The Polish Missile Crisis

Politics International Politics
#1

U.S. troops and missiles in Poland… What’s next, submarines in Lake Baikaul? Congratulations to whomever gets eleced president in November. The world hasn’t been this much fun since 1962.

I wonder if the Russian foreign minister is in Ottawa asking for missile sites on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls… that would be a whole new reason to honeymoon there.

Seriously, at least we can get back to some good Bond films again. The Cold War era was so much better for spy books and films. Now, with Cold War II on the horizon, we’ll not have to sit through any more The World Is Not Enough garbage. That might be reason enough to cheer today’s events. The only problem is, Daniel Craig looks a little like Vladimir Putin (at the proper angle). Might we need a new Bond actor? I nominate Michael Phelps…

#2

Ya, this will be interesting. Russia is having a egoist mentality moment and it will get slapped down but at what cost. Trust that it will be at the expense of the poor, impoverished populace.

#3

I think it’s great that Condie will have a chance to put all her book learnin’ about Eastern Europe to use.

Also, we’re far enough away that the fallout won’t get us. Though I suppose China would probably take advantage of a conflict between the US and Russia to bomb us to bits and then invade.’

Actually there’s another political effect of this - CNN this morning said that the public trust McCain over Obama 2:1 in handling the crisis with Russia.

Mind you I’d personally trust Condie about twice as much as I trust either McCain or Obama. Why won’t she run for President? She’s black, a woman, maybe a lesbian so she’s got the minority points. But she also seems like she knows how to get shit done, unlike most US politicians.

#4

What has she done?

#5

What has she done?[/quote]
Well not much personally in the Bush admin it’s true. But policy on Iraq was set by Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush. As Secretary of State she pretty much has to implement the President’s policy.

Mind you, she seems to understand that defusing the crisis in Georgia will require detaching South Ossetia from Georgia. I think she told Saakashvili that, which is why he was so angry in the press conference. That shows she understands that this is a chess game, and you sometimes have to sacrifice less important pieces to protect more important ones.

She has an essentially Cold War conservative think tank background and I think that is what you need in dealing with Russia now.

#6

She managed not to interrupt her vacation for the whole Georgia business.

#7

Just as Congress managed not to put off their vacation to solve every problem known to mankind, because God knows every problem must be solved this moment or the whole world is going to collapse in on itself. And God also knows that ‘vacation’ is a disgusting practice that elected officials – hell, none of us for that matter – ought not be a part of. And even though Bush and Rice et al are surrounded, on vacation, by phones, bodyguards, and 24-hour-per-day reminders that you’re not really on vacation, per se, Democrats still think it’s just terrible that you don’t sleep on a cot in the office for the duration of your term.

Will you grow up, dude? This whole ‘he’s on vacation!’ business you guys have been yelling for seven years is silly. The Clintons took vacations for phony photo ops of them walking hand-in-hand in the sand, and we all know that Clinton could have been doing better things, like growing the balls to kill bin Laden when he knew where he was. So save this vacation finger-pointing. Obama’s going to do enough of it for you over the next three months.

And speaking of people on cushy vacations… what about Hussein in Hawaii over the last few weeks…? I don’t remember reading your post about that dastardly dereliction of duty. He is, is he not, still a Senator with problems to solve…??

#8

Remember after hurricane Katrina when she went shopping for shoes and took in a Broadway play?
What was that she said? “If I didn’t go shopping, it would be like the hurricanes have won.”

#9

[quote=“Dr. McCoy”]Remember after hurricane Katrina when she went shopping for shoes and took in a Broadway play?
What was that she said? “If I didn’t go shopping, it would be like the hurricanes have won.”[/quote]

She’s the Secretary of State, not the FEMA head honcho. And so what if she went shopping? Do you think 300,000 million Americans sat around watching TV and praying? You live in New Orleans, you know the risks. Stop bitching about how the government didn’t bail you out. America is a huge country; all the people in the world could fit in Texas with a little room to spare, so there are plenty of places to live besides in a front row seat to a hurricane.

Still fixated on Katrina… that’s a laugh.

#10

Too early to say, though we might head for a Cold War mini post-sequal.
The only risk I see is that some ex USSR Generals are eager to make pro-active aggresive moves (with the Kremlin closing their eyes , acting like "I am Manuel -from Spain - I know nothing , NO-thing)

#11

The truth is that Condi is weak. She hasn’t done anything, and when she tried to do something she was always bullied by Cheney and Rummy. She’s nothing but a little girl with a huge crush on her boss. For her the real Polish missile crisis would be if the president’s missile needed polishing and she doesn’t have any wet naps.

#12

ahhh…troll with Condi as bait…SSDD…

meanwhile…

[quote]U.S. obliged to provide security for Poland under missile shield deal(2) - Polish PM Donald Tusk
WARSAW. AUGUST 20. INTERFAX CENTRAL EUROPE -

The United States is obliged to provide security for Poland, as well as for any American facilities in Poland, according to a now signed agreement to place elements of a U.S. missile shield on Polish soil, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, following the signing of the agreement Wednesday morning in Warsaw.

“The U.S. is obliged to provide security to Poland and any American
facilities on its territory,” Tusk said. "Poland and the U.S. will act
together against military and non-military threats caused by third
parties and seek to minimize their results.

“The increased cooperation as envisaged in the declaration will improve
the security of Poland and the United States,” he added. “Cooperation on
missile defense strengthens strategic cooperation, and both parties are
convinced this cooperation will bring long-term mutual effects in for
their security relationship.”

Tusk added that both countries plan to conclude several bilateral
agreements to enhance defense and security cooperation between them.
“We have the right to believe that we have together made a breakthrough when it comes to the security of Poland and the U.S.A.,” he said. "We’ve tried to achieve this together, something that is so important for Poles, so that global security also means the security of our territory.

“The presence of a Patriot missile battery that will defend our
territory and American facilities is the practical dimension of this
agreement,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Affairs
Minister Radoslaw Sikorski signed an agreement, which will see elements
of a missile shield placed on Polish soil today in Warsaw at 11:41 local
time.

The agreement will also see a Patriot missile battery placed on Polish
soil - an element that at one time was a stopping point in negotiations.
Poland and the United States have long negotiated whether to place
elements of the missile shield in Poland. Russia has vehemently opposed
the shield, but negotiations appeared to pick up pace following Russia’s
incursion into Georgia, which came as a reaction to Georgia’s attempt to
retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia in early August.

During an early morning press briefing prior to the signing Rice said
that the agreement, which includes a U.S. commitment to help modernize the Polish armed forces, shows the tight bond between the two countries.

“It will deepen our defense cooperation, will deepen our ability to deal
with threats and it confirms what we already know: that Poland is one of
our greatest friends and allies,” Rice said.
interfax.com/5/420916/news.aspx[/quote]

Radar installations, training and other weaponry are also part and parcel of this agreement. Its win-win and a feather in Sec. Rices’ hat.

#13

It’s sexism like this that stops talented women like Condie achieving their rightful position in the US. We saw exactly the same sort of jibes against Hilary.

#14

It’s sexism like this that stops talented women like Condie achieving their rightful position in the US. We saw exactly the same sort of jibes against Hilary.[/quote]
Like I said, what has she done? Besides play Scrabble with Bush.

#15

you forgot to add Republican, they are minorities too.

I don’t think Rice would make a good president, wasn’t she in charge of national security during the 9/11 fiasco.
That being said, she seems smarter then either Obama or McCain

#16

[quote=“AlexBlackman”][quote=“KingZog”]Why won’t she run for President? She’s black, a woman, maybe a lesbian so she’s got the minority points. [/quote]you forgot to add Republican, they are minorities too.
I don’t think Rice would make a good president, wasn’t she in charge of national security during the 9/11 fiasco.
That being said, she seems smarter then either Obama or McCain[/quote]
Uhhh…no.

And she is a very intelligent and accomplished person.