Posted on 03/01/2005 1:55:50 PM PST by Destro
The failed summit between Bush and Putin can haunt the world for years to come
Staff Reporter
Mar. 1, 2005
Putin heard a solid lecture on democracy from Bush last week. Putin came out and said Russias path to democracy cannot be reversed. Then in a two day time frame Russia sold nuclear reactors to Iran and finalized sophisticated missile deal with the Baathist regime of Syria.
What does that tell you? Well it is simple. Russians could not be rude with Bush. They just showed their response through their action in Syria and Iran.
Russians are fed up of hearing lectures from America on democracy. Russian view is that American two party democracies are not far from oligarchy. You have to be connected to Access the System and be rich or from rich family to be able to run for election. Otherwise you become another Nader. Also, it is virtually impossible to form a third party that can really counter the Democrats or Republicans. Russians fell short from telling Bush these but that is exactly how they think.
Putin has drawn a line on the sand. He responded to American actions in Georgia, Ukraine and other areas of Russian strategic interest by deciding to arm Americas enemies China, Iran and Syria. Russians have a huge arms industry. After oil, that industry can fetch them hard-money from countries like China and Iran who are also rich because of housing American Manufacturing base and oil (for Iran).
The Sino-Russian relations is booming. Russian strategy is to play the worst kind of cold-war politics with the American by distributing then sophisticated Arm for cash deal to countries that oppose America. The approach is almost close to blackmailing Bush. America at this stage needs to decide either to continue to weaken Russian regime and live with Russias immediate actions in arming China, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and so on. The other alternative is to include Russia in the mainstream components of the world.
The problem with Russians distributing sophisticated Arm to less than desirable elements is that these arms can get into the hands of the terrorists, jihadists and extremists in the long run. How do you guarantee that Hizbullah, Hamas, Pakistans covert Islamic militants, Bangladeshi Jihadists or the Phillipine extremists will not get hold of these arms.
It is desirable that Bush talks straight to Putin and solve this problem for the world.
Sounds like what I have been saying. Indian news does it again.
Putin will be Bush's poodle by the end of GWB's 2nd term....
The summit was a HUGE success. Bush read old Vlady the riot act, right in front of the world. They have a name for that in our prison system. Rhymes with "itch."
I'm sure we can find some secular Chechens who might like some late model ATGMs.
LOL. The "itch" word is better than poodle.
Yeah, I've been saying that too, but I'm not sure that Bush really did lecture Putin about democracy. Putin knows what our position is. He's just near-sighted, and does not understand that giving the a-bomb to his neighbors is not a good thing, even if he gets paid for it. Someday, he'll figure it out, though--when it's too late.
One thing that Bush did not do that he should have done is he should have built a deeper economic relationship with Russia. That way, Putin would now be forced to choose between doing business with us or doing business with China and Iran.
Not sure about the prison analogy, but GWB certainly did the...."itch"......
Second word....rhymes with "Flap".....
thing to Pooty Poot.
In front of God and everybody.
LVM
*****************
I think he's the second from the left...
Yeah, that's him.
Those are valid complaints, but Russia is light-years from getting even to this point, and headed at full speed in the wrong direction.
Ann Coulter was on C-Span with Brian Lamb a few days ago. She was fantastic. Among other things she pointed out that certain world leaders are nothing more than George Bush's *itch (she used the whole word). I thought Brian was going to fall out of his chair. He was stunned. I really like Ann.
If Putin thinks he is somehow getting even with us by selling arms to China, he's sadly mistaken. Now when China uses Russia's weapons to take over Siberia, we'll see who the smart guy is.
And the whole world is spinning it.
Led by who that has a shot at being President?
What Russia did they planned to do anyway, Bush giving them a lecture had nothing to do with it.
There is a great chess game afoot, and the end game is still a few years off.
Those who say Putin knows not what he does must be deluding themselves. He is the grandmaster of a beaurocracy of chessmasters.
The Chinese, likewise are not fools. It's a tough call to say who is more shrewd.
There are a few surprises left before the end I'll wager.
The Russians see some things from their distance, clearer than many who sit here in the front row.
It pisses me off to see it said this way, but I can't disagree with what they said.
It's true. American politics are the playground of the wealthy. It is true that you have to be a millionaire to be in Congress and it is also true that average working class people will never have their views properly represented in our political system.
If I could have one reform it would be to do away with elections and have elected offices appointed to people in the same manner jury duty is awarded.
Or draft people to serve in Congress with a selective service program.
It sounds nutty until you realize that the current system does not work.
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