American hardliners are the first to say that they feel stupid next to Putin. Victor Davis Hanson wrote on August 12 of Moscow's "sheer diabolic brilliance" in Georgia, while Colonel Ralph Peters, a columnist and television commentator, marveled on August 14, "The Russians are alcohol-sodden barbarians, but now and then they vomit up a genius ... the empire of the czars hasn't produced such a frightening genius since [Joseph] Stalin."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/JH19Ag04.html
He's pretty good allright - no wonder they villify him! :P
TBH I reckoned he would go far from the time he surfaced on the international scene in late '99.
Mind you it was a case of the right man at the right time.
I reckoned back in 1991 that Russia would be out of it for about 10/15 years and then stage a comeback round 2001/2006.
Europa Conventus Delenda Est
The Real New World Order
The global system is suffering from two imbalances . First, one nation-state, the United States, remains overwhelmingly powerful, and no combination of powers are in a position to control its behavior. We are aware of all the economic problems besetting the United States, but the reality is that the American economy is larger than the next three economies combined (Japan, Germany and China). The U.S. military controls all the world's oceans and effectively dominates space . Because of these factors, the United States remains politically powerful — not liked and perhaps not admired, but enormously powerful.
The second imbalance is within the United States itself. Its ground forces and the bulk of its logistical capability are committed to the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States also is threatening on occasion to go to war with Iran, which would tie down most of its air power, and it is facing a destabilizing Pakistan . Therefore, there is this paradox: The United States is so powerful that, in the long run, it has created an imbalance in the global system. In the short run, however, it is so off balance that it has few, if any, military resources to deal with challenges elsewhere. That means that the United States remains the dominant power in the long run but it cannot exercise that power in the short run. This creates a window of opportunity for other countries to act.
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article5933.html
I've said in another thread the Russians have long been preparing for this. If you look at all the key appointments of the last decade, the way the energy industry there has been nationalised and revamped, the way ex KGB hold so much sway in all aspects of Russian life. They've done to well to get themselves back on the scene but now is just the beginning, if they want to be influencial again they've got a lot of other 'battles' to fight and win.
"I'm not sure Northernness is geographical. It's philosophical." Stuart Maconie
Interesting. The last lot of people to describe the Russians as barbarians didn't come out of it all that well.Originally Posted by politicsisrotten
Never let the best be the enemy of the good.
Another way of looking at it is that the US economy is 13.7 trillion dollars while the EU economy was 16.5 trillion in 2007.
"Who will bailout the IMF after FF is finished with them?"
Take out the massively overvalued Euro which inflates that figure and take into account that the EU is 27 countries while the US is one country and that stat is laughable.Another way of looking at it is that the US economy is 13.7 trillion dollars while the EU economy was 16.5 trillion in 2007.
Liquidate labour, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate.
I think a sense of perspective is required here. 20 years ago, the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe, including part of Germany. Now, Russia is squabbling with the west over 2 tiny Caucasian Republics.
Ukraine, with its huge indigenous Russian population, has reason to be concerned. I would not be surprised to see Russian-inspired separatist movements in the Crimea and perhaps elsewhere in the Ukraine, although Russia would probably accept Finland-style neutrality for the Ukraine.
Outside of Ukraine and Belarus, no other European country has anything to worry about.
Vive le Québec libre ! Ná cuir an milleán ormsa - vótáil mé "Tá"!
I think a sense of perspective is required here. 20 years ago, the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe, including part of Germany. Now, Russia is squabbling with the west over 2 tiny Caucasian Republics.
Ukraine, with its huge indigenous Russian population, has reason to be concerned. I would not be surprised to see Russian-inspired separatist movements in the Crimea and perhaps elsewhere in the Ukraine, although Russia would probably accept Finland-style neutrality for the Ukraine.
Outside of Ukraine and Belarus, no other European country has anything to worry about.
I agree with your point that Russia is a shadow of the USSR but it is this step down that many Russians see as an injustice that must be righted and there in lies the potential danger.
Russia is not democratic and the governement has been happy to use the media to put forward nationalistic and often racist views this is a usefull way of keeping support but it is a dangerous sentiment to promote.
Your point that only the Ukraine and Belarus have anything to worry about is wrong. Russia in the last few years it has temporarily cut off oil to Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus ; cut of gas to Moldova and Ukraine and punished Estonia with cutting off rail freight and a cyber attack on its government. Russia has troops in break away parts of Moldova as well as Georgia. Russia has increased its defence spending by over 20 % anually for the last 3 years, resumed long range strategic bomber flights for the first time since the cold war and just a few days ago threatened Poland with nuclear weapons.
-------------- Does anyone like plutonium with their sushi??---------------------
A war in the Ukraine would affect all of Euorpe
OOOO yAaa the bloody sodding Russian's, well some one give them what ever it s they want...providing its not a good poke. :P
Advances in any field are built upon people with the small or personal view. Give Israel Your support, it needs it.
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