Posted on 03/04/2014 8:16:04 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Even a week ago, the idea of a Russian military intervention in Ukraine seemed far-fetched if not totally alarmist. The risks involved were just too enormous for President Vladimir Putin and for the country he has ruled for 14 years. But the arrival of Russian troops in Crimea over the weekend has shown that he is not averse to reckless adventures, even ones that offer little gain.
In the coming days and weeks, Putin will have to decide how far he is prepared to take this intervention and how much he is prepared to suffer for it. It is already clear, however, that he cannot emerge as the winner of this conflict, at least not when the damage is weighed against the gains. It will at best be a Pyrrhic victory, and at worst an utter catastrophe. Here’s why:
At home, this intervention looks to be one of the most unpopular decisions Putin has ever made. The Kremlin’s own pollster released a survey on Monday that showed 73% of Russians reject it. In phrasing its question posed in early February to 1,600 respondents across the country, the state-funded sociologists at WCIOM were clearly trying to get as much support for the intervention as possible: “Should Russia react to the overthrow of the legally elected authorities in Ukraine?” they asked. Only 15% said yes — hardly a national consensus.
That seems astounding in light of all the brainwashing Russians have faced on the issue of Ukraine. For weeks, the Kremlin’s effective monopoly on television news has been sounding the alarm over Ukraine. Its revolution, they claimed, is the result of an American alliance with Nazis intended to weaken Russia. And still, nearly three-quarters of the population oppose a Russian “reaction” of any kind, let alone a Russian military occupation
(Excerpt) Read more at world.time.com ...
Yeah. Isolationism worked soooo well before the last two world wars.
Let’s do it again.
Maybe we can even get a good Youtube of John F-in’ Kerry getting off an airplane waving a piece of paper and declaring “Peace for our time”?
And what about the upside for Putin? There doesn’t seem to be much of it, at least not compared with the damage he stands to inflict on Russia and himself. But he does look set to accomplish a few things. For one, he demonstrates to the world that his redlines, unlike those of the White House, cannot be crossed.
Dammit! Now I have to replace the TWT in my gaydar!
How about asking the Russian citizenry:
"In view of the turmoil in Ukraine, should Russia secure the Crimea to continue to allow Russian ships access to the seas? - Tom
Both halves. And then some: there are Ukrainian lands still occupied by Russia... Putin loses this war, which may lead to Russia’s disintegration.
After the invasion is over, there is no doubt that Ukraine will join NATO. If there was a toss-up among public - all doubts removed now.
The current EU and NATO cheese eating leadership won’t want Ukraine now that Putin has shown he will roll tanks on his neighbors.
Who will loan us the money?
1. Because when you get what you want, that’s losing.
2. Obama defriended that loser Putin on facebook.
3. Palin said he would do this in 2008. If you do as she predicted you have lost. Except death panels.
4. Mooshell is going on an extravagant shopping junket to China. That proves Putin has lost somehow.
I can’t get a job writing for Time because my goofy four points stand up to scrutiny better than their goofy four points. And I’m not a socialist.
So far there appears absolutely no will to punish Russia economically for Putin’s Crimean adventure. Putin correctly predicted that the western banksters won’t want to lose their cut of Russian thievery. The globalists are happy with a new USSR 2.0 as long as they can do business with it. I find that ironic considering all the Soros Derangement Syndrome going around.
Why would NATO accept them, now? It already turned them down, along with Georgia, once. This was about three months before Russia's invasion of Georgia; when membership was endorsed by Bush II. Both countries were left hanging by NATO. Both have been ravaged by the Russian bear, because of it.
The US public could not stomach a war against a panty waste country like Afghanistan. They will never take the costs of a war with a real country. Plus, we’re broke and can’t afford it and have a lack of manufacturing capacity for war material anyway. What concerns me more though is our gov has not fought a war to win in my life time, just police actions after police actions. With DCs culture of weakness, if we go thumping Russia or China, we could very well be flying their flag in a few years as they smell the weakness and are in it to win.
I say Ukraine will be partitioned along ethnic and language lines. The way I see it that process is already well underway. We’ll see.
This war is actually turns out to be a great consolidating factor: there are huge lines of volunteers at Ukrainian Army registration offices in Eastern and Southern cities. Russians tried very hard to divide Ukraine, but helped uniting it - isn’t this ironic?
If he had Obama advising him he’d rule the world!!! Right TIME?
One swallow doesn’t make a spring. Let’s wait and see.
“After the invasion is over, there is no doubt that Ukraine will join NATO. If there was a toss-up among public - all doubts removed now.”
Well, it remains to be seen just when the invasion will “be over”, and what the end-state will be. It’s possible that Russia will partition the Ukraine by taking the Crimea, go for the entire enchilada, or something in-between.
It’s hard to predict what might happen until we know where Putin is prepared to stop.
It is incredibly cheap bird cage liner at $20 per year or so . . . which includes some “made in China” premium worth more than half of the $20.
Post of the Day!
Yes, indeed: Regardless of the military outcome of the Russian "intervention" - win, draw, or lose - it will push the Ukraine farther into the arms of the West.
Regards,
You still are going to have Russian enclaves all over the country.
Keep an eye on Odessa.
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