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The Trouble with Russia
American Thinker ^ | March 06, 2008 | Herbert E. Meyer

Posted on 03/06/2008 8:53:32 PM PST by neverdem

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1 posted on 03/06/2008 8:53:33 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Take Putin out. Back back, my a$$.


2 posted on 03/06/2008 9:02:13 PM PST by Hoosier-Daddy ("It does no good to be a super power if you have to worry what the neighbors think." BuffaloJack)
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To: neverdem

“And diplomatically, Moscow is maneuvering in the Mideast and with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez to effectively transfer the leadership of OPEC to the Kremlin.”

Quite the feat, considering Russia is not an OPEC nation!
Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt these talking yahoos to get a few facts straight before they decide to pontificate.


3 posted on 03/06/2008 9:03:16 PM PST by eclecticEel (oh well, Hunter 2012 anyone?)
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To: neverdem

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, I had a lot of hope for Russia. Now, it seems they are headed for Soviet Union Part Two.


4 posted on 03/06/2008 9:04:05 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: neverdem

Mr. Meyer’s reasoned analysis confirms another reason why neither Barack Hussein Obama nor Hilary Rodham Clinton can be allowed to assume the presidency.


5 posted on 03/06/2008 9:09:01 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (http://www.fourfriedchickensandacoke.blogspot.com)
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To: eclecticEel

So what? Austria isn’t a member of OPEC (heck, it isn’t an oil producing nation), but Vienna is the site of the organisation’s headquarters.


6 posted on 03/06/2008 9:12:43 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: neverdem

Another stuck in the past neo con.

The trouble lies not with Russia. Medvedev and Putin work for the interests of the Russian people. The trouble is rather with our own leadership. They kow tow to the Saudis and OPEC and push secularism and gay marriage. No such claptrap in Russia.

Judaeo Christian ethics are far safer in Russia than they are with the Eurabia and the US. As such we need to work together with natural allies like The Russians.


7 posted on 03/06/2008 9:12:57 PM PST by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
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To: neverdem
The country's population is dropping fast, from about 143 million now to about 110 million in 2050.

Maybe Moscow could adjust its immigration policy to actively court immgration from South America...
8 posted on 03/06/2008 9:20:52 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: eleni121
Judaeo Christian ethics are far safer in Russia

Leaving strategic issues to the side for the moment, judging from the comments of friends who have tried to do business in Russia, I think "ethics" might be too strong a word to describe what goes on in that culture. According to my contacts, since 1990, the country has gone from gangsters to gangsters. That's a difficult kind of ally to maintain.

9 posted on 03/06/2008 9:28:30 PM PST by SamuraiScot
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To: Army Air Corps

Seems to be much the same cycle Germany went through last century.

The German army was allowed to leave the field intact at the end of WW1 and that fed the delusion that they could have won if they’d only held out a little longer. Then came economic hardship and loss of national prestige. Exploiters stepped up to capitalize on the chaos and we got WW2.

The Soviets were allowed to do much the same thing in allowing to quit the field in the Cold War without being forced into full and abject defeat. Then came economic hardship and loss of national prestige. Now we see exploiters stepping up to capitalize on the chaos. What we end up getting is still to be seen. The pattern is there, though.


10 posted on 03/06/2008 10:05:48 PM PST by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: neverdem

Simply stated, Russia has become a fascist state.


11 posted on 03/06/2008 11:39:18 PM PST by DB
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To: eleni121

Fascism is never in the interests of the people.


12 posted on 03/06/2008 11:40:37 PM PST by DB
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To: Grimmy

And it is fascist at its root.


13 posted on 03/06/2008 11:41:41 PM PST by DB
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To: Army Air Corps
Just finished the book “Comrade J”. This is nonfiction story of KGB Resident Officer in NYC from 1990’s thru defection in 2001. His disgust for Brezhnev and Putin's corruption was the reason for turning his back on Russia. A lot of info about how the whole downfall of the USSR along with the failures of the Clinton Admin to realize the situation. ComradeJ is the KGB agent that outed Strobe Talbott!
14 posted on 03/07/2008 4:44:40 AM PST by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: neverdem

Putin’s no fool; he’s learned well the central lesson of all Western democracies - that as long as you have your fat salary and a huge handful of perks and benefits, as well as an enormous pension, you can screw with impunity the people you ostensibly represent.


15 posted on 03/07/2008 4:51:32 AM PST by Jack Hammer (here)
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To: eleni121
The trouble lies not with Russia.

Of course. Russia is a pure and holy nation of incomparable angels, and cannot be criticized by nations inhabited by sinful mortals.

Medvedev and Putin work for the interests of the Russian people.

That's true, if by "Russian people" you mean "Putin, Medvedev and the crew of former KGB thugs and gangsters that control Russia."

The trouble is rather with our own leadership.

Indeed. America's leadership was chosen by a free and fair election. If only an ambitious Communist apparatchik had figured out a way to seize power in America, we'd be much better off.

They kow tow to the Saudis

Excellent point. It is much better to fellate the Iranian Islamofascists as the Russians do.

and OPEC

Now I'm confused. America's relationship with OPEC member Saudi Arabia is horrible, evil, bad leadership, etc. However, Russia's relationship with OPEC members Venezuela and Iran is good and righteous and wonderful. Why exactly?

and push secularism and gay marriage

Brilliant insight. If you ask the average American on the street who George W. Bush is, they'll say: "Oh, he's that guy who is always condemning Christianity and pushing gay marriage." You really are very intelligent and attentive.

No such claptrap in Russia.

Indeed. In America you have claptrap like some elected politicians criticizing Christianity and supporting special rights for homosexuals. That's not Russian claptrap. Russian claptrap is having a quasi-fascist dictatorship seize power in your country.

Judaeo Christian ethics are far safer in Russia than they are with the Eurabia and the US.

Interesting, since Christian religious commitment and particpation in Russia are basically the same as in "Eurabia." Less than 10% of Russians attend the Divine Liturgy on any given Sunday. More than 50% of Americans attend church services.

As such we need to work together with natural allies like The Russians.

Presumably your string of anti-American insults was some kind of diplomatic gesture to increase understanding between the two countries.

16 posted on 03/07/2008 6:02:02 AM PST by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: wideawake; All
It is you and your ilk that bash American Christian ethics and traditions. The status quo is not acceptable for it is a sell out of American interests.

Russia, having experienced the thuggery and immorality of Communism, has turned away from that godlessness and through the support of the Holy Church is attempting reform and return to the traditional Russianess of the nation.

We would do well to ally ourselves with Russia. You otoh can stake out your silliness in Eurabia or wherever else you feel welcome.

17 posted on 03/07/2008 9:44:05 AM PST by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
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To: DB

The only “fascism” I know are those who bash Russia for looking out for the interests of its people...something that the US should be doing and is not.


18 posted on 03/07/2008 9:46:52 AM PST by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
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To: eleni121
It is you and your ilk that bash American Christian ethics and traditions.

The usual tactics of advocates of Serbian ultranationalism and Putinian quasifascism (there is a great overlap between the two) are threefold:

(1) Avoid reasoning over the facts like the plague.

(2) Tell sweeping lies.

(3) Make all arguments personal.

In one sentence you have achieved a perfect combination of the three.

The status quo is not acceptable for it is a sell out of American interests.

So it would be in American interests to allow Putin to pursue his own interests without criticism? That's manifestly ridiculous.

Russia, having experienced the thuggery and immorality of Communism, has turned away from that godlessness and through the support of the Holy Church is attempting reform and return to the traditional Russianess of the nation.

So you claim. Of course, there is scant evidence of this. What there is evidence of is the reemergence of dictatorship in Russia and of Alexius II following his namesake's tradition of collaborating with dictators.

We would do well to ally ourselves with Russia.

Russia would do well to ally itself with the United States. However, Putin has chosen to cast his lot with Iran instead.

You otoh can stake out your silliness in Eurabia or wherever else you feel welcome.

You keep using that phrase: "Eurabia."

Arabs constitute a tiny percentage of the EU's population - so I assume you mean Muslims in Europe, i.e. the Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in the UK, the Turks in Germany, the Berbers and Arabs in France, Spain and the Netherlands, the Persians in Denmark and Sweden, the Albanians and Arabs in Italy.

As it turns out, the UK is 3% Muslim, Germany 4%, France 4.5%, Spain 3%, Holland 2.5%, Sweden 2.5%, Denmark 2%, Italy 1.5%.

And Russia?

10% Muslim.

That's right: 10%.

And native born Russians have lower fertility than any of the aforementioned nations, despite their already abysmally low fertility.

Every problem you associate with Western Europe: growing Muslim population, declining nominal Christian population, very low participation by the nominally Christian population in the life of the Church - is all worse in Russia.

19 posted on 03/07/2008 10:17:58 AM PST by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: eleni121
Another stuck in the past neo con. The trouble lies not with Russia. Medvedev and Putin work for the interests of the Russian people. The trouble is rather with our own leadership. They kow tow to the Saudis and OPEC and push secularism and gay marriage. No such claptrap in Russia. Judaeo Christian ethics are far safer in Russia than they are with the Eurabia and the US. As such we need to work together with natural allies like The Russians.

Keep your eyes open, Russia is not known as the bear nation without cause. They are what they are and there is history.

20 posted on 03/07/2008 10:21:25 AM PST by Just mythoughts (Isa.3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.)
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