Ukraine:The Cold War Flares Up?

[FaninAma]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10648414/Ukraine-protests-EU-calls-for-sanctions-as-25-die-in-latest-violence.html

The situation looks serious. Meanwhile back in the US......cue Obama's deer in the headlight look.

[badger]

cue Obama's deer in the headlight look
Not to make light of a dire situation, but can you imagine how Putin will respond?

1- Pose half-naked for masculine photo
2- Expunge Russian mens hockey from 2014 Olympic record books
3- Re-arrest Pus*y Riot
4- Glare coldly while attempting to look friendly

[FaninAma]

Not to make light of a dire situation, but can you imagine how Putin will respond?

1- Pose half-naked for masculine photo
2- Expunge Russian mens hockey from 2014 Olympic record books
3- Re-arrest Pus*y Riot
4- Glare coldly while attempting to look friendly

I don't know but I wouldn't bet against the side Putin is supporting in this mess coming out on top.

Obama isn't a paper tiger......he's a paper kitten.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Not to make light of a dire situation, but can you imagine how Putin will respond?

1- Pose half-naked for masculine photo
2- Expunge Russian mens hockey from 2014 Olympic record books
3- Re-arrest Pus*y Riot
4- Glare coldly while attempting to look friendly

Whether he is consciously trying or not, the guy invariably abides by the philosophy WWMD (What Would Mussolini Do).

[SoonerProphet]

Sergei Lavrov has floated the idea of "Finlandizing" the Ukraine and let things settle. Yanukovych is the elected leader so the EU and the Neocons should stfu and back the status quo. It is the same stupid fix we find ourselves in Syria. The meddling does nothing to advance our interests .

[8timechamps]

Sergei Lavrov has floated the idea of "Finlandizing" the Ukraine and let things settle. Yanukovych is the elected leader so the EU and the Neocons should stfu and back the status quo. It is the same stupid fix we find ourselves in Syria. The meddling does nothing to advance our interests .

Agreed. If the EU wants to control this mess on their side, go for it. As for the US, we need to sit this one out.

The reality is that Syria has become exactly what everyone thought it would become. The world has been watching this mess for almost two years, and from where I sit, it looks exactly the same. I am broken hearted for the people that are just trying to live their lives in that country, but again, I think the window to affect real change there closed a long time ago. This isn't our fight.

[8timechamps]

Why does Putin have the support he does in Russia? He's a throwback to USSR leadership, and seems pretty hellbent on that style. Of course a lot has changed, but you'd think the majority of the citizens in Russia would see through him. Apparently not.

[SoonerProphet]

Why does Putin have the support he does in Russia? He's a throwback to USSR leadership, and seems pretty hellbent on that style. Of course a lot has changed, but you'd think the majority of the citizens in Russia would see through him. Apparently not.

After a decade in a post-Soviet haze he has begun to steady the ship. Why wouldn't they like him. He booted the oligarchs, fought the EU and globalist at every turn, leveled Chechnya, told the Neocons to gtfo of Georgia, and now the Olympics. Is there corruption, cronyism, and some shady sh!t, sure, where is there not. He has put Russia as a dominant regional and top-tier global power. If he was one of our boys some folks would lap that up.

[8timechamps]

After a decade in a post-Soviet haze he has begun to steady the ship. Why wouldn't they like him. He booted the oligarchs, fought the EU and globalist at every turn, leveled Chechnya, told the Neocons to gtfo of Georgia, and now the Olympics. Is there corruption, cronyism, and some shady sh!t, sure, where is there not. He has put Russia as a dominant regional and top-tier global power. If he was one of our boys some folks would lap that up.

In a "big picture" context, I suppose it does make some sense. However, I see a lot of disdain within the Russian population (especially the younger demographic). I was recently researching wealth in Russia, and it surprised me to find out that the only truly "wealthy" people in that country were (for lack of a better term) given their wealth at the time of the breakup. That's all well and good at the beginning, but it seems that is not being overlooked nearly as much nowadays. While the government oversight in Russia isn't anything close to what it was under the USSR regimes, it's still a pretty controlling state. That's something that Putin seems to have perpetuated (more so in recent years), and it's costing him popularity.

I don't view Putin/Russia in the same light I once viewed the USSR. I just don't quite get the popularity. I probably never really will, since I didn't have to live through the break-up (or the times leading up to it).

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Why does Putin have the support he does in Russia? He's a throwback to USSR leadership, and seems pretty hellbent on that style. Of course a lot has changed, but you'd think the majority of the citizens in Russia would see through him. Apparently not.

Heh, given how bad people get duped in the US do you really want to be that scathing to the Russians?

Bernie Madoff etc

[okie52]

Government overthrown...president in hiding.

[OU_Sooners75]

Wrong President!!!!!!

[Turd_Ferguson]

Wrong President!!!!!!

Concur.

[8timechamps]

Heh, given how bad people get duped in the US do you really want to be that scathing to the Russians?

Bernie Madoff etc

True, but there are a lot of folks that made their money the good old fashioned way in the US.

[swardboy]

Yulia Temenchenko....she's hot.

[okie52]

Yulia Temenchenko....she's hot.

Most definitely.....