How to Stop Putin

Washington Post ^ | Thursday, August 14, 2008 | Charles Krauthammer

[SunkenCiv]

We are not without resources. There are a range of measures to be deployed if Russia does not live up to its cease-fire commitments:

1. Suspend the NATO-Russia Council established in 2002 to help bring Russia closer to the West. Make clear that dissolution will follow suspension. The council gives Russia a seat at the NATO table. Message: Invading neighboring democracies forfeits the seat.
2. Bar Russian entry to the World Trade Organization.
3. Dissolve the G-8. Putin's dictatorship long made Russia's presence in this group of industrial democracies a farce, but no one wanted to upset the bear by expelling it. No need to. The seven democracies simply withdraw. (And if Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, who has been sympathetic to Putin's Georgia adventure, wants to stay, he can have an annual G-2 dinner with Putin.) Then immediately announce the reconstitution of the original G-7.
4. Announce a U.S.-European boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. To do otherwise would be obscene. Sochi is 15 miles from Abkhazia, the other Georgian province just invaded by Russia. The Games will become a riveting contest between the Russian, Belarusan and Jamaican bobsled teams.

...The most crucial and unconditional measure, however, is this: Reaffirm support for the Saakashvili government and declare that its removal by the Russians would lead to recognition of a government-in-exile. This would instantly be understood as providing us the legal basis for supplying and supporting a Georgian resistance to any Russian-installed regime.

[SunkenCiv]

This makes sense, also makes the blood flow. What's really needed, of course, is a piece of hot lead.

[SunkenCiv]

McCain Should Link Tsar Putin with Drill, Drill, Drill
Kulow Money Politics | 081308 | Larry Kudlow
Posted on 08/13/2008 4:59:45 PM PDT by Fred
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061465/posts

From Tbilisi to Teheran
Jerusalem Post | 8-13-08 | Michael Freund
Posted on 08/13/2008 9:11:53 AM PDT by SJackson
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061195/posts

Poland, US reach missile shield deal: Polish PM
AFP | 14 August 2008
Posted on 08/14/2008 11:05:43 AM PDT by Grzegorz 246
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2061884/posts

Rainy Night In George
Townhall.com | August 14, 2008 | Cal Thomas
Posted on 08/13/2008 10:40:13 PM PDT by Kaslin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061615/posts

[GOP_1900AD]

We launch in 5 minutes ...

[SunkenCiv]

How to Stop Putin site:freerepublic.com

Google

Thanks!

[LucyT]

You’re welcome, SunkenCiv.

Pinging PhilDragoo

[Southack]

Krauthammer makes no sense. Russia doesn’t care about the G8 now that oil is so profitable.

Start making little pansie diplomatic moves like Krauthammer suggests and the Bear will embargo oil and gas that was supposed to go to Europe in order to get Europe mad at the U.S. so as to drive a wedge in the very alliance that former Soviet states like Georgia need for their own protection.

If you’re going to stand up to the Bear, then do so from a position of strength, not from Krauthammer’s position of pansiehood.

Nothing wrong with Georgia buying South African anti-tank missiles and Israeli anti-aircraft missiles...or French anti-ship missiles (e.g. Exocet) for that matter.

Georgia can mobilize a million men...arm them with modern missiles (Tbilsi has already purchased U.S. Stingers) and they’ll make Russia’s misadventure in Afghanistan look fun in contrast.

[SolidWood]

How to Stop Putin

.45

[HAL9000]

It makes a lot of sense, but what’s the deal with Berlusconi?

[SunkenCiv]

Krauthammer’s in favor of that approach, provided the Rustcans don’t amscray. The other steps would be great even without the Georgia debacle.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2059604/posts?page=66#66

[SunkenCiv]

/bingo

[SunkenCiv]

From what I’ve seen, Berlusconi is the greatest politician to emerge in postwar Italy. :’)

[Bushwacker777]

I find it odd how conservatives who distrust the liberal media at every turn will suddenly believe the MSM when it comes to attacking Russia.

Soros proves Edward Bernay’s theories on propaganda quite well.

[Earthdweller]

Geez...it all stinks. Decades of relations went down the hole in an instant. Then again....maybe we were wishful thinking about the relations from the beginning. I'm so sick of reaching out a hand to have it ate off.

[Scotswife]

“Then again....maybe we were wishful thinking about the relations from the beginning. I’m so sick of reaching out a hand to have it ate off.”

Maybe staying up so late has made me paranoid, and I will finally turn in now..but - the thought that the Cold War must not actually have gone away is a depressing thought.
But what has me really going here is that this new strategy is all about who wins the oil supply game.
Putin has lapped us and we haven’t even started the race.

And when you consider this is a new kind of a war - the real enemy are those american politicians who would deny us access to the only weapon we can fight back with - our own oil supply - for us and for our allies.

sigh.

[Earthdweller]

"the real enemy are those american politicians who would deny us access to the only weapon we can fight back with - our own oil supply - for us and for our allies."

BTTT

[wardaddy]

I’m more ambivalent than most folks here over this and find myself out of synch with folks I usually line up with.

This whole deal to me seems like Putin...not being dumb or a coward ...is exploiting a vantage the Georgian leader had a hand in creating himself by some careless moves contrary to Russia.

And our own forays into the Balkans which ran counter to Russia’s aims did not help.

(I was never in favor of Kosovo or bombing Belgrade myself)

I don’t see how as we can do much aside from sabre rattle and some diplomatic and strategic manuevers. Putin has sorta played the West on this one.

You don’t get to run the largest Mafia in the world being stupid.

[tom paine 2]

What are we waiting for?

[microgood]

Putin has sorta played the West on this one.

I agree. Bush screwed the pooch on this one. Hopefully we will not do something stupid to try to save face.

I look at Georgia on the map and just wonder whether this is just a Bridge Too Far. I think we should stick to the Eastern Bloc Countries and worry about the ex-Soviet states later, and stay out of the Black Sea.

[Impy]

How about some dioxin or ricin?

Sic semper tyrannis.

I'm serious. Let every tinhorn dictator cower in fear for his miserable life. And to h*ll what the ACLU/UN/Eurotrash gazette thinks. Putin looks like the type who will cry and beg. "Please, I have a mistress".

[Bushwacker777]

Wonder why Fox is the only one with this information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8XI2Chc6uQ