Posted on 09/01/2014 12:57:58 PM PDT by babylon_times
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a threat to outgoing European Commission President Jose Manual Barroso that he could "take Kiev in two weeks" if he wanted, Italian media reports have said.
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the Russian leader made the belligerent statement in a phone call with the outgoing EU leader, who is set to be replaced by Luxembourg's former prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker...
“What defeated to Soviet Union was the sheer economic might (military spending) of the US.”
What defeated the Soviet Union was Reagan strong-arming the Sudi’s into opening up the taps, and flooding the world with oil, lowering the price to point that the Soviets couldn’t compete with.
That, when combined with a completely corrupted economy from the bottom-up, couldn’t last.
Trains would leave Central Russian Farms stuffed full with grain, and arrive in the cities with less than 20% of the load, as everyone “took their cut” out along the way.
But today, lowering energy prices would be the death knell to the Academic Radical Socialist plan for America.
I think Putin uses the “power” he needs to to keep the otherwise criminal element in line, KGB style or not it works on this type of people...as well as any who oppose the direction he has wanted to take the nation. Hard ball is just that and he's not afraid to use it. We would do better if we'd play that with our own criminal element here instead of catering to them!
"Freedom" in that part of the world is not easily grasped for what it means...it comes with responsibilities these peoples have not had to account for, rather the public has had decisions made for them. As I've mentioned before...it's rather like an abused woman learning how to live without remaining a victim....which they often return because there is a certain degree of comfort in the familiar...even if it's hurtful at times.
I'm currently listening to a video series on Putin that's quite revealing as he's generally kept his accomplishments and his private life just that private. so few really know the man himself outside of his workings in Gov. and the KGB. Frankly Putin is exactly what Russia needed to pull Russia back up.....rather like we needed Cowboy Bush when 9/11 hit....though many bashed his speech the Islamist understood him very well.
I think it's always wise to study nation leaders we're contending with or even for that matter negotiating and dealing with.....Putin's certainly a character...as is Poroshenko and the 'other Oligarchs' playing in this geo-political theater....who also remain behind the scene... though it's 'very interesting' to see where they pop up in political circles once you identify them....surprisingly so.
Putin , and for the most Poreshenko knows every one of them...so they've got at advantage...Obama doesn't and few in EU do.
I don’t think Putin’s concerned about what the West (US) thinks...moreso the European nations...which EU is not exactly carrying the water for Obama as he hoped.
Putin still has his public supporting him, though outsiders have teams trying to stir the people up. We saw that beginning at the onset of the Revolution and was interesting watching some of them tweet among themselves as they attempted to pull it together to get to Russia.....unsuccessfully more than once. But they are on the ground in Russia now...and have been for some time.
I don’t see the West unifying, if you mean our country....nor do I see EU doing so as they struggle now with all the changing of the guard so to speak...especially after just electing Donald Tusk,... who doesn’t speak a word of either English or French, and he comes from a nation that is not even in the Euro-zone. Yet he’s going to speak concerning their affairs.
Rather like when they put Rumphy up to bat.
I’m in Cruz’z court and would be very happy with West and Perry on board as well....real American loving men! Though I have some reservations about Perry’s Globalistic mindset I think if in Gov. he’ll play with whoever is in charge very well and ‘FOR’ our country first and foremost...at least I want to believe that. West and Cruz seem to be right on that page entirely.
Corruption was a way of life in the USSR. Defense spending was an enormous line item for both the US and USSR. Undermining the oil prices would seem to be an important aspect to furthering the collapse of the USSR.
Putin is weakening his support domestically, he does not have all the time in the world to play endlessly with the West as you think.
The west is unifying, and now we are moving bases closer to Russia, and increasing our levels of training and cooperation and have new countries looking into joining us, and a whole new waking up to the fact that Russia is on the move again.
Putin better be looking for an end, or an exit strategy, but the good news is, that the West is waking up from it’s complacency since 1991.
Agree with all points. It’s interesting to watch how, when the criminal element actually is put in charge, control takes a sort of new twist to hold the other criminal elements at bay. :-) He quickly tossed some big-money power brokers in prison just to send a message. Of course, like here, the commoners hate rich people, so it worked well.
Putin is a smart cookie. Yes, Russia needed and still does need this guy. The old guard should be proud, but like you say, the new young crowd will need to be controlled. “Abused woman” is the perfect analogy. That’s why the country teetered shortly after ‘89. The people were so used to being force-fed, freedom was down right terrifying. There is comfort and stability even in corruption/payoffs, etc. I think that is why Yeltsin had a hard time (er, well his drinking, too). The large vacuum shortly after the collapse caught him off guard, and needed to be filled, but they didn’t know how to do that.
Study the guys in the background? Absolutely. Medvedev seems to be worthless, but who knows, he could be a ruthless leader, provided he lives through Putin’s reign.
I really don’t think Bush believed that, but said it as an appeasement at the time. We now know there is no appeasement, ever, with these scum. I appreciate your insight!
I like Perry, too, for the most part. He is not so good on extemporaneous speaking, but that’s okay. I just wish he’d exhibit more muscle, lock down his border with MX, and to hell with the feds. Arrest any feds coming in to cause problems. Jan Brewer should do the same. But they both are too politically wary right now, which is not a good characteristic, IMHO.
I don't buy into Russia is on the move to the extent the media is saying Ansell....I think much of this hype driven in order to obtain revenues and do the wheeling and dealing we're seeing happening now with Poland etc....which Poland has been yapping for years they wanted our bases there rather than Germany....looks like they got lucky after all! Poland did all it could to rile things up in order to get that base....and then looky there who is heading up the EU!
Lots of I'll scratch your back if you;ll scratch mine going on now within the EU and Nato.
I'll say again,.... Nato/EU/US knew going after Ukraine would be filled with trial and error but they underestimated the Eastern Ukraine people when they put the Interim Government in place....wrong choice of people and they didn't do their homework very well about the culture there.
They also underestimated Putin....so here we are...still in a quagmire in Ukraine, which is really par for the course for Ukraine.
I'm not concerned about Putin...I'm more concerned about ISIS and the Islamic push for the Caliphat...which is far more deadly then anything Russia has up it's sleeve....in fact we'll need Putin when we flush them out....more than it's been openly said currently.
Russian people have been down this road before Ansell....they are survivors and will maintain despite the loses to retain their Homeland. The question is how long can Putin maintain the popularity with the youth he currently enjoys...for they are Russia's future. Heck we're loosing our won overseas as well!
I agree with Cruz, Russia is on the move, and we need to strongly resist them.
Enough with our Jimmy Carter/Obama faction.
“Medvedev seems to be worthless, but who knows, he could be a ruthless leader,”
Medvedev and Putin are close to one and the same. They both came up together through the Leningrad/St. Petersburg political complex, and seem fiercely loyal to each other, with Medvedev being the policy wonk, and Putin the “Leader”.
IMO, the ones to watch for the future are Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, Alexei Gromov, Kremlin Chief of Staff, or Sergey Naryshkin, the Parliament speaker.
I don't think resistance is the answer....I do think finding out what Putin wants is and where he intends this to go long run. When I go back to what he's said regarding what Ukriane needed to do ..he's been right about Poroshenko needing to sit down with those in the East and find out what they wanted. Putin said this from the start and did not deviate from that....
I don't think Putin would have any problem discussing things with Cruz....they're both are lawyers and respect what the law says Internationally....Obam can't even get to first base with Putin because he's clearly over his head...and no doubt neither Bo nor Putin have any endearing qualities the other admires....you got a street thug and former KGB man...bad mix!
BTW just where do you think this resistance should be handled? Militarily Putin can have his troops anywhere he chooses on his borders, no matter what it looks like to us.....and in Crimea and Savs.
Further He announced he was sending in help to the Eastern anti-Kiev fighters.... so it really has not been a surprise they're in there now. And frankly other than a lot of verbal lashing....(part of the Plan) nobody’s really stopping what he's doing. Somebody has got to stop the fighting there...and Kiev certainly isn't nor can it...Nato can't go in because Ukraine's not a member....and Ukraine's military is just about had it. I said from the beginning that Russia would be the one the International community leaders would agree to go into Ukraine....and Putin would suck up the rhetoric's for Crimea and the security of his ports....so far that's how it's playing.
They're worn out from fighting (also expected) so negotiations are under way and this is now what will ultimately bring things to a hault. Poeoshenko will yield and so will those in Donbass and surrounding areas in order to have peace restored there.
Meanwhile the fighting will continue, until the negotiations have completed the job at hand.
Whoa! Quietly operating in the background, at least insofar as the US news. I better do some homework. :-)
Wow, the 1960s and 1980s equivalency argument, and resistance isn’t the answer, man I’m having flashbacks to the 1980s when you guys filled the TV screens.
Ted Cruz, “The United States should stand with Ukraine.”.
You oppose Cruz but use his name, and support Obama’s weakness and inaction, and pretend to be against him.
“NATO should tell Putin we will take Moscow in two months....”
With what, exactly? We’ve got such a PC lawyer crazed military we’d hurt our own feelings to harm anything and we’d prosecute anyone that killed anything.
Matviyenko seems to be the most interesting (and powerful)of the three, with connections to the same base that Medvedev and Putin come from.
I sa what you did there, LOL. And you’re right.
CC
Perhaps even more effective, the Saudis pumped oil to the hilt causing oil prices to bankrupt the Soviets...
Took me awhile to catch up on these Oligarchs and their deep involvement in Russian and Ukraine politics...which even slips over into our nation periodically. They know to be as close to all powers as possible.
When we speak of criminal elements keeping criminal elements at bay, it’s pretty much also how our Gov. operates just in a different way IMO. Although Bidens son getting his portion in Ukraine did put it right out there....and They don’t say throughout Washington to “watch your back” for nothing!
But Russians are a different people with a vastly different History than the US... Putin does know well just where his people are at and has a fine tuned pulse on them.
Oh yes, I realize what Putin did when and before he came to office...smooth as silk he rose until the opportunity was clearly in sight..and he didn’t have to do much..they came for him! Yeltzin , with little prodding from Oligarch Brez., was told who would succeed him...and gladly gave the reins to Putin. Brez. miscalculated greatly but as he said...saw the handwriting on the wall as he saw Putin take out the Oligarchs one by one and most fled to Europe or Israel. Though Brez. couldn’t give up his asperations to be at the top again...He hated Putin with an unendning passion and spent millions trying to bring Putin down. Taking risks no other oligarch would... even knowing there was a price on his head. He’s dead now...but what a run he had!..and a thorn in Putin;s side for sometime.
Yeltzin’s drinking did become a major problem...I don’t think he wanted to be Pres. any longer, but he sure wanted the perks. The pay out to him was substantial to leave in peace I understand.
Yeltzin couldn’t have replaced anyone in the gaps...he really wasn’t in charge....the “Family” was as they called themselves. They are the ones who chose Putin.
Medvedev is what a call a quieter side of Putin...but very much in lockstep. American leadership prefered working with Medvedev who was far less staunch then Putin...and more layed back. Which by the way was something Putin had to be “schooled” in...how to be less staunch in order to make him Presidential.
Interesting is that Putin likes Bush...I think because Bush respected Putin (with one eye open)...something he wanted from the International community but that the old cold warriors weren’t about to grant. When Putin and Bush met in Russia over 67 agreements in energy etc. were made...which speaks volumes.
I think many forget Putin is a businessman...he loves making the deals and all that’s entailed with them far more than he enjoys the current status with Ukraine....which is why they’ve been going after his business dealings of late. But he’s so far ahead in that respect. There’s always countries willing to do business and Putin doesn’t seem to have any border lines when doing business.
Oh c'mon! Keep up on the news, will ya?
Nothing to worry about!
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