One crisis at a time, please. My hair is turning grey.

Putin’s a d**k.

ahem on October 26, 2007

…or a proud patriot who picked his country up from the gutter and who now is enjoying payback time. We bankrupted the USSR with an arms race; he can return the favor with his oil.

But a seriously weakened USA isn’t good for Russia, not with neighbors like China and Islam. Wish somebody in Washington could get this through Putin’s noggin. Wish somebody in Washington could get this through his own noggin.

Want to really cripple Russia? Offer a visa to every Russian woman between the age of 18 and 24. Come to think of it, it would also cripple feminism in this country. A win/win?

Bill C – you are perfectly correct.

On the other hand, we’re being subjected to the aggressive anti-American propaganda. Many young women are participating in sect-like pro-Kremlin mobs such as “Nashi” or “Mestnie”. They are completely brainwashed and hate America, so my guess is that not many women will leave Russia as mail-order brides.

Griz on October 26, 2007 at 12:42 PM

Don’t stop the visas. Why do you think Russia’s population is shrinking? We keep bringing over their women. I know I love my hot Russian wife.

Want to really cripple Russia? Offer a visa to every Russian woman between the age of 18 and 24. Come to think of it, it would also cripple feminism in this country. A win/win?

PS
I’m a Russian citizen.

What will a nuclear exchange do?

PRCalDude on October 26, 2007 at 1:23 PM

Well, if you live near a US target area a few hundred fifty megaton devices could detonate on your doorstep, if however you live in New Zealand, your tea cup might rattle a little bit.

In the cover pic…is Dinnerjacket standing on a box or is Putin on bended knee?

Limerick on October 26, 2007 at 2:52 PM

Both.

But Russia going to War with the US over Iran? I would call odds on that as nill at best.

I am told, in fact, that the Russian president memorized his key message in Farsi, and delivered it in a private meeting with the Supreme Leader, with not even an interpreter present.

If true, what would be so sensitive that one would not dare to have it leak out. So sensitive that not even an interpreter would be present, just the two principle parties?

This is not a poker game, folks. You never bluff, you never fold, and you always call.

What will a nuclear exchange do?

Probably not a hell of a lot. Volcanoes spew out cubic miles of ash. Nuclear weapons do not.

Umm, false. Oil and gas prices along with Putin’s jailing of anyone that opposes him in Russia places him in control of about 25 trillion in unrealized capital gains.

Unless oil prices tank through some angelic intervention, we have to get used to Russia using economic warfare like the Soviets used political warfare. Russia can’t really do the US a lot of damage, but they can create havoc for our allies.

We’d better get going now while we still have some manufacturing capacity that hasn’t been shipped to China or Mexico.

I guess the new game plan is to strike Iran and keep a hefty reserve for Russia? As soon as you see MacDonald’s evacuating their Russian employees, you know it’s on.

“Operation Patton” (dah-dada-dah-dada-dah-dada-dah)

In other words, he used the US military as a pawn, and was all too willing to cede the chessboard to his opponent the moment forces got bloodied (e.g., Somalia). This lack of resolve and follow-up emboldened Osama bin Laden and others to attack the US or its interests again and again during his term.

see-dubya on October 26, 2007 at 12:50 PM

Yes, see-dubya, it’s called Prompt Global Response.

Not cheap, but quite effective, and sh*t-kickin’ accurate, including the use of the new 30,000lb bunker buster and Trident D4’s refitted with conventional warheads.

Also, guys, don’t forget that Putie has got to rattle his saber because US military weapons and doctrine embarrassed the hell out of Russia with us having taken Baghdad in only three weeks, using small, mobile forces & weapons having pinpoint accuracy, with minimal collateral damage.

Money quote from a more in-depth review of US vs Russian military doctrine as executed in Iraq, by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (emphasis mine):

Although it comes as no surprise to most military observers, Operation Iraqi Freedom again demonstrated the wide—and expanding—gap between the US and all the world’s other militaries in conventional operations. The implications for those who consider themselves actual or potential enemies of the United States are clear: they must avoid taking on the American military in conventional war. Rather, they must move to the extremes along the spectrum of conflict. For rogue states such as Iran and North Korea, this means acquiring nuclear weapons or pursuing more ambiguous forms of aggression through support of terrorist organizations. A third option is to develop anti-access and area-denial capabilities.

Now in order to deny area access, Putie is going after the US’ soft underbelly – its [Democratic] reluctance to project force.

I believe the reason the Democrats loved Clinton and Yeltsin was because both were preoccupied so much with their own vices that they ignored strategic threats (Clinton with his “legacy” building and tail-chasing, and Yeltsin with his vodka). Putie is correcting those mistakes in Russia, first by pretending to be friends with GWB in 2001 and now rattling his saber whilst spewing leftist “peace” rhetoric. GWB has tried to correct the mistakes of Clinton, having prevented any further terrorist incidents on US soil or embassies during his term, but his response to other threats (especially the threat of lax border security) has been weak.

Putin needs to get his pee-pee smacked pretty hard. He’s puffing and posturing and aiming to turn Russia back into the superpower that it once was by opposing the US in every way he can.

30-40 years ago the Soviets actually backed up their words with deeds. Unfortunately all of their military spending back then was for naught. They couldn’t keep up and ended up bankrupting their feeble, lopsided economy.

Today, Putin is talking smack with nothing to back it up. Sorta like his new bosom buddy, Ahmadinejad.

They’re inviting themselves to some serious @sskicking.

Cold War I have missed the.

Theworldisnotenough on October 26, 2007 at 1:11 PM

I lived through it. You didn’t miss much.

Texas Nick 77 on October 26, 2007 at 1:18 PM

Maybe it’s the English Lit. degree, but I read that as more rhetorical, like:

Cold War, I Have Missed Thee.

Non?