deficit topped $1trillion in CALENDAR year 2008 (ie, before Obama took office), top banks failing on a near daily basis, auto industry (5 percent of GDP) teetering on bankruptcy, housing in the gutter, stock market crashing, investment banks failing, two wars – etc. Yes, those were the days….and all powerful Barney Frank did it all in less than one year as Chairman of the Financial Services Committee (Jan 4 2007).
“The fact that you find anything objectionable in Romney’s statements demonstrates that you are merely partisan. Romney was ridiculed when he suggested that Putin might become aggressive. Guess those idiots were wrong.”
Here’s the thing Cargo – I don’t care so much about whether Romney or Obama had projected a more realistic appraisal of Russia in 2008. What I care about is the security of the free world, and life liberty and happiness for Americans and other people.
Does Romney’s gum flapping help or hurt US interests? Hurts them. More concerned with self-image and politics than the welfare of America or the strength of our nation. Typical.
“I hold that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”
Thomas Jefferson
People who cheer for the failure of the ACA are engaged in a non-violent form of rebellion against an oppressive law. I think TJ would be supportive.
How has ACA hurt you personally? Has it helped others? Yes. It has helped me as a matter of fact.
And if you guys want to tilt at the windmill of the ACA, fine. Seems like yesterday’s politics to me. If it keeps the Republican Party from figuring out how to do further harm to America on some more real issue (the kind of harm they did from 2001-2009), i.e. figuring out how to enable bankers and speculators from bleeding another few trillion out of the rest of us, all the better IMO.
@Pat.Herve
The part that has millions of people losing policies, having rates raised, or are losing doctors. Doesn’t much help if you can keep your “pre-need,” 26 year old child on your policy if you can’t afford it or your policy is cancelled.
And with Obama illegally changing the law every time he needs the Dems protected, the entire thing is a joke.
Yep….2008. Democrats control Congress and write a 1.2 trillion dollar deficit budget that was signed by OBAMA. They held it over because Bush stated that he would veto it.
The top banks were failing because of the mystery run on the capital markets that Obama said he would track down…..(crickets), Housing in the gutter due to the bubble that started when banks were forced to make loans regardless of credit….and thus the rules were changed.
You ignore the fact that the economy was fine for most of Bush’s term. Funny how things went to hell when Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, and Reid mucked up the works.
Yep….Frank STOPPED the attempts to fix the problem. It would have halted the Democrat agenda of cheap loans for votes.
@Rick Bentley
As for Romney….nothing he said harmed us. He’s pointing out that Obama was ignoring problems. But, of course, you still think that the “reset” button and “smart diplomacy” is working. The very fact that Obama put that idiot Kerry in as Sec. of State is evidence of Obama’s incompetence.
Actually, finances didn’t go south because of the people you listed. The economy was built on a house of cards during the Bush years. You have an unfunded war, unfunded drug plan and NCLB which also stuck the local folks with lots of bills. Meanwhile Wall street played funny money and the fat cats got huge. Realtors made a killing off of people putting them in houses they could not really afford.
I would say not so much as far as the good times.
@Cargosquid
cargo – but the facts get in the way – take the enhanced lending – http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031216-9.html – signed by Bush with a Republican Congress (House and Senate).
You miss the point on 2008 – the Deficit was already over $1Trillion for the Calendar Year 2008 – before Obama was in office, before he signed one piece of legislation as President.
Economy was fine under Bush – well if it was fine why did he have stimulus (tax rebate) and tax cuts – we were running in sugar during the Bush term.
Housing bubble started before Bush was in office with Clinton changes, and then went on steroids under Bush, peaking in 2006 – http://www.uvu.edu/woodbury/jbi/volume8/journals/SummaryofthePrimaryCauseoftheHousingBubble.pdf
Riiiight Cargo … trying to make the US President look weak is a good thing. Three Cheers for Mitt Romney.
Republicans and conservatives may be able to self-delude themselves on who was running the ship when we crashed it, economically. But they’re not fooling anyone else. Within 10 to 20 years, people won’t remember of have lived it. But voters now do understand that Obama inherited a hangover economy.
The 2007-8 deficit was 450 billion. The 2008 fiscal year was 1.2 trillion and that budget was held over until Obama signed it.
Romney is trying to make the President look weak. He IS weak. ON PURPOSE. His actions and words prove that. His focus is on domestic policy. His stated intentions were to lower our international presence. The problem is that he keeps trying to act tough while not having anything to back it up.
He arbitrarily surrendered in Afghanistan back in 2009.
He let the status of forces agreement with Iraq negotiations fail….while trying to get our troops to stay there.
He effed up Benghazi.
He “drew a red line” in Syria without the willingness to actually back it up.
He’s withdrawn Anti-ballistic protection from Eastern Europe.
He sends support to groups with ties to terrorism.
He appoints incompetents to Sec. of State.
He has his State Dept lie to the American public to support his actions or lack of actions.
He talks loudly while carrying a small stick.
His lack of support for democracy in Iran and Ukraine was noticed. His support for the Muslim Brotherhood was also noticed.
No one is needed to “make” him look weak.
Romney isN’T trying to make the President look weak
Edit THEN POST.
Oh…and I forgot the Iranian debacle. When the Iranians are proving to be more transparent on the nuclear “deal” than our own government……
That “deal” was made merely to provide Obama with a talking point. Iran gets what they want….Obama gets to claim that he solved the problem.
This is why he looks weak.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/368971/obamas-recessional-victor-davis-hanson/page/0/1
He WANTS to look weak. Or he might be accused of being a “cowboy.”
Obama’s weak point running up to the 2008 election was that he had no foreign policy experience. He supposedly fixed that by picking Job Biden:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082300890_2.html?sid=ST2008082301011
“It was clear from Obama’s speech that he views Biden as bringing dual assets: being able to play the role of a down-to-earth fighter, appealing to Catholics and the working class; and serving as a statesman and expert on foreign policy.”
When Joe (3 letter word… J-O-B-S) is your administrations foreign policy expert things like this are going to happen.
Neither did Bush or Clinton. You just don’t like him so that translates to no foreign policy experience. Obama has all sorts of foreign policy experience now. He has been in office 6 years.
“It appears that Obama is meting out a little whup-ass to Putin’s pals. Good. Maybe they won’t like it and will convince their bully bud to rein in what appears to be his reign of terror.”
Putting sanctions on 11 individuals is considered ‘whup-ass’ and is going to change Putin’s mind? I don’t drink coffee but if I did it would have been spit out all over my laptop when I read that this morning.
What’s next? Is Obama going to unfriend other Russian officials on facebook to try to get them to convince Putin to change his mind? Maybe Obama’s official twitter account (run by the tax exempt group OFA) will block a few more Russian officials. That will sure get them to talk to Putin.
@Moon-howler
“Obama has all sorts of foreign policy experience now. He has been in office 6 years.”
You do realize that makes it look even worse….right?
It doesn’t do me. What suggestions do you have for him? What is it you want him to do? It sounds like you are encouraging a ground invasion or a good nuking, whether he needs it or not.
This is what Russians think of the 7 officials Obama sanctioned:
“The State Duma has passed a motion suggesting that the US and EU extend the freshly introduced sanctions to all Russian MPs rather than a limited group of officials”
http://rt.com/politics/russian-duma-sanctions-crimea-594/
Did you expect less from them? Have you seen films of Kruschev pounding on the table with his shoes?
Russia doesn’t like being isolated.
What would YOU do if you were in charge of handling this international problem?