Russian editorial on the 'caricature war'

That's a very intelligible answer to something that has bothered me about a lot of modern history. In your thoughtful opinion, where should the US stand vis-a-vis Putin? Yeltsin, who is held up by the State Department as the creator of the freedoms that Putin supposedly tramples, shot up parliament and had no problems arresting dissenters, unlike Putin who lets them spin their wheels in the courts.
The 'Putin is bringing back the USSR' crowd maintain that behind all our enemies stands a Russian. The 'Putinists' regard him as the least evil of a whole lot of evils, which in essence summarize Russian history.
Looking forward to your reply :-)

The State Department should try to be a friend to Putin and Russia.
But, of course, Putin works for the Russians, not for us, so the State Department should always and always have that in mind. Putin knows that Bush works for Americans, not for Russia. It's NOT supposed to be a popularity contest on who is the most liked leader in the world.

Russia and Putin will do what's best for Russia and that might run counter to what the U.S. wants, but that shouldn't deter the U.S. from friendship. The reverse is true too. I think Putin believes that and works on that premise, much to the chagrin of Bush/America haters. The world LOVED Clinton because he worked more for them that for us.

The State Department should also have no qualms whatsoever about flexing muscles where our interests lie. Anything less would make us look weak and stupid...and THAT Putin and Russia would not respect.

We have more in common with Putin and Russia that we have differences, imho. The Russia/Putin haters will always be with us, like there are Germany haters, France haters and Saudi Arabia haters.

It's a useless exercise, I think, not to forge ahead with Russia and Putin. They have much to offer us. The Russians and the U.S., btw, sit on most all of the coal on the planet. We should look ahead for that reason too.

Putin works for the Russians, not for us, so the State Department should always and always have that in mind. Putin knows that Bush works for Americans, not for Russia

That's exactly the argument I use with Ukrainians, Russians, Kazakhis when they start unloading on Bush. I tell them that when the rest of the world is upset with Bush, it's more a case of our own liberial media drawing a picture of him that's untrue. I also tell them that reverse psychology works with Americans: painting Kerry as a Europhile HARMED him (among a million other things).

I don't expect Putin to worry much about my vote, and I can see his desire to bring provincial governors/gangsters more in line with Moscow. He did it constitutionally, according to their laws, just as we made ammendments in our past - both good and crazy. And I'm not losing sleep about him sticking it to Soros, either.

What bothers most Freepers is Russia's reflexive 'nyet' when it comes to US foreign policy. Even when it's not in their best long-term interests, they will go for anything that obstructs or embarasses the US. It's a pain when the US State Department and the Russian foreign ministry are both staffed with America haters.

My biggest gripe is the destablizing influence of Russian arms sales to Venezuela, and nuclear technology to Iran.

1. My biggest gripe is the destablizing influence of
2. Russian arms sales to Venezuela, and nuclear technology to Iran.

I agree with you. I understand Putin/Russia. I could be wrong. I've done a lot of reading on it, but I could still be wrong. Who really knows what Russia and Putin are thinking or planning. Here's my take on it.

1. Our own weapons merchants are ticked off because the money is going back to Mother Russia instead of into THEIR coffers. Venezuela would get its arms....from somewhere eventually. You know that, so does the rest of the world.

2. Iran has enough science power and oil money to evenutally get nuclear technology. They have triple the population of Iraq, for example, and 100X the education of Iraq (an exaggeration, but not too far off).
They are close enough to getting a bomb. They really are. Russia is merely cashing in sooner.

It's also my take that the Russians see the U.S. ignoring North Korea, Pakistan, India and China and THEIR nukes. They are fretted about by the State Department but generally ignored because they are too far away from us to do any damage.
*Russian also knows, like the rest of the world, that there can't be too many worse human rights abusers than those four countries (especially China and India, being such old countries) but they are all too far away to hurt Israel.
*The Russians also know that the ONLY reason Iran can't have nukes has everything to do with Israel, as Iran can't hurt us from that distance either.
*I don't think that Russia cares one iota about Israel. So, they don't care that Iran has nuclear weapons. Russia knows that we will go to war, World War III if need be, for Israel, even though Israel has its own UncleSam nukes and all the training needed to use them. It can defend itself. We have all but made Israel our 51st state, so Russia doesn't have to worry about Israel at all.

Still, those are points worthy of a gripe.

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