Is Trump Right About Putin?

NYT ^ | October 25, 2016 | Kathryn Stoner & Matthew Rojansky

[TigerLikesRooster]

October 25, 2016

Is Trump Right About Putin?

One of the surprises of the 2016 election is to have a Republican candidate saying the United States needs to be more conciliatory toward the autocratic Russian president Vladimir V. Putin. Meanwhile, the Democrat is talking tough.

Russia is enabling the slaughter in Syria, occupies part of Ukraine and threatens action in the Baltic region. But would it still make sense for the United States to try to deal more closely with Russia?

/snip

Diplomatic Isolation of Russia Is Counterproductive

Matthew Rojansky 3:20 AM

The current U.S. approach to Russia has failed. Moscow is ostensibly isolated and subject to sanctions. Yet it has not appreciably changed its course on Ukraine or Syria; instead it is escalating and broadening the conflict via nuclear saber rattling, cyber attacks and information warfare. Meanwhile it has re-established considerable influence throughout the Middle East, the former Soviet region, and even East Asia and Latin America. What is to be done?

Stop obsessing over Putin, stop expecting true democracy in Russia and re-establish dialogue as a vital tool for advancing our national interests.

First, we need to stop obsessing over Putin. Our problem is with Russia. Putin stands in the mainstream of a centuries-old Russian foreign policy tradition and worldview and he enjoys broad elite support and popular consent for his policies. Any approach premised mainly on "being tough" with Putin (as Hillary Clinton promises) or on charming him into making a deal (as Trump does) misses the point entirely.

Second, we need to stop pursuing policies with the expectation either that Russia will change into a friendly democracy or that it can be fully defeated and sidelined. Neither is remotely likely in the foreseeable future.

[TigerLikesRooster]

U.S. and Russia have divergent interests. Conflict and tension between two countries are inevitable. However, it is wholly unnecessary and downright dangerous to believe that Putin should be crushed like a dictator in a small country.

[gaijin]

LIVE - Trump in New Mexico, plane just taxied up to hangar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjqAsbufsTI

26,000 watching now.

[Williams]

Trump never said to charm Putin. He Simply said wouldn’t it be good if we can get along with Russia. Russia, not Putin.

[UncleSam]

What a thrill!

[Nothingburger]

Russia is our competitor, not our enemy — at least to anyone who isn’t an insane warmonger.

Putin is an SOB, but he’s an SOB for Mother Russia. And compared the Kenyan Usurper and the Butcher of Benghazi, he’s a model of rationality.

If Putin wants military adventures in the Middle East, let him knock himself out. See how much we got out of it. Putin could end up punching the Middle East Tar Baby for longer than the Soviets were in Afghanistan.

Of course, in my dreams, I hope that President Trump signs an alliance with the Russkies, and then we start kicking Mooslime butt all over the desert.

The climax of my “screenplay” comes when Mecca and Medina are reduced to cinders, and Constantinople once again becomes a Christian city.

A guy can dream, can’t he.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yeah, that is a serious mischaracterization, which I am accustomed to expecting from a NYT piece even when they are being friendly.

[lodi90]

Leftists expect Hillary to win are already laying the ground for her to back off her Hawkish campaign. And be Putin’s doormat. I’ve already seen a few articles like this. “We need to understand Russia” blah, blah, blah.

[silverleaf]

The writer either willfully or stupidly seems to know very little of what is really happening in Syria and Ukraine

[TigerLikesRooster]

I am all for Russia retaking Constantinople and backing off their European adventure into Baltic and E. European countries. These countries do not want to fall into the heavy hand of Russia again. Russia is free to assume the mantle of Third Rome, the heir to Byzantine Empire as long as she leaves her neighbors who do not welcome her returning as an imperial overlord.

[Strac6]

If the question is ever, Is Putin doing a better job for Russia and Russians than Obama is for America and Americas, Putin wins that contest every time.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Ping

[kaehurowing]

Obama started this by arming ISIS and other terrorists to try overthrow the legitimate government of Syria. If Obama hadn’t poured gasoline on the middle east and then thrown a match on it, we wouldn’t have these problems. The deaths of hundreds of thousands can be laid at Obama’s doorstep.

[ZULU]

Trump knows what he is doing. He is putting him off guard. Putin is a gangster, a thug and a crook. HE is backing a genocidal fascist Baathist dictator in Syria, he has stolen land in Ukraine,he invaded Georgia, he threatens the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, he is trying to shore up his image in the midst of a collapsing Russian economy, he has allied himself with Iran, he has designs on the middle east, he has contributed to destabilization of western Europe by his murderous actions in Syria. He is not our friend.

Hillary is all talk, no action and absolute corruption.

Trump is a VERY smart guy and he has Putin’s number. AS HE SAID BEFORE on foreign policy, YOU DON’T TELEGRAPH WHAT YOU ARE THINKING OR PLAN TO DO O YOUR ENEMY.

[ZULU]

Putin is a fascist dictator who smashes all opposition. HE is KGB. Russia’s economy is in the toilette and he is trying to resurrect the Soviet Empire.

He is our enemy.

[lodi90]

Trump knows what he is doing. He is putting him off guard. Putin is a gangster, a thug and a crook. HE is backing a genocidal fascist Baathist dictator in Syria, he has stolen land in Ukraine,he invaded Georgia, he threatens the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, he is trying to shore up his image in the midst of a collapsing Russian economy, he has allied himself with Iran, he has designs on the middle east, he has contributed to destabilization of western Europe by his murderous actions in Syria. He is not our friend.

Hillary is all talk, no action and absolute corruption.

Trump is a VERY smart guy and he has Putin’s number. AS HE SAID BEFORE on foreign policy, YOU DON’T TELEGRAPH WHAT YOU ARE THINKING OR PLAN TO DO O YOUR ENEMY.

---

Correctumndo. Trump is actually in a much stronger political position by taking a moderate line on Putin during a hot air campaign. Hillary has built this phony baloney hawkish image that needs to be dismantled should she win. The last hawk Dem was LBJ. 50 years ago. Hillary won’t be the next.

Putin needs conflict and enemies to keep the Russian people distracted while his kleptocracy robs them blind. Conflict with Putinist Russia will continue regardless of who is POTUS, IMO.

[Strac6]

And like many dictators of countries that are not ready to govern themselves, he is brutally effective.

[thoughtomator]

Putin is not our (Americans') enemy.

If he's your enemy, lay your cards on the table and tell us which foreign power you represent.

[rb22982]

Bingo

[ETL]

Donald Trump: 'Putin has eaten Obama's lunch' on Ukraine

Mar 13, 2014
Eun Kyung Kim: TODAY

Donald Trump slammed President Obama Thursday on TODAY for failing to take a stronger line against President Vladimir Putin in dealing with Ukraine, saying he feared Obama would now make up for lost time with imprudent moves to "show his manhood."

The real estate mogul and reality-TV star, who has criticized Putin for sending military troops into Crimea, said Obama must now take fierce steps to prevent the situation from escalating further.

"We should definitely do sanctions and we have to show some strengths. I mean, Putin has eaten Obama's lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time," Trump said. ..."

http://www.today.com/news/donald-trump-putin-has-eaten-obamas-lunch-ukraine-2D79372098
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Russia Deploying Tactical Nuclear Arms in Crimea

Obama backing indirect talks with Moscow aimed at cutting U.S. non-strategic nukes in Europe

BY: Bill Gertz
October 10, 2014

Russia is moving tactical nuclear weapons systems into recently-annexed Crimea while the Obama administration is backing informal talks aimed at cutting U.S. tactical nuclear deployments in Europe. ..."

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/russia-deploying-tactical-nuclear-arms-in-crimea/
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Ignore the red and orange lines. They were already on the map when I downloaded it.