[BobL]

I guess the difference is that the Soviets actually WERE A THREAT to us and our interests (such as Western Europe and Japan). I’m still trying to figure out why having a relative handful of Putin’s military in Syria is a threat to us...and such a threat that it’s worth trading cities over.

But perhaps some of the Hillary/Obama/McCain supporting Neocons will let us know.

[Paladin2]

It’s all about Israel, a short distance away, and Iran and our renewed “friend” SA.

Complicated business...

[piasa]

I guess the difference is that the Soviets actually WERE A THREAT to us and our interests (such as Western Europe and Japan).

Why was Wetern Europe and Japan in our interests then but not now?

I’m still trying to figure out why having a relative handful of Putin’s military in Syria is a threat to us...

How about a 'handful of Putin's military' in Georgia? Ukraine? Lithuania? Latvia? Poland? Romania? It's going to keep coming up, one country at a time, until someone tougher than Putin puts their foot down.

Reminds me of that apologist song about Hitler just wanting a little peace... "a little piece of Poland"... A world war would have been avoided if he'd only been stopped on his first or second adventure.

and such a threat that it’s worth trading cities over.

There's not going to be any "trading of cities" ...Putin's ambitious, but not stupid. Like a fart, he will expand to fill the void, no more, but definitely no less. The size of the void isn't his to choose, but it is his nature to stink up any space he's allowed to fill.