[h=1]5 lessons for a new Cold War[/h]
1. Nobody's scared of America, but American and European values hold strong appeal.
2. You don't mess with Putin without paying a price.
3. If you are a vulnerable state, you may regret surrendering nuclear weapons.
4. Don't expect support from all international peace activists (unless the U.S. invades).
5. The use of brute force to resolve conflicts is not a thing of the past.
1. Nobody's scared of America, but American and European values hold strong appeal.
2. You don't mess with Putin without paying a price.
3. If you are a vulnerable state, you may regret surrendering nuclear weapons.
4. Don't expect support from all international peace activists (unless the U.S. invades).
5. The use of brute force to resolve conflicts is not a thing of the past.
Here we go again. Cross this line and we’ll do something.
Secretary of State John Kerry warned of serious repercussions for Russia on Monday if last-ditch talks over the weekend to resolve the crisis in Ukraine failed to persuade Moscow to soften its stance.
Kerry will travel to London for a Friday meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ahead of a Sunday referendum vote in the Crimea region to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.
U.S. and European officials argue that Moscow is orchestrating the referendum and waging an intimidation campaign with thousands of Russian troops controlling the region. If Russian-backed lawmakers in Crimea go through with the Sunday referendum, Kerry said the U.S. and its European allies will not recognize it as legitimate under international law.
The U.S. and Europe on Monday would then unite to impose sanctions on Russia, Kerry told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday during a hearing on the State Department's budget. (I'm not sure Europe knows this)
“There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” Kerry said. “If there is no sign [from Russia] of any capacity to respond to this issue ... there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.”
serious repercussions… “There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.”
Way to go big John, that should do it. I bet Putin will respond in a positive manner just as soon as he stops laughing uncontrollably.
Secretary of State John Kerry warned of serious repercussions for Russia on Monday if last-ditch talks over the weekend to resolve the crisis in Ukraine failed to persuade Moscow to soften its stance.
Kerry will travel to London for a Friday meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ahead of a Sunday referendum vote in the Crimea region to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.
U.S. and European officials argue that Moscow is orchestrating the referendum and waging an intimidation campaign with thousands of Russian troops controlling the region. If Russian-backed lawmakers in Crimea go through with the Sunday referendum, Kerry said the U.S. and its European allies will not recognize it as legitimate under international law.
The U.S. and Europe on Monday would then unite to impose sanctions on Russia, Kerry told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday during a hearing on the State Department's budget. (I'm not sure Europe knows this)
“There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” Kerry said. “If there is no sign [from Russia] of any capacity to respond to this issue ... there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.”
serious repercussions… “There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.”
Way to go big John, that should do it. I bet Putin will respond in a positive manner just as soon as he stops laughing uncontrollably.
Poll: Vladimir Putin is stronger than President Obama
http://washingtonexaminer.com/poll-...r-leader-than-president-obama/article/2545617
:hahahahah
http://washingtonexaminer.com/poll-...r-leader-than-president-obama/article/2545617
:hahahahah
You're missing the point that a democratically elected president by 500,000 votes had to flee for his life. Let's see. The overthrow of a democratically elected government by armed mobs, including masked neo-Nazi's, is a shining monument to democracy.
The west has been backing an violent insurecction led by neo-naizs as a means to an end. Now they need to get the neo-nazi genie back in the neo-liberal bottle before they end up with a civil war and/or a counter coup by the putin backed russian nationalists.
I keep emphazing this but I will do it again. Democracy does not work successfully without a successful capitalist system. These countries just aren't there and many do not have the natural resources to get them there. Natural resources are key to a successful capitalistic system. The U.S. has been blessed with bountiful supplies of natural resources and we need to expedite production of them. Right now Eastern Europe needs Russian natural gas, it goes on and on. We love to give money away but what these countries need is someone they can count on the relieve their dependencies and reduce the deficiencies so they can pursue capitalism with the resources they do have. Democracy is relative to economic independence in my book. Obama's reluctance to let Keystone roll (without any tax dollars involved) and for production companies to drill on Federal Land just backs everything up even further. That policy, or lack of one, simply opens the door for situations like this. Freedom has always had a price and it is now higher than ever.
wow, what a shit show. Poor Putin, the chap's head is spinning 
.....I think its safe to say he AINT OUTSMARTING ANYONE .....bwahahhahahhhahaha!!!!
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/putins-shock-and-awe-puts-the-markets-on-high-alert-2014-12-16
In the wee hours of a Moscow morning, Russia took a massive step toward protecting the ruble and defending its ailing economy against a currency crisis. The country’s central bank, in a surprise move, raised its key interest rate to 17% from 10.5%, effective today. That’s the biggest bump since the government defaulted on debt back in 1998.
Our comrades in the fuzzy hats are up against it.
The ruble’s bleeding hasn’t really stopped despite that move, which Wonkblog’s Matt O’Brien says is a desperate move, a “financial shock and awe,” that won’t stop things from getting a lot worse.
“It’s a classic kind of emerging-markets crisis,” he wrote. “It’s only a small simplification, you see, to say that Russia doesn’t so much have an economy as it has an oil-exporting business that subsidizes everything else. That’s why the combination of more supply from the United States, and less demand from Europe, China, and Japan has hit them particularly hard.”
For the ruble to truly stabilize beyond this knee-jerk bounce, oil is going to have to recover, and who knows when that will happen. It doesn’t look like today.
Not many are shedding a tear for Vladimir Putin, of course, but there just might be an outbreak of sobbing in the world’s trading pits if Russia’s woes reverberate across the globe.
.....I think its safe to say he AINT OUTSMARTING ANYONE .....bwahahhahahhhahaha!!!!http://www.marketwatch.com/story/putins-shock-and-awe-puts-the-markets-on-high-alert-2014-12-16
In the wee hours of a Moscow morning, Russia took a massive step toward protecting the ruble and defending its ailing economy against a currency crisis. The country’s central bank, in a surprise move, raised its key interest rate to 17% from 10.5%, effective today. That’s the biggest bump since the government defaulted on debt back in 1998.
Our comrades in the fuzzy hats are up against it.
The ruble’s bleeding hasn’t really stopped despite that move, which Wonkblog’s Matt O’Brien says is a desperate move, a “financial shock and awe,” that won’t stop things from getting a lot worse.
“It’s a classic kind of emerging-markets crisis,” he wrote. “It’s only a small simplification, you see, to say that Russia doesn’t so much have an economy as it has an oil-exporting business that subsidizes everything else. That’s why the combination of more supply from the United States, and less demand from Europe, China, and Japan has hit them particularly hard.”
For the ruble to truly stabilize beyond this knee-jerk bounce, oil is going to have to recover, and who knows when that will happen. It doesn’t look like today.
Not many are shedding a tear for Vladimir Putin, of course, but there just might be an outbreak of sobbing in the world’s trading pits if Russia’s woes reverberate across the globe.
What you are ultimately all witnessing is a rise -- a full-out rebellion -- of the majority working classes in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
What you are ultimately all witnessing is a rise -- a full-out rebellion -- of the majority working classes in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
What you are ultimately all witnessing is a rise -- a full-out rebellion -- of the majority working classes in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Ukraine is not fighting "RUSSIANS." Did they ever imagine they could have held off Russia this long? The rebels may have Russian help, but the main army are citizens of east Ukraine who demand independence. 'When Putin said "I could take Kiev in 2 weeks" this is what he was talking about , it was not a threat, but explaining that it's not ther Russian army fighting Ukraine, or they'd have won long ago!'
'Rank-and-file Ukranian troops have increasingly voiced exasperation at perceived government mismanagement of the war. Anatoly Babchenko, a soldier captured Sunday by the rebels who was being held in a basement cell at the Starobesheve police station, was unsparing in his criticism.'
'First they drove people to hunger, and now they've driven them to war," Babchenko said. "They call this an antiterrorist operation, but this is a civil war. Brother killing brother." The Ukrainian soldiers do NOT want to KILL their bothers and sisters in the East! The West can give all the weapons they want to the Kiev Junta and the Rebels will still WIN the fight. This Chocolate King of a false president MUST go if Ukraine is to survive as a nation'
Maybe he should, or maybe he should use a time honored Russian tactic-start gobbling up neighbors-actually, things haven't gone so well since that Ukraine foray, have they? Opening up the borders is great, it makes prehistoric old pricks like you get all stressed out, thus hastening their exit from the stage-so, the demographic changes, and brainless scum aren't around anymore...win, win.
I don't quite understand your logic. Russia has a national debt of less than a qurater of a trillion and Obama more than doubled our national debt to over 18 trillion. Prehistoric, how about just common sense prone. You worry over shit that does not even effect you. Putin is more of a leader than Obama is and Obama is taking us down right before your eyes and you still don't get it. Dude you are the one who is stressed out not me. Whatever happens in Russia happens. Obama is a loser and anyone who supports him is also.
Anybody who can look at the American economy presently, and the Russian economy presently, and apparently come to the conclusion that Russia's situation is better, is a moron of epic proportions-and, of course, you are. YOU are the one who doesn't get, you crusty old prick, just like you didn't get it in terms of who was going to win the election. Remember that, Brainiac?
ointer:Slapping-silly90))cockingasnook()azzkick(&^Loser!@#0:hahahahahkth)(&^Anybody who can look at the American economy presently, and the Russian economy presently, and apparently come to the conclusion that Russia's situation is better, is a moron of epic proportions-and, of course, you are. YOU are the one who doesn't get, you crusty old prick, just like you didn't get it in terms of who was going to win the election. Remember that, Brainiac?
I can think of 18 trillion reasons you are a moron. lol
Way to try and deflect, Scumbag. Putin talked shit, Obama bitched slapped him and put a cigar out in his food with those sanctions, leaving conservatives whose lips were glued to Putin's jock-and YOU-looking like complete idiots. And it's gonna get worse...
ointer:Slapping-silly90))cockingasnook()azzkick(&^Loser!@#0:hahahahahkth)(&^http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/16/opinion/ghitis-putin-ruble/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
(CNN) -- What would you do if you were Vladimir Putin? What would you do if you were a Russian citizen?
Russia's economic problems -- slowly incubating in recent months -- are about to get a lot worse. And that should make all of us nervous.
The stomach-turning free fall of the ruble, the Russian currency, revealed the impending crisis. It may seem like a matter of economics, but at this level it is about politics, and when it comes to Putin, politics does not stop at the Russian border.
Putin will try to blame Russia's problems on the West. He will work to bolster support at home, rally the public by making Russians feel besieged by the outside world, mostly by the United States and its NATO allies. That could end up creating even more dangerous tensions between Moscow and Washington, between Russia and the West. And Putin has shown he is not afraid of using every instrument of power, including his military forces, to achieve his goals.
The walls are closing in on Putin's Russia. The spectacular collapse in global oil prices has led to an even more dramatic crumbling of the Russian currency, all of it coming at the same time as economic sanctions the West had imposed after Putin's forces captured Crimea, legally part of Ukraine, and stoked a separatist war between pro-Russian Ukrainians and the central government in Kiev.
In his annual speech to the nation this month, Putin told Russians that the West is determined to keep Russia from becoming strong, that Ukraine was not the real reason for the sanctions. "If none of that (Ukraine) had ever happened," he said, "they would have come up with some other excuse to try to contain Russia's growing capabilities." He described it as a historical pattern the West repeats "whenever someone thinks that Russia has become too strong or independent."
For now, the strategy, which includes suppressing any critical media and quieting critics, is working. Polls show Putin's approval ratings at stratospheric levels. But that was before the price of oil collapsed and the ruble went into a downward spiral.
Even if he can keep strong popular support, Putin has to worry most of all about keeping happy the oligarchs, the wealthy Russians who back him in exchange for continued prosperity. Economic sanctions and a shrinking economy will not make them happy.
The severity of the current crisis became apparent by Tuesday. The ruble had lost nearly 20% in just one day. So the Central Bank, Russia's version of the Federal Reserve, held an emergency meeting and raised interest rates to 17% from 10.5%.
The move was meant to strengthen the ruble, to keep people from selling. Wealthy Russians have taken more than $125 billion out of the country, and slashed oil earnings mean there are less export earnings to convert into rubles.
The rate hike hasn't appeared to work. But even if it does, that neck-snapping hike will make it hard for the economy to breathe. Once again, the Russia people will go through wrenching economic hardship because their leaders are following foolish, grandiose policies.
Only recently authorities had predicted a mild recession for next year. That is all changing now. Instead of the original government forecast of a 0.8% decline, the Central Bank said that if oil stays under $60 a barrel, the economy could contract more than 4.5%. That is a deep and painful recession.
Living standards are now sure to slide.
For Putin, strong oil and gas export earnings have provided political power. Popularity came from rising living standards. It was less than a year ago when, flush with cash, Putin staged his triumphant Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. He spent $50 billion to dazzle the world and show the Russia people that under his leadership Russia was a global power. But before the Olympic flame flickered out fires were already raging in Ukraine. Then came the invasion of Crimea, economic sanctions, and now this, the most painful cut of oil.
Sanctions, which were meant to loosen Putin's grip on eastern Ukraine, are now not the main problem for the Russian leader. If he relented to Western demands, he would still have a recession on his hands.
A cornered Putin could prove dangerous, as Russia's neighbors know well.
Sweden's defense minister went on TV a few days ago to announce new military readiness measures in response to Russia's military maneuvers.
The Baltic states, whose NATO membership commits the United States and others to intervene in their defense, worry Russia may make a move in their territory. Russian agents captured an Estonian official a few months ago. The Baltics -- Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- have fresh memories of being annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Moscow's military muscle-flexing has not been limited to border states. Britain's Royal Air Force has intercepted several Russian bombers as they neared UK airspace. Norway, too, has intercepted Russian bombers. NATO says it has intercepted more than 100 Russian aircraft since the crisis over Ukraine started.
Would Putin start a new military crisis to fuel nationalistic fervor and thus protect himself from the backlash of economic troubles at home?
Recent rhetoric indicates that would be a preferred tactic. But polls show the Russian people are wavering. Russian support for a military presence in Ukraine has dropped from 74% to 23%, according to The Economist.
That's the first sign of a majority of Russians doubting, if not in any way turning against their President for now.
Putin has no good, easy choices. That should give the rest of the world reason to be nervous.
The Kremlin has known, ever since the oil boom took off 10 years ago, that a political system was being built on the basis of the one thing in Russia that Vladimir Putin could not control - the price of oil. The Kremlin's own accounts estimate that sales of oil and gas accounted for 50% of Russia's federal budget revenue in 2013. And ominously, roughly half the Russian population lives off the state budget - either as state employees, pensioners or as benefit claimants.
This means that a collapse in the oil price threatens the fragile foundations of the current system, in which the Kremlin buys the loyalty of the majority with state handouts. The Kremlin needs the price of oil to remain high, and even to rise if it is to continue to deliver rising living standards.
Instead Russians may now have to face austerity.
This means that a collapse in the oil price threatens the fragile foundations of the current system, in which the Kremlin buys the loyalty of the majority with state handouts. The Kremlin needs the price of oil to remain high, and even to rise if it is to continue to deliver rising living standards.
Instead Russians may now have to face austerity.
Putin ignored advice from Yegor Gaidar, the former Russian prime minister who took up his post immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992. He wrote a book-length appeal to Putin, The Collapse Of An Empire, arguing that the Soviet Union had financially imploded due to the sudden collapse in the oil price - thanks to American-Saudi agreements to increase production - and that the new Russia was repeating its mistakes.
Russia's own government knew that an oil crash was inevitable. Vladimir Putin ignored the government's Strategy 2020, which proudly announced that "structural diversification of the economy will become evident in the composition of exports". He ignored the pleas of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, then serving as titular president, who in 2009 rhetorically asked the Russian public: "Can an economy based on raw materials and endemic corruption take us into the future?" Even the powerful Kremlin aide, Vladislav Surkov, currently leading on operations in Ukraine, warned in 2010: "We are not like Kuwait… We are unable to be a small prosperous emirate. We are a great big country that oil will be unable to feed. We must learn to make money from our brains."
The projects proposed by Russia's conservatives to invest in new industrial stock were ignored. The idea pioneered by Dmitry Medvedev and Vladislav Surkov to create a science park at Skolkovo outside Moscow grew into little more than a Potemkin village. Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has often seemed to prefer the fast-paced dramas of Ukraine and Syria to the difficult work of fostering infant industries, promoting new technologies or small businesses.
Russia's own government knew that an oil crash was inevitable. Vladimir Putin ignored the government's Strategy 2020, which proudly announced that "structural diversification of the economy will become evident in the composition of exports". He ignored the pleas of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, then serving as titular president, who in 2009 rhetorically asked the Russian public: "Can an economy based on raw materials and endemic corruption take us into the future?" Even the powerful Kremlin aide, Vladislav Surkov, currently leading on operations in Ukraine, warned in 2010: "We are not like Kuwait… We are unable to be a small prosperous emirate. We are a great big country that oil will be unable to feed. We must learn to make money from our brains."
The projects proposed by Russia's conservatives to invest in new industrial stock were ignored. The idea pioneered by Dmitry Medvedev and Vladislav Surkov to create a science park at Skolkovo outside Moscow grew into little more than a Potemkin village. Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has often seemed to prefer the fast-paced dramas of Ukraine and Syria to the difficult work of fostering infant industries, promoting new technologies or small businesses.
