Friday, March 28, 2014
Republicans Wrong. Again!
The right wing blogsphere has been on fire with blowhards accusing President Obama of being weak, of our position in world opinion as weak, as anything President Obama and Secretary of State, John Kerry, did as weak.
But as is the usual case, their accusations and opinions are as accurate as some rag-tag fortune teller at a fifth rate carnival. The right wing WANTS failure; the rightwing bellows for failure; the rightwing prays to its gods for failure, but here's what reality is:
President Putin called President Obama today to discuss the U.S. proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, which Secretary Kerry had again presented to Foreign Minister Lavrov at the meeting at the Hague earlier this week, and which we developed following U.S. consultations with our Ukrainian and European partners. President Obama suggested that Russia put a concrete response in writing and the presidents agreed that Kerry and Lavrov would meet to discuss next steps.
President Obama noted that the Ukrainian government continues to take a restrained and de-escalatory approach to the crisis and is moving ahead with constitutional reform and democratic elections, and urged Russia to support this process and avoid further provocations, including the buildup of forces on its border with Ukraine. President Obama underscored to President Putin that the United States continues to support a diplomatic path in close consultation with the Government of Ukraine and in support of the Ukrainian people with the aim of de-escalation of the crisis.
President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
President Obama reiterated that the United States has strongly opposed the actions that Russia has already taken to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Bloomberg reported that the sanctions are pushing Russia’s economy towards a recession and that current sanctions will already hurt Russia’s economic growth for two quarters.
Experts also suggest that the energy sector of the Russian economy could take a big hit if the sanctions are expanded.
All of the Republicans who suggested that sanctions have been a pointless failure are wrong. The sanctions are doing what they are supposed to do. Putin is coming to the table, and he suggesting that he is ready to solve this crisis diplomatically. President Obama hasn’t needed troops or to threaten militarily. His administration has clearly targeted Putin and the oligarchs that control the Russian economy.
Republicans have been like fanboys with their praise of Putin’s strength, but it turns out their new hero has been being brought to his knees by the intelligent and determined foreign policy of Barack Obama.
W.H.: Vladimir Putin calls Barack Obama to discuss Ukraine plan
POLITICS More: White House Barack Obama Vladimir PutinOBAMA TO PUTIN: Put A Proposal In Writing, And We'll Talk About It
White House: Putin, Obama discuss possible 'diplomatic solution' in Ukraine
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****BREAKING*****
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Barack Obama to discuss the U.S. proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, the White House said in a statement Friday.
Obama suggested that Russia "put a concrete response in writing," and agreed that Secretary of State John Kerry would meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov to discuss it, the statement said.
Obama also told Putin that the U.S. supports a diplomatic path in close consultation with Ukraine. "President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," the statement read.
This is wonderful news. If it pans out, and Obama succeeds in resolving a crisis of this magnitude -- involving an aggression by the world's other superpower! -- purely by economic pressure and without violence, it will be an unprecedented accomplishment.
Of course the Republicans will just grumble that they didn't get a chance to bomb the shit out of something.
I think the main reason the neo-cons go on the attack every time there's an international incident is because of their desire to "force" this president to make a mistake of major proportions like GWB did when we invaded Iraq. It only pisses them off more that he never takes the bait they throw at him. They, and GWB, know invading Iraq was a mistake and that GWB was a f*ck up. It's why we rarely see him pop up on TV these days, but it in no way means he isn't involved behind the scenes, especially since Jeb went to LV to kiss Sheldon Adelson' *ss today. They may not appreciate President Obama's foreign policy decisions, but I love them because they don't involve sabre-rattling and military interventions based on BS like "gut" feelings.
More on the guy American conservatives admire: A liar and a bully. Their kind of leader:
UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Reuters) - Russia threatened several Eastern European and Central Asian states with retaliation if they voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution this week declaring invalid Crimea's referendum on seceding from Ukraine, U.N. diplomats said.
The disclosures about Russian threats came after Moscow accused Western countries of using "shameless pressure, up to the point of political blackmail and economic threats," in an attempt to coerce the United Nations' 193 member states to join it in supporting the non-binding resolution on the Ukraine crisis.
According to interviews with U.N. diplomats, most of whom preferred to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of angering Moscow, the targets of Russian threats included Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as a number of African countries.
No wonder Big Dick Cheney still has a following in this country.
When it comes to supporting the interests of the Military Industrial Complex Dick Cheney is but one of many.
The world waits.... this is but one chapter. Methinks the chapters may be many.
Are the conservatives calling Pootie-Poot and telling him how much they admire his aggressive he-man actions?...conservatives love a strong manly-man, non-Mommy jeans-wearing-guy who pushes people and countries around..a swaggering loud-mouth bully...iow a Christie...who'll show the world what large cajones America has...and won't hesitate to drag us all into another stupid war...are the conservatives kissing Pootie-Poot's ass?
You're nuts anon, each side has their nutters. But carry on...
RN, the conflicts in Ukraine have been going on since before Moscow was founded.
Yes, it will continue and the country faces serious problems.
However, I must ask Shaw why she wants to make that nice John Bolton cry.
I think the conservatives would like to do more than just kiss Putin's ass. It's a true manly love affair.
Ducky,
John Bolton just wrote to me. This was in my inbox yesterday:
Dear GOPUSA Friend,
I never thought I'd live to see a president fail worse than Jimmy Carter – but then came Barack Obama.
Benghazi, Ukraine, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan...he[sic] failures are stacking up and they all have one thing in common: Barack Obama.
Our biggest national security threat is Barack Obama – and it's time we did something about it.
I formed John Bolton PAC for one purpose – to see that our leaders remain committed to restoring American economic and national security. There is a critical fundraising deadline approaching that will be the determining factor in how many candidates my PAC can support in 2014. Will you help us before time runs out?
Barack Obama doesn't believe in the execptionalism of America. He only believes in the exceptionalism of himself and his defeatist view of America's place in the world. Who knows...he may be more comfortable with Putin in charge, but I'm not.
Will you help me fight Barack Obama's defeatist vision for America with an immediate contribution of $25, $50, $100 or more right away to Bolton PAC?
We need your help before the March 31st deadline so we can determine how many patriotic, conservative, national security-focused candidates we can send to Washington to fight against Barack Obama and restore credibility to America.
So, can you make a contribution before this important deadline passes?
The amount we raise by March 31st will be watched closely. We need to post strong numbers so we can demonstrate a strong mandate that people are on our side.
Think about this: Obama ran promising "change we can believe in." And what kind of change do we see now? Thanks to the embarrassing results of the Obama–Clinton–Kerry doctrine of drift, decline, and defeatism, the only change I see is that America is disrespected and disregarded now more than at any other time in our history.
We must return national security to the center of the political debate throughout 2014 and restore a strong Reaganite foreign policy of peace through strength.
So, will you help me fight for American greatness by making an immediate contribution of $25, $50, $100 or more right away to Bolton PAC?
That is the key to success this November and beyond to ensuring America's freedom and security in the years ahead.
So, will you join me? I need your help before this critical deadline passes.
Sincerely,
John Bolton
He keeps asking me for money and I never send him any love...
The body of the begging letter sounds like it was lifted from the conservative blogs you comment on.
The narratives are getting old, tiring, and childish. Tit for Tat, so productive.
Infidel753, the "patriotic" conservatives wish with all their hearts for President Obama, and therefore, America to fail. They've wished for that outcome since before Mr. Obama was even inaugurated in 2009.
majii,yes, the conservatives piss and moan at everything this president and his wife says or does. EVERYTHING. And you know what? It's probably a good thing. It keeps them from sticking forks in their eyes or eating paste.
RN, I think the "nutters" on the right, at this point, outnumber by many, many hundreds, the "nutters" on the left.
Spam H., yeah, it's pretty funny to listen to and read how much they admire this totalitarian asshat, then say with a straight face that it's not HIM they like, but his "strength." The "strength" to act like an aggressor? They just ache for those good ole GWB days of invading other countries and killing all those brown people...
Oh GAWD! This is so bad. They really HAVE lost it over Putin:
MARCH 28, 2014, 2:24 PM
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) feels like he deserves more gratitude from Vladimir Putin for defending Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea.
“I kind of wish I would get some sort of word back,” he told the New York Times on Thursday. “But I haven’t even gotten so much as a thank you.”
The Cold War veteran, who once had a drunken arm-wrestling match with Putin when he was deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the 1990s, said Tuesday that Crimeans had every right to "self-determination" and that the U.S. should be happy about the bloodless transfer of power.
"Yet we have to go and condemn the Russians, of course, when no one lost their life in an attempt to make sure the people of Crimea had a right to control their own destiny and their own self-determination," he said.
The White House does not officially recognize the referendum in Ukraine because it took place "under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law."
But Rohrabacher thinks Russia has changed for the better.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) feels like he deserves more gratitude from Vladimir Putin for defending Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea.
Ah, the exquisite pain of unrequited love.....sniffle.....
Reminding one of the War Between the States. Crimea, desirous of self determination (like the 13 colonies and later the south) votes to succeed and become independent from Ukraine and the nation all about liberty (self determination) sides with federal statisim.
Tedious. That aside, since the nation has accepted the values of denial of self determination we should be supporting Obama and trashing the Crimean separatists and Putin.
Did I sum up the position accurately?
No. you didn't. it is much more complicated and involves much more than what you've stated..too simplistic...
Crimea, desirous of self determination (like the 13 colonies and later the south) votes to succeed and become independent from Ukraine
Oh, rubbish. A referendum held under foreign military occupation and with obviously faked results (over 90% supposedly voted to secede and join Russia when previous polls had shown support for the idea no higher than 50%, usually lower) bears no resemblance to the situation in the 13 colonies.
since the nation has accepted the values of denial of self determination we should be supporting Obama
Again, rubbish. Obama won proper democratic elections, twice. You may not like the results, but Obama's Presidency does represent the self-determination of the American people.
If any recent American election result was a denial of self-determination, it was the way the Republicans held the House via gerrymandering despite the fact that in 2012 over a million more votes were cast for Democratic House candidates than for Republican ones.
We're taking about Self denial of self determination of the majority of the people of Crimea. At least I am. Hence my statement we should support Obama.
Oops, weren't there elections in Iraq when we we're occupying that country?
RN....c'mon..there is NO comparison with what is happening in Russia/Ukraine....very involved. Multiple centuries involved. Start with http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Great-His-Life-World/dp/0345298063
....though it deals primarily with Peter the Great there is excellent back-story, history, that explains much of the Russian psyche and is a good stepping stone to understanding. AND...it is a fascinatingly good read. Copies should be available at any library or cheaply on the web.
...and...you are no dummy...I know that. I believe you would like the book. I think I have read it about four times. Beats the shit out of most TV, hands down.
Whatever.
Les, C'mon...that is just a passive response to a well meant suggestion. IT IS A VERY COMPLEX situation...a study of Russian History, a good study, reveals much about them and their world view. It is a small planet and not everyone feels or thinks like an American. just saying.
Yeah, I get that. I'll check out the book. As a one time history major, of course that was before the progressive revisionist gurus gained popular acceptanc, I would enjoy it.
Les...thank you. It did win a Pulitzer. A good historical writer..
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