Putin: Like taking candy away from a sleeping baby.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.Any guess as to Obama’s level of knowledge of the enemy, much less his own forces?
Putin is a Russian nationalist and fulfilled a Russian nationalist goal of reincorporating Crimea into Russia. Nationalism is the antithesis of the globalism championed by the “progressive left”. That was his real offense.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
Same source.
strangely enough... I fear Putin FAR less then 0bama.
at least Putin is honest
Good analysis.
Sad when one can look at the thinking of Putin and compare it with the words and actions of our current president and realize that Putin, for all his shortcomings, loves Russia and wants to preserve and grow the Russian peoples.
Obama is an enemy of the American peoples.
Historical Russia (no, not the Soviet Union) does have legitimate interests beyond it's current borders. For us to deny that, or worse to attempt to deny them to Russia, does risk existential war.
For what? So that Estonia can be in the German sphere of influence? Georgia too?
Ultimately the Russians are rational...or none of us would be here today. The balloon would have gone up in the 60's or 70's.
Must we have the Western World inhabit all of the Eastern world too?
If anyone contends we must, I ask...WHY?
And if it's "Freedom and Democracy"...why not the Central African Republic?
Putin sees that Sheriff Taylor is out of town and it’s Deputy Barney Fife on the job. He’s got a 3 year window to git ‘r done.
GOOGLETRNASLATE:
Golden Lion WARNING! Putin’s FSB is preparing a new separatist demonstrations in the south and east. The purpose of the Kremlin - to the south and east 8 referendum on secession , the federalization of all southeastern Regional centers and the introduction of Russian as a second state capture regional administrations, elected pro-Russian majority in council, disobedience Kyiv , creating its own, outside the control of Kyiv authorities , appeal to Putin military assistance and the failure of presidential elections on May 25.
Security Service, Interior Ministry, then you have the time to source all of arrested separatist leaders that incite people, otherwise we will have in the south and east of the “Crimean scenario” and lose another 8 regions. All very seriously.
Should immediately eliminate Ochag separatism, otherwise they will only grow. Center for secession - group in contact “Antymaydan” and its satellite group”
Referendums in 8 areas.” They incite separatist at weekly meetings and initiate separatist “referendum ».
March 25, News from Ukraine
Yesterday electricity went off in Crimea. It was feeble attempt of Ukrainian government to liberate our hostages. Now electricity is restored while hostages still in prison so the whole operation "Blackout" turned out to be another failure of Ukrainian government. Next time when electricity will be turned off it will not be Ukrainian government, it will be doing of Mr.Putin. The reason is that Putin do not need Crimea for people to live in, he needs it as territory for military base. It is very expensive for Russia to keep 2,5 million population in Crimea and pay high rates for delivering water, build power plants and lay pipe with gas. Will be really easier just depopulate the area, leaving some few hundred thousand people to provide services for Russian military. Depopulating is on the way, thousands refugees leaving Crimea now.., things like blackouts, ethnic cleansing will speed this up. In a few years there will be deserted area and no need to provide anyone with electricity and gas.
Meanwhile Ukrainian army in Crimea giving up, leaving to Russians our warships, aircraft and other military equipment worth billions dollars. Ukrainians do not resist, they armed with some sticks against Russian spetsnaz. Ukrainian military have command not to open fire. They receive command from interim president and in his turn he get this command from Western leaders. Pacifists. During Maydan period Western leaders kept saying to our opposition not to shed blood, to negotiate and prevent any violence. Eventually people couldn't stand it any longer and went ahead with sticks on armed police special forces, hundreds died and so Maydan won. It is people won, not opposition who now doing the same trying not to spill blood. I feel how degree in society is getting hot again. People very angry and now people armed. Another maydan will be a bloody mess.
If someone going to visit Ukraine this days, I really don't think it is good idea. We have armed gangs shooting police, robbing banks, robbing expensive stores by 15-20 men. Gangs armed with AK-47. This is now reality in Kiev and other cities. Situation is destabilized by fact that in addition to our bandits Russians coming in large numbers to do all sort of provocation. Our police forces do not exist. We can say that Russian invasion began.
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/maydan/updatemarch25.html
Is it my imagination, or is the word "pacifists" dripping with disgust (and probably soon, more blood)?
I would also note that Putin would be quite clever to depopulate Crimea. This would push more ethnic Russians into (most likely) Eastern Ukraine, possibly creating more havoc (ie., reason to further intervene), and if even not, creating more regions "Russianized" enough to perhaps vote to join Russia. It would also, I assume, attempt to push out the Tartars, who apparently (in protest) did not vote in the referendum, and who would be the most likely source of trouble for Putin's forces in Crimea. The question may be, will they resist?