To add to this, here is what a friend posted on facebook. Do you think this is accurate?

 

 

Say or think what you will, this is the respect the USA is getting in foreign policy around the globe. Hope Obama doesn't draw his "red line" again. The highway departments have drawn fewer lines that shouldn't be crossed.

 

...not advocating for military intervention here, just pointing out the failed foreign policies of this administration. We threatened Iran... nothing. Threatened Syria over WMD... nothing. There is no respect because other world leaders know Obama is nothing more than empty rhetoric. Now he wants to threaten Russia less than a week after stating that the US military will be reduced to pre-WW2 levels. It's laughable.

To add to this, here is what a friend posted on facebook. Do you think this is accurate?

 

 

Say or think what you will, this is the respect the USA is getting in foreign policy around the globe. Hope Obama doesn't draw his "red line" again. The highway departments have drawn fewer lines that shouldn't be crossed.

 

...not advocating for military intervention here, just pointing out the failed foreign policies of this administration. We threatened Iran... nothing. Threatened Syria over WMD... nothing. There is no respect because other world leaders know Obama is nothing more than empty rhetoric. Now he wants to threaten Russia less than a week after stating that the US military will be reduced to pre-WW2 levels. It's laughable.

 

It is kind of where I stand right now. I don't really want to invade Ukraine either , but failed foreign policy after failed foreign policy blunder under Obama has led to lack of respect or fear of Military might . I have no doubt if we wanted we could make Putin weep all the way back to Moscow. I just believe Obama doesn't know what to do. I just hope he is listening the right people around him.

Putin sees Obama as weak for a number of reasons. Obama early in his first term said the US was guilty of being a bully and that needed to change. He did not deploy a defense system in Eastern Europe, without consulting the countries involved. Obama was said to be hesitant in going after Bin Laden and had to be talked into action. As already mentioned he did not act in Syria after his "red line" statement and he is cutting the military. He is lifting sanctions on Iran without really getting anything in return. And then there is his famous 'flexible' speech caught on video. All these point to a man who has no clue about foreign policy, military matters and how to deal with evil leaders. His opponents smell the blood and are going for the kill.

On the flip side of the coin Ronald Reagan called the USSR the "evil empire", called for the destruction of the Berlin Wall, said he was going to deploy the, nicknamed, Star Wars missile defense system and walked out of a meeting when Gorby started making demands that Reagan wanted nothing to do with. What did it get him? A world wide view that Reagan was a strong, forceful leader, the eventually tearing down of the Berlin Wall and a victory in the Cold War when the USSR collapsed.

I suggest instead of yet again making this against and R or D president, that people PRAY! This could get ugly very fast!

 

One thing though, Putin is evil, regardless what was said about him several years ago, I have said all along that the former KGB member would love to go back to the cold war era. Also, we want to interfere with Syria, a nation with close ties to Russia, they are interfering with nation with good ties to the West, and a nation that in the past was part of Russia. If Russia sees Ukraine join the EU, they see everything collapse before them, they won't sit by and watch it happen without at least some show of force .

I suggest instead of yet again making this against and R or D president, that people PRAY! This could get ugly very fast!

 

One thing though, Putin is evil, regardless what was said about him several years ago, I have said all along that the former KGB member would love to go back to the cold war era. Also, we want to interfere with Syria, a nation with close ties to Russia, they are interfering with nation with good ties to the West, and a nation that in the past was part of Russia. If Russia sees Ukraine join the EU, they see everything collapse before them, they won't sit by and watch it happen without at least some show of force .

 

Prayer is good at any time, good or bad.

 

I believe what has been pointed out is that the current President is weak and ineffectual. He does not have a clue of what he is up against. Can anyone confirm that when the National Security Council met, Obama did not attend this important meeting?

 

Go to allenbwest.com and see what he has to say about Obama and Hagel.

Edited March 2, 201412 yr by bballfamily

Military is being cut to below 2001 capabilities. We have forces in Africa as well as Afganistan. We will not even sabre rattle on this one most likely. We probably can not even muster enough forces on short order to make a show of strength. A statement was made for the press to say 'we did something'. That is probably the end of it. If Russia invades the Ukraine the US and NATO will do nothing but levy sanctions in all probability.

 

But at least we can pay the Chinese and Fed with money that was going into the military to provide benefits for illegal aliens will likely vote democratic after voter ID laws are gutted.

Still trying to wrap my head around the apparent fact that this is the President's fault.

Still trying to wrap my head around the apparent fact that this is the President's fault.

It's not the Presidents fault what is going on in the Ukraine. What is his fault is his horrible foriegn policy record. He has been laughed at and mocked since he first stepped into the white house. Benghazi was just a sample of what a lot of us warned could happen under Obama/Clinton foriegn policies or lack of. Putin already showed Obama up when it was Putin who defused the North Korea nuclear threats after Obama told us all during his latest campaign that N Korea didn't have the technology to build nuclear weapons...he was wrong about that also. Obama then wants to do what Clinton did and tear down the military by cutting them so much they will not be mission ready if needed worldwide and now the joke of a president is threatening Russia over the Ukraine? Putin has to be laughing out loud at Obama because he just like we know Obama is a joke when it comes to Foriegn Policy.

Still trying to wrap my head around the apparent fact that this is the President's fault.

Agreed! I want ideas on what we should do.

Russia and Putin have been the clear losers over the crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine was the key to Putin’s proposed Eurasian Zone, a clear expression of Russia’s intentions to counterbalance against the European Union by realigning former Soviet Republics in a key alliance. With Poland having already acceded to the European Union years ago, and EU expansion creaking closer to Russia’s borders, preventing Ukraine’s accession and achieving its realignment with Russia was essential.

 

Putin got his way when he was able to pay off Yanukovch to deny EU membership and move toward the Russian alliance. However, the riots and revolution those moves kicked off were a disaster for Putin. Not only did he lose Ukraine, but he did so in such an obvious and public fashion, during the Olympics in Russia no less.

 

Now he’s invaded the Crimean peninsula, which is already an area with deep Russian identity, and to what end? To possibly save face by peeling off some of Ukraine’s territory before it eventually becomes an official part of Europe? To stage a full invasion of Ukraine and force its allegiance? Almost certainly Russia will lose all of its bargaining power and clout it had cultivated, including likely being ejected from the G-8 and again considered a pariah state not unlike Iran.

 

Yet here we are in the United States all but demanding war to keep the Crimean peninsula part of Ukraine. And, again, to what end?

 

What are the American interests here? How can they be achieved? And is it worth the costs in terms of both money and lives? There’s never been a “hot war” between two nuclear powers, should we have one now over Crimea? Over Ukraine? And why should we when Putin’s already losing and America stands to gain so little?

 

There’s an argument floating around now that says this could have been prevented if only the US had more credibility. Nearly any evaluation of American foreign policy would show that this is a myth. A robust intervention in Korea did not prevent Vietnam. A robust intervention in Iraq did not prevent Russia form invading Georgia. When has belligerence beget peace?

 

Furthermore, any analysis of foreign policy would show that if there is a concern regarding credibility, it is to do with democracies. Democracies are seen as slower to act because of the need of majority support. Indeed, many Americans were outraged over the NATO intervention in Libya, what would reaction to an intervention in Ukraine look like? If any country relied on fear of US intervention, would they not rely on the trepidation of democracy?

 

At the end of the day, there is no perfect solution. The situation is fluid, and the US’s response must be conditioned on i’s opponents’ actions, not on some idealistic notion of a perfect outcome. It doesn’t matter how chess is won, it just matters if it is won. Who knows how this will end, but the idea that there is a simple prescription for ending it is fanciful.

^ Great post.....

We will not invade, but just set aside and bluster. Yet, if we did not have leaders who are clueless about how bullies in the world work and show some strength, maybe Putin would not have felt empowered to go ahead with his land grab.

Russia and Putin have been the clear losers over the crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine was the key to Putin’s proposed Eurasian Zone, a clear expression of Russia’s intentions to counterbalance against the European Union by realigning former Soviet Republics in a key alliance. With Poland having already acceded to the European Union years ago, and EU expansion creaking closer to Russia’s borders, preventing Ukraine’s accession and achieving its realignment with Russia was essential.

 

Putin got his way when he was able to pay off Yanukovch to deny EU membership and move toward the Russian alliance. However, the riots and revolution those moves kicked off were a disaster for Putin. Not only did he lose Ukraine, but he did so in such an obvious and public fashion, during the Olympics in Russia no less.

 

Now he’s invaded the Crimean peninsula, which is already an area with deep Russian identity, and to what end? To possibly save face by peeling off some of Ukraine’s territory before it eventually becomes an official part of Europe? To stage a full invasion of Ukraine and force its allegiance? Almost certainly Russia will lose all of its bargaining power and clout it had cultivated, including likely being ejected from the G-8 and again considered a pariah state not unlike Iran.

 

Yet here we are in the United States all but demanding war tokeep the Crimean peninsula part of Ukraine. And, again, to what end?

 

What are the American interests here? How can they be achieved? And is it worth the costs in terms of both money and lives? There’s never been a “hot war” between two nuclear powers, should we have one now over Crimea? Over Ukraine? And why should we when Putin’s already losing and America stands to gain so little?

 

There’s an argument floating around now that says this could have been prevented if only the US had more credibility. Nearly any evaluation of American foreign policy would show that this is a myth. A robust intervention in Korea did not prevent Vietnam. A robust intervention in Iraq did not prevent Russia form invading Georgia. When has belligerence beget peace?

 

Furthermore, any analysis of foreign policy would show that if there is a concern regarding credibility, it is to do with democracies. Democracies are seen as slower to act because of the need of majority support. Indeed, many Americans were outraged over the NATO intervention in Libya, what would reaction to an intervention in Ukraine look like? If any country relied on fear of US intervention, would they not rely on the trepidation of democracy?

 

At the end of the day, there is no perfect solution. The situation is fluid, and the US’s response must be conditioned on i’s opponents’ actions, not on some idealistic notion of a perfect outcome. It doesn’t matter how chess is won, it just matters if it is won. Who knows how this will end, but the idea that there is a simple prescription for ending it is fanciful.

 

Thank you.

 

With many folks, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't.