(From Aug 29 The Economist)
Posted on 09/12/2013 9:31:16 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Americans shouldn't let Vladimir Putin's opinions get under their skin because the Russian president is a one-time KGB officer whose primary interest is nationalism, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday.
"While we have to deal with him as the president of Russia, we don't have to respect his views. We don't have to respect his opinions," said Gingrich, co-host of CNN's "Crossfire."
"And frankly, we should laugh at him when he tries to lecture America about exceptionalism, because he ain't exceptional. He's just one more in a long tradition of dictators and thugs."
Putin rattled some Americans, including high-profile figures in Washington, when he argued in a New York Times op-ed against U.S. military intervention in Syria. In the final paragraph, he took issue with the idea of America being the proverbial shining city on a hill.
"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation," he wrote. ....
The former House speaker pointed to Putin's history as a former intelligence officer for the KGB, where he worked from 1975-1992.
Gingrich also argued Putin was behind the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the conflict in Chechnya has killed thousands.
He expressed doubt the opinion piece was even written by Putin, saying it was likely penned by a Washington speechwriters.
"You can go through and read that document and you could find at every single stage find that it's a lie," Gingrich said. "For us to take it seriously is a sign that we have forgotten who Vladimir Putin is."
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
A bigger enemy of American exceptionalism than Putin sits in the White House, having more success at reducing the greatness of America than the predecessors of Putin have ever had.
No Sir.
I watched Newt in action making unHoly alliances with Cain while he was down to Perry and helping the hapless Cain with Cains Mystery of History.
Accusing Perry with the Naggerhead stuff.
Newt would sell his soul for power.
That is JMHO
Ain’t that the truth!
It's no coincidence that the same Putin-lovers who support Assad also think we never should have invaded Iraq either.
Well, Putin is a dictator and a thug and Obama is a thug wanting to be a dictator.
How does formerly being a murderer -- who is currently carrying on a reversion to a Stalinist totalitarianism in Russia -- compare with a one-time career in acting?
The KGB isn't The Screen Actors Guild or Miss Mapletree's Every Other Wednesday Bridge Club. It's the most despicable black organization in the history of the world.
Get a grip.
Get a grip yourself. Propaganda is propaganda, the tools of which I was talking about. Contents differ, methods are the same. Community colleges offer reading comprehension classes. Highly recommended.
Newt is dead politically.
He has a very good mind but he is dead politically because he could not stick to principles.
I admire putin because he loves his country, something obomber clearly does not.
Newt should pipe up on something he knows about.
Shutting down the Gov budget.
He lead that charge and won.
Are we not fighting that battle this very moment?
I just don’t get what Drives Newt sometimes.
He is an odd duck.
BTTT
Personally Cain was my favorite candidate, and even more conservative than Perry. The 999 plan transition, and the abolishment of the IRS, should be all of our ultimate aims. As for Newt, he was my second choice, and his patriotism and conservative credentials were by far the best in the field. Despite what the GOPe, Drudge and Mittens want people to believe.
This thread oughta be moved to the Religious Forum, what with the anti-Putin and anti-FReeper fervor displayed here.
Actually, the matter of the Russian invasion of Georgia was discussed recently in this Spiegel Online interview with the editor of Russia Today:
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In 2008, Russian troops invaded Georgian territory after President Mikheil Saakashvili gave the order to attack South Ossetia, a separatist republic with close ties to Russia.
Simonyan: All of the Western broadcasters gave only the Georgian side of the story. Saakashvili was featured on all the networks; his statements were broadcast on all the programs. It was said that Russia started the war.* It was said the country’s troops bombed a busy market in the provincial town of Gori. We immediately sent our correspondents out there, who found no trace of either shootings or bombings. Western broadcasters focused their entire coverage on the suffering of Georgian civilians. There was no mention of South Ossetians, meanwhile, who were suffering nightly artillery attacks at the hands of Saakashvili. It was pro-Georgian propaganda, pure and simple.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: It wasn’t that one-sided. SPIEGEL, for one, reported at an early stage that it was Saakashvili who had fired the first shot. A European Union committee came to the same conclusion.
Simonyan: Sure, afterwards! But how many people actually ended up reading the EU report? The majority of people to this day believe that Russia started the war totally unprovoked. The evil Russia pounces on poor little Georgia.
(From Aug 29 The Economist)
If Newt were in charge, we’d have taken out that SOB Assad some time ago. Syria, Iran and Russia have a strategic alliance against our interests. Breaking that up is important for our country. That is another reason why Putin is so desperate to protect his ally.
You should remove yourself to Russia with all your anti-American Putinista hatred.
The Russian Orthodox Church was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Supreme Soviet and an instrument of the KGB.
he is a step up from the communists they had before.
Wrong.
He considers the dissolution of the Soviet Union "one of the greatest tragedies of history" (his words) and considers it his personal mission to restore it (his deeds.)
In this case, he is opposing the people who attacked us on 9/11 and Obama is financing those same people.
Complete rubbish. He is using 0bama's weakness and foolishness to save a Russian client state and doesn't give two hoots in hell about opposing Al Qaeda.
Throughout its entire history from the Cheka to the NKVD to the KGB the Soviet state security apparatus recognized and named the United States of America consistently as "The Main Enemy." This goes all the way back to before the 1920's. They were at war with us for decades before the Cold War, and the remnants of that organization are at war with us still. He will help AQ here, he will oppose AQ there. But wherever he moves, he's still a Soviet man, and there is still only one Main Enemy.
It's not FReepers who are stuck in the past. It's Vladimir Putin.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.