Well, that hiatus between cold wars was nice, but it’s over. Russia couldn’t quite get the hang of the democracy thing, and smart diplomacy was the last nail in the coffin.
There are already threads for Ukraine and Syria. So let’s start off with the story that makes the new reality explicit:
[quote]A new appraisal names the United States as one of the threats to Russia’s national security for the first time, a sign of how relations with the west have deteriorated in recent years.
The document, “About the Strategy of National Security of Russian Federation”, was signed by President Vladimir Putin on New Year’s Eve. It replaces a 2009 version, endorsed by then- President Dmitry Medvedev, the current prime minister, which mentioned neither the United States not NATO.
It says Russia has managed to heighten its role in solving global problems and international conflicts. That heightened role has caused a reaction by the West, it says.[/quote]
In his own way, Pooty-poot is almost as delusional as Ozymandias. But both are delusional in ways that put the free world at risk.
Putin just doesn’t get that only the United States gets to be world policeman and invade, occupy, bomb, sanction, bully and engage in regime change whenever and wherever it likes.
Yeah, it is so funny that all those nations in Europe and many in the Gulf and other parts of the Middle East and all of East Asia are so desperate to have the US serve as that policeman, when clearly Russia or China or Iran or … would be such a better choice. In fact, that is why so many nations are clamoring to ally with Russia and China to … protect themselves from the US and its dangerous, arbitrary actions.
[quote=“MikeN”]As somebody or other once said, “History repeats itself; the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.”
Which pretty well describes Putin’s aspirations, in spite of the hyperventilating of (some) conservatives.[/quote]
There are many in Russia who worship the guy. Which is troubling. It tells us the society isn’t ready for adult responsibilities.
The whole damn human race needs to outgrow lightworkers.
[quote]“The loud talk in Washington of a ‘Plan B’ for Syria. Everyone
understands what this means: direct military force in Syria,” he said.
During Monday’s programme a Russian defence ministry spokesman also
warned US bombers not to target the Syrian army. “We’ll shoot them
down,” commented Mr Kiselyov.
Mr Kiselyov is a key part of Russia’s media operations and has been described as a “militant anti-Westerner” by Russian media and the county’s “chief propagandist”. He is also subject to Western sanctions.
In the past he has boasted that Russia was the only single country “genuinely capable of turning the USA into radioactive ash” and claimed last year: "In Syria, America stands on the side of the terrorist caliphate”.
His most recent comments come as Russia bolsters its military presence in the Mediterranean and Baltic regions.[/quote]
Oh. So this is what it takes to get these clowns mad.
[quote]“We released this information to put the people doing it on a notice that they’re not, quote, ‘getting away with it’ for free, as well as to put states on notice that we’re serious when we say they need to take every measure possible to guarantee the integrity of our elections,” Kerry said Monday at The Internet Association’s Virtuous Cycle Conference. “And we will and can respond in ways that we choose to at the time of our choice.”
That threat comes days after the Obama administration accused Russia of perpetrating a series of politically-charged hacks, including targeting the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The accusation stopped short of formally accusing the Russians of breaching a pair of state voter registration data bases, although U.S. officials have blamed Russia in private and Kerry seemed to imply they were behind those attacks as well.[/quote]
The time to get serious about Russia was a long, long time ago. And these crocodile tears about vote tampering? The other side has been hollering for years about insecure electronic voting and voter fraud, and the Dems just laughed it off. But now it’s suddenly a concern?
What this means is if The Donald loses the count and challenges, the Dems will be in an awkward position.
I had to look up what ‘lightworkers’ are, but you might have a point.
It’s not just the Russians who think like this. It’s pretty much everybody afraid of everybody else, holding onto their little basket of iPhones and burgers, and screaming “mine mine mine waaah”.
IMO it’s just a natural result of excess population. What’s our ecological footprint now? Two point five Earths or something?
Time for a cull, I reckon, and the “policemen” are lining up to make it happen.
Cabin in the woods? Check. Ammo? Check. Zombie antivenom? Check.
This is not per se a bad thing. In fact, if we had (counter-factually) a competent commander-in-chief, it would be a good thing. But you can’t have it both ways. This is an admission of failure for smart diplomacy.
If the Western elite really think that there will be anything but crumbs for them at a table where China sits at the head then they really do deserve to lose their positions for being so gullible. China and other non-Western nations will suck these clowns dry and then discard them. It’s like some sort of Greek tragedy.
I reckon the Russians have their very own rowland somewhere, except in charge of military policy instead of just posting on the internet.
GuyInTaiwan’s comment from two years ago is prescient. We’ve got China’s id growing ever larger and Russia’s paranoia about being bullied getting beyond the reach of medication. Not a nice combination. Dunno why people can’t just play nice.
