Posted on 09/18/2008 11:59:45 AM PDT by quesney
Excerpts from Rice speech:
"What has become clear is that the legitimate goal of rebuilding the Russian state has taken a dark turn," she said, citing a rollback of personal freedoms, pervasive corruption and a "paranoid, aggressive impulse" to view neighboring new democracies as threats.
...the United States "will resist any Russian attempt to consign sovereign nations and free peoples to some archaic 'sphere of influence' " and "will not allow Russia to wield a veto over the future of our Euro-Atlantic community."
....Russia's actions "fit into a worsening pattern of behavior over several years." She mentioned, among other grievances, Russia's "intimidation" of neighboring states, its use of its oil and gas resources as "a political weapon," its arms sales to "states and groups that threaten international security" and its "persecution -- and worse -- of Russian journalists, dissidents and others."
..."The picture emerging from this pattern of behavior is that of a Russia increasingly authoritarian at home and aggressive abroad."
Russian leaders used Georgia's military action "as a pretext to launch what was a premeditated invasion of its independent neighbor" after having "laid the groundwork for this scenario months ago."
Russia's invasion of Georgia has failed to achieve any "enduring strategic objective...their choices are putting Russia on a one-way path to self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance."
"The United States and Europe must stand up to this kind of behavior, and all who champion it...the United States and Europe must not allow Russia's aggression to achieve any benefit. Not in Georgia -- not anywhere."
"A pat on the back from [Nicaraguan President] Daniel Ortega and Hamas is hardly a diplomatic triumph." She dismissed the impact of dispatching "a few aging Blackjack bombers" to "one of Latin America's few autocracies."
"Russia's leaders are imposing pain on their nation's economy."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Anyone have a video link to Rice Speech? (And is this the same Condoleeza Rice?) (imagine what McCain-Palin will be like) (Putin, you are a dumba$$)
Ping.
hehehehehe one thing that makes me feel better about our own financial crisis is that Ivan is burning right along with us. And we’ve been engaged in two large wars with Iraq and Afghanistan and all they’ve done is invade a little breakaway province on their borders and their markets go into a panic.
It would be like our stock market falling six thousand points if we invaded Costa Rica.
In “Ivan’s” case, the invasion of Georgia was more like the last straw than a bolt from the blue. It capped several years of growing oppression, re-nationalization of industries and the flagrant b***raping of foreign investors.
The chairman of BP has got to be laughing right about now.
No kiddin.
“hehehehehe one thing that makes me feel better about our own financial crisis is that Ivan is burning right along with us.”
No, nyet, worse. Much worse for them. Their market is down 60% from its highs this year. That’s the equivalent of a more than 6000-point drop in the Dow.
They are hurting much worse and have fewer resources to deal with it while Putin goes on his adventures and shoots drugged tiggers in TV stunts.
Russia is a one-pony economy with oil prices heading below $90. They are royally....excuse my Russian.
This is why I’m learning Russian.
If they kick Russia out of the G8, does this mean I have to become “G7 Diplomat”?
Yes. Let us please get rid of spheres of influence. That concept needs to die, just as soon as we get out of Europe and NATO, Ukraine, Georgia, the Persian Gulf and Iraq, Afghanistan, territories in the Atlantic and Pacific, Japan, Thailand, and a bunch of other places I don't have space to mention.
Sphere's of influence. Nope, don't want any of that old imperialistic clap trap.
Rabid Russia has HAMAS and the Sandinistas on their side. Russia supports every communist and islamist terrorist in the world.
Great idea, then all of our terrorist enemies can take over all those places. If I was rooting for our enemies that’s exactly what I would want too.
Putin is counting his Obama chickens before they hatch.
So, are we going to have spheres of influence or not? Condi seems against them. I think that is dumb myself, but she is SECSTATE not me.
Why don't you want America to be the powerful country in the world? What country would you prefer to take our place as the most powerful? Russia? China?
Your screed sounds like a one-world socialism.
Too too enjoyable. Even China sent Russia a message by providing a very nice loan to Georgia.
” We don’t have a “sphere” of influence, our influence is boundless. We are the greatest force for good in the world. It’s our job to make sure no EVIL EMPIRE has any sphere of influence. If Russia’s neighbors invited them in that would be different. We are in Iraq at the invitation of their elected government.”
Dude, well said.
So then I guess it really doesn’t matter to you who is the most powerful country in the world, just as long as its not the USA. Got it.
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