Gary Kasparov is a naive idiot.
I agree that Putin is behaving like a damned fool and making it difficult or impossible for us to work with Russia. But there is no way that the U.S. can impose its will on Russia unless we are prepared to go to war with them and their 20,000 nuclear weapons. Russia is no longer the power it was, but it is still a major power.
Also, Bush is the leader of the only remaining superpower, the leader of the free world, such as it is. What he says has to be taken seriously. Chirac can say whatever his latest whim suggests to him, and no one will take him seriously. "Oh, that's just that idiot Chirac mouthing off," people will say. "Typical Frog."
But when Bush speaks, every word is important. Every word is recorded and analyzed. He can't afford to mouth off.
The fact is, Ukraine had to take care of itself. If the Ukrainians couldn't do it, nothing Bush said would make a pin's worth of difference. I'm delighted that they did. But this whining is just plain stupid.
And Putin is not Caligula. I wish he had more sense, but he's not a madman, just an ambitious fool.
Why is Kasparov naive? Just because we want to work with Russia, doesn't mean we have to be silent as Putin squelches democracy.
Yes, what Bush says is important... so if he doesn't comment on events, it also will go unnoticed by the rest of the world. What has happened to Dafur? Is it all better? I'm tired of hearing about the Iraqis, while other things are completely ignored. Why did the US rubberstamp Venezula's "elections?" Is it because Carter did? When we said nothing, the world said nothing.
Kaparov is risking his own neck trying to save Russia. He is only calling for true democratic principles.