Where I Still Get Lost on Russia

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Spock
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Where I Still Get Lost on Russia

#1 Post by Spock » Thu May 18, 2017 8:58 am

1) I get that we all agree now that Romney was right in the 2012 debates when he asserted the primacy of Russia as a geo-political foe. To which Obama made his great Churchillian line-"The 80's called, they want their foreign policy back". While it is hard to argue with foreign policy gravitas like that, events have obviously proven Romney's point.

2) However, where I still get lost is: Was there ever a point where Obama stopped acting as Putin's "holster"? I just always assumed that was a major tenet of his foreign policy.

3) I am also confused as to when foreign interference in an election is bad or good. If we have our panties in a bunch that Putin may have interfered in the election, do we also feel the same way over Obama's interference in the Israeli elections?-Or is that OK?

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jarnon
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Re: Where I Still Get Lost on Russia

#2 Post by jarnon » Thu May 18, 2017 10:54 am

2) I don't know what you mean by Putin's 'holster,'" but I think the aggression in Ukraine was a turning point. Even after previous hostile acts, as in Georgia, the Americans still thought Putin could be persuaded to behave.

3) I assume you mean the Democrats' support for the opposition in Israel; the U.S. government didn't take sides. And the GOP strongly backed Bibi. More recently, former President Obama endorsed Macron in France. I think foreign interference such as hacking and fake news crosses the line. And it's always worse when the other guys are doing it to us.
Слава Україні!
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Bob Juch
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Re: Where I Still Get Lost on Russia

#3 Post by Bob Juch » Thu May 18, 2017 12:35 pm

A lot of people have been lost in Russia.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.

Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.

Spock
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Re: Where I Still Get Lost on Russia

#4 Post by Spock » Thu May 18, 2017 3:08 pm

jarnon wrote:2) I don't know what you mean by Putin's 'holster,'" but I think the aggression in Ukraine was a turning point. Even after previous hostile acts, as in Georgia, the Americans still thought Putin could be persuaded to behave.

3) I assume you mean the Democrats' support for the opposition in Israel; the U.S. government didn't take sides. And the GOP strongly backed Bibi. More recently, former President Obama endorsed Macron in France. I think foreign interference such as hacking and fake news crosses the line. And it's always worse when the other guys are doing it to us.

I had thought that Stephen Colbert's vile "Holster" comment had made national news.

Lightheartedly, (Long before Trump entered the race) I have long thought that life can't be any fun for Putin. He wants to play Risk (with real countries) and nobody will play with him. They (Obama and others) just rolled over for him and gave him what he wants.

Taking it a little farther, I thought that the Risk game would be more fun for Putin with western leaders that are more nationalist and less globalist.

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