US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'

The Hill ^ | 2 March 14 | Russell Berman

[SkyPilot]

The Obama administration on Sunday worked to isolate Russia on the world stage even as its president, Vladimir Putin, showed no signs of rolling back his military intervention in Ukraine.

President Obama spoke by phone with leaders from Great Britain, Germany and Poland, and he dispatched Secretary of State to Kiev on Tuesday for a show of solidarity with the new Ukrainian government.

After suspending preparations for an upcoming Group of 8 summit in Sochi, the administration began canceling lower-level diplomatic and economic meetings with Russian counterparts. And senior administration officials warned that Russia could be booted from the G8 altogether and that its economy would suffer because of Putin’s decision to occupy the Crimean peninsula following the ouster last week of Ukraine’s pro-Russia president, Viktor Yakunovych.

The strategy, described in a briefing senior administration officials on the condition of anonymity, was aimed at demonstrating to Putin that his intervention in Crimea would not go unpunished while also offering him “an offramp” if he chose to reverse course.

“It is Russia’s choice to behave in this manner,” one senior administration said, or whether it wants to return “to the community of civilized nations.”

Yet it was unclear Sunday if Putin cared or was even listening to the condemnation of Obama and U.S. allies. He sought and received authorization from the Russian parliament for military force just hours after Obama warned him to stay out of Ukraine, and administration officials acknowledged that Russia had reinforced its military position over the weekend.

The administration officials said more than 6,000 Russian troops in Ukraine and that its forces now had “completely operational control of Crimea.” The U.S. has seen evidence of unrest and “ethnic skirmishes” in eastern Ukraine, an official said...

[dfwgator]

Which nation is promoting sodomy? It ain’t Russia.

[TADSLOS]

I keep turning her down. She reminds me too much of that crazy eyed, obsessive ex girlfriend pic that’s on the interwebs.

[biff]

Now where have I heard of an unethical politician used their limited power with corrupt judges to consolidate power??? Oh, I remember, now the question is who followed whom, Oslimey or Yanukovich?

Seriously, thanks for clarifying.

[Norm Lenhart]

It amazes me. Russia 2014 under Putin is closer to America under Reagan than we are at this moment.

And still people think WE have ‘moral authority’ to dictate squat to anyone.

[gusopol3]

From Chuchill's Iron Curtain speech, which I posted last night: Now I come to the second of the two marauders, to the second danger which threatens the cottage homes, and the ordinary people -- namely, tyranny. We cannot be blind to the fact that the liberties enjoyed by individual citizens throughout the United States and throughout the British Empire are not valid in a considerable number of countries, some of which are very powerful. In these States control is enforced upon the common people by various kinds of all-embracing police governments to a degree which is overwhelming and contrary to every principle of democracy. The power of the State is exercised without restraint, either by dictators or by compact oligarchies operating through a privileged party and a political police. It is not our duty at this time when difficulties are so numerous to interfere forcibly in the internal affairs of countries which we have not conquered in war. but we must never cease to proclaim in fearless tones the great principles of freedom and the rights of man which are the joint inheritance of the English-speaking world and which through Magna Carta, the Bill of rights, the Habeas Corpus, trial by jury, and the English common law find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence. All this means that the people of any country have the right, and should have the power by constitutional action, by free unfettered elections, with secret ballot, to choose or change the character or form of government under which they dwell; that freedom of speech and thought should reign; that courts of justice, independent of the executive, unbiased by any party, should administer laws which have received the broad assent of large majorities or are consecrated by time and custom. Here are the title deeds of freedom which should lie in every cottage home. Here is the message of the British and American peoples to mankind. Let us preach what we practice -- let us practice what we preach.

[virgil]

Nuclear war was always a possibility during CWI.

Nuclear brinkmanship with these ass clowns in charge is a scary thought. They can't even build a website with proper security.

[Red White and Blue patriot]

Send weapons and advisers immediately to Ukraine. NATO should start massing it’s forces in Eastern Europe for future action. Freeze all Russian assets in the West. That’s a start.

[Norm Lenhart]

It seems to me that the Ukrainians practice what the founders gave us as an option for tyranical govt. And threw out their corruption. And a significant portion WANT Russian influence/protection/governance.

Compare it to us. What if CW2 started and the right got help from say Israel. Most of the world would demand we return control to liberals and condemn Israel as tyrants and oppressors.

Should we give it back so as to not offend?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Russell Berman needs to take a refresher course in writing. I can hardly understand this article.

[Norm Lenhart]

Under what moral authority? After what we did in Egypt and Syria?

you want to provoke a war with Barry and Mccain running it? Be my guest. Just build me a bunker first. Since you are going to die in that war, I want a chance to survive it.

[gusopol3]

How about Hagel coming out tomorrow and admitting that he “miscalculated” and putting the force degradation he announced last week on hold. And Obama ok’ing Keystone?

[Revolting cat!]

You are right. But also, visas. The Russkies, those who can afford it, i.e. the oligarchs, so love their country that they use every occasion to travel to and vacation in the West. I’m told they are overrunning Miami, and needless to say, many Western European resorts. Cancels those cats’ visas and Putin will fall.

[Norm Lenhart]

Which should be done anyway. But yea, that is something we could do. Totally agree. I just see it as insanity to threaten Russia from a position of impotence.

But then a war would wipe out a lot of debt and messy constitutional stuff...

[Red White and Blue patriot]

Agreed but it’s better than the alternative of total surrender. Putin will not stop at Crimea or Ukraine. He wants it all.

[varmintman]

Are they smoking dope or doing lines of blow again in the White House?

Likely both...

[gusopol3]

I’m finding myself a little stymied by my ignorance; don’t really know Ukraine’s pre-1917 status. Was it part of czarist Russia? I’ll say this, of the long excerpt I put in above from Churchill , the last line is the most salient for us in 2014. Then we can can have the confidence of the moral authority that did inspire the bloodless revolutions of the early 90’s in the USSR and even put the Chinese students in Tianamen Square with their replicas of the Statue of Liberty.

[swamprebel]

Good one, I might add?

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.

Samuel Adams

[Norm Lenhart]

I would say we “HAD” the moral authority that inspired. but we give guns to drug cartels, overthrow governments and install Muslim theocracies of our choosing, demand the world worship gays and kill our own children by the millions.

We need to sit down and shut up until we regain something resembling morality and justice before we demand it from others.

[Red White and Blue patriot]

American conservatives are not Russian loving commies. How dare you compare the two.

[Norm Lenhart]

Spare me the false indignation. Answer the question or don’t. But it is a legitimate one.

They are not Americans. It’s their countries. What ‘conservative’ is so arrogant to dictate to them what to do? No real conservative at all.