Russia hits the reset button — by declaring its intent to rearm
posted at 5:04 pm on March 17, 2009 by Allahpundit
One of our resident lefty commenters was reduced to arguing in the Headlines thread that President McCain wouldn’t have any better answers to this than The One would. Which may or may not be true, but speaks volumes about the state of Hopenchange these days. From “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for” to “we’re no worse than the guy who lost” in less than two months:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Moscow will begin a comprehensive military rearmament from 2011.
Mr Medvedev said the primary task would be to “increase the combat readiness of [Russia's] forces, first of all our strategic nuclear forces“.
Explaining the move, he cited concerns over Nato expansion near Russia’s borders and regional conflicts…
Analysts say the brief war in Georgia exposed problems with outdated equipment and practices within Russia’s armed forces and led to calls for military modernisation.
Really? How do we get from problems with their tanks or whatever in Georgia to Medvedev rattling his nuclear saber here?
I’ve been assuming that Russia’s recent provocations, like wanting to station bombers in Cuba, are just a way to gain bargaining leverage with Obama over missile defense in eastern Europe, but the more I think about it, the less sense that makes. If, as many believe, The One isn’t all that keen on the program in the first place, then the obvious way to give him political cover to abandon it is to buddy up to him, declare yourselves believers in a new hopier, changier peaceful era, and humor him and his “reset button” crap until he cancels the missile shield. Instead they’re doing the opposite, escalating tensions to the point where he’ll have no choice but to follow through on it lest he appear weak. Which, I suspect, may mean that these moves are designed as much for Russian domestic consumption (if not more) as for Obama’s. With oil prices dropping and economic terror afoot, Putin and Medvedev have to show a strong nationalist hand to keep the public calm and focused on external enemies. Exit question: What fate does that same logic portend for Obama’s outreach to Iran?
Blowback
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The Soviet bear has been awaken by the cowering bald eagle.
madmonkphotog on March 17, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Barry is a child in a world full of men. I doubt that anything Russia, Venezuela, Iran or N Korea do will cause him to grow a spine.
Vashta.Nerada on March 17, 2009 at 5:07 PM
More CowBell!
upinak on March 17, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Swing lowwwwww,………….
christene on March 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Wait a minute………..the Messiah promised that the World would Love America and everything would be sunshine, lollipops and rainbows…………..what happened?
Cinday Blackburn on March 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Will you punch the commenter’s heart out?
Or choke him with his colon?
blatantblue on March 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Or will you grind his/her bones to make your bread?
Russia sux!
:P
blatantblue on March 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Dealing with Russia ought to be a very interesting window into Obama’s mind.
Does he deal with them the way he’d deal with a good friend and fellow traveller, or does he deal with them the way he’d deal with a Chicago business that’s not giving his “community” what he wants?
My hope is Obama would realize his “community” is now the U.S…..
Mew
acat on March 17, 2009 at 5:09 PM
I guess we missed the memo:
Love America and everything would be sunshine, lollipops and rainbows-canceled.
christene on March 17, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Wait a minute………..the Messiah promised that the World would Love America and everything would be sunshine, lollipops and rainbows…………..what happened?
Cinday Blackburn on March 17, 2009 at 5:08 PM
——
The world (Europe, at least) do love Obama…. that has to count for something, right? I mean, Obama chicken fingers, yo!
Mew
acat on March 17, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Anyone who thinks McCain wouldn’t have handled foreign policy crises better than Obama is either stupid, delusional or hopelessly naive.
BardMan on March 17, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Sorry for veering off topic, but this sounds familiar…oh yeah:
With unemployment up and economic issues afoot, Obama and the Democrats have to show a strong hand to keep the public calm and focused on internal enemies (e.g., AIG, Rush, etc.).
WashJeff on March 17, 2009 at 5:11 PM
On the Democrat moronic foreign relations scale, the reset button will be right up there next to Maddy Mot-so-bright dancing with Kim Jong-Il
phreshone on March 17, 2009 at 5:12 PM
I hope that photo haunts Hillary for the rest of her born days.
Brat on March 17, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Unclenching their fist and gangster-slapping the President-in-Training.
JammieWearingFool on March 17, 2009 at 5:12 PM
What! You mean the Russian bear doesn’t cower at the feet of the Barry bear?
rplat on March 17, 2009 at 5:13 PM
As usual, you put a lefty in the White House and all the wannabees find out they have a spine after all.
Hawthorne on March 17, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Barry H., Joe, and Hillary …
The Three Stooges
darwin on March 17, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Is this Gravitas?
bloggless on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Russia has had many people fooled for a long time, with the help of Iran diverting attention. Russia isn’t just going to announce that “Hey, we’re going to start building arms again.” They already have them and for some reason feel this is a good time to say something about it.
Their foray into Georgia may have revealed weaknesses in their own equipment – and it may have just been a dry run before claiming the Crimea or Eastern Ukraine.
AubieJon on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Face it America, we elected a complete rookie who has never run or led anything but a campaign. Does our current situation lend itself to on the job training?
I think not.
And now we pay the price and suffer the consequences.
BardMan on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Is there ANYTHING that Obama has touched that hasn’t failed? Any problem that he claimed he was going to fix that he didn’t make worse?
Anyone? Bueller?
Guardian on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Ahhhh yes…. it’s all going according to schedule!
bloggless on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Actually, Russia meant to announce that they were going to “disarm”, in line with the idiot messiah’s wishes … but they screwed up the translation, so now they are committed to rearming.
Shrillary started a new trend.
The cancellation of the missile defense is a given, already. Russia is moving on to bigger and better ways of making the US weaken ourselves even more (thanks to the retard in the WHite House).
Because they know that the lefties are explaining that Russia is acting like this in response to US “provocations”, so the idiot left are pushing for weaker and weaker US policy to counter Russian aggression. I know it’s dumber than anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together could stomach … but that’s the left, and especially the suicidal left led by a marxist who hates America and the West, to begin with.
progressoverpeace on March 17, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Obama’s new name: Failinator
bloggless on March 17, 2009 at 5:16 PM
……. and the Teleprompter reads;
Seven Percent Solution on March 17, 2009 at 5:16 PM
where’s that dan unicorn that blows rainbows and bubbles out its arse?
bloggless on March 17, 2009 at 5:17 PM
What! You mean the Russian bear doesn’t cower at the feet of the
BarrySnuggles bear?rplat on March 17, 2009 at 5:13 PM
What? It’s the same thing.
Guardian on March 17, 2009 at 5:17 PM
You don’t even have to go so far as McCain. Anyone with a brain who even mildly liked the US would handle foreign policy crises better than the angry, retarded, America-hating marxist we have running the place, right now.
progressoverpeace on March 17, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Lets get something straight. I didn’t vote for him. He is not the man I wanted. And I (as many others) will be paying the price for this “rookie” for the rest of our natural lives.
upinak on March 17, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Survival of the fittest, and Barry’s a weak link.
anniekc on March 17, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Reset Button = Mission Accomplished
DrStock on March 17, 2009 at 5:20 PM
I hear you upinak. I meant “we” as America in general. I understand that most folks who voted against Hussein do not refer to him as “their” president.
BardMan on March 17, 2009 at 5:20 PM
AllahPundit, this may also have something to do with Russian ongoing and undying desire to join the WTO. (Hope in never happens)
runner on March 17, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Russian = Russia’s
runner on March 17, 2009 at 5:21 PM
we are so screwed
trailortrash on March 17, 2009 at 5:21 PM
Hey, perhaps Barry could sell them what they need in order to get our economy restarted?
SC.Charlie on March 17, 2009 at 5:21 PM
I’m afraid that in my weakened condition, I could take a nasty spill down the stairs and not partipate in other threads.
Unfortunately, his campaign did not fail.
WashJeff on March 17, 2009 at 5:22 PM
He is still the president, even though he isn’t the one I wanted. I am just tired of the pandering, lying, bullying, pushing for this and that, taking money we don’t have, wondering allowed why all the hate and anger.
Well when you “Change” something to the point of no return, you better “hope” that no one comes after you in the end.
upinak on March 17, 2009 at 5:22 PM
I’m pretty sure if McCain were in the White house this never would have come up.
ChrisM on March 17, 2009 at 5:22 PM
This is recycled Russian BS. Every other year they said they are going to rearm with the date keep pushing back.
jdun on March 17, 2009 at 5:24 PM
And you know this how?
I can’t think of anyone else who could screw America over in so short of time as sleeper cell.
As much as I dislike McCain,..he has a few more quality’s sleeper cell lacks,..respect for America,released his birth certificate does not travel with teleprompter,a wife who has always loved America,..and the odds of McCain tossing tax dollars out the window on a party,..zip!
christene on March 17, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Yeah…..
Perhaps that whole ***BUTTON*** image might have been best left UN.DONE.
seejanemom on March 17, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Every time one of these countries faces internal strife, they have to make America look like a boogieman. So that’s what M/P are doing right now. America Bad! We must rearm! It is in self defense! And Americans sit here clueless as to what they did to annoy another country. In this case, all we did was misspell a word. Bad America!
TimothyJ on March 17, 2009 at 5:24 PM
It is at times like these that I most miss Ronald Reagan.
Loxodonta on March 17, 2009 at 5:24 PM
……Everytime Obama says ‘uh’, a nuclear bomb in Russia is born.
HornetSting on March 17, 2009 at 5:25 PM
An instant classic!
progressoverpeace on March 17, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Brilliant!
myrenovations on March 17, 2009 at 5:27 PM
At least McCain would be IN the White House actually working to fix the problem………
………… and not planning the “Approve my Socialist Budget” campaign which is about to kick-off on Jay Leno.
Seven Percent Solution on March 17, 2009 at 5:27 PM
This is what I am talking about! You rethuglicans should be happy that we may one day be able eat Obama Chicken Fingers in the Socialist Republic, I mean the good ole USA. Obama seems to want to give everyone the finger, I mean a finger, the chicken kind. It seems the Russian, Chinese and the Koreans wants to give us the finger, not the chicken kind!
Still think about the fact that we can look to our gracious and pragmatic Dear Leader as the symbol of peace and happiness! He will use his super power of persuasion and chat these monsters into submission! They don’t stand a chance, because he is soooo popular!
Africanus on March 17, 2009 at 5:27 PM
I am really not enjoying this new venture into smart diplomacy.
myrenovations on March 17, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Does anyone here read Spengler? He’s been predicting for months that Iran’s death spiral will start with a war to keep people’s minds off the fact they live crappy lives. That is not news, Ed.
Vatican Watcher on March 17, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Someone said in a comment awhile back that the two types of people in the electorate today where those that remember how bad the carter days were, and those that were fixing to find out. This retard is sooo bad, I am missing even the peanut farmer
lukespapa on March 17, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Misread. Allah. :D
Vatican Watcher on March 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Is there a pool for when the next US Embassy is overrun? Time to dust off my wife’s BeeGee CDs.
SPCOlympics on March 17, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Obama is my president. I don’t like it and he’s scaring the snot out of me. But he is my president.
myrenovations on March 17, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Ya know…. I was just saying the other day, “gee I miss the Cold War”.
Hog Wild on March 17, 2009 at 5:33 PM
I think we’re all finding out why Michelle wears the pants in the Obama family.
Ernest on March 17, 2009 at 5:34 PM
You mean Russia’s not buying the “Can’t we all just get along?” version of diplomacy known as Smart Power?
kingsjester on March 17, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Don’t lie. They’re your BeeGee Eight Tracks.
HornetSting on March 17, 2009 at 5:34 PM
We are not screwed because this is all BS. The Russian has been saying this since the late 90′s.
Since then, 2/3 of Russian’s airplanes cannot get off the ground. Their ships need to be tow. Their armor corp is in a worst shape then the late 90′s. They are trying to switch to a professional military force but that has been proven very difficult to accept.
jdun on March 17, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Obama is a disgrace an a dangerous, radical individual who will pervert our country if given the chance. Watch our backlash growing. Watch the people overcome and reject the MSM propaganda machine. Watch the hard working people overcome and reject the race baiters, the ACORN thugs, and the leaches. We’re going to exact justice on these lying pieces of garbage like Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Frank, and Dodd.
marklmail on March 17, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Vlad the Impaler:
Seven Percent Solution on March 17, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Russia is pissed that we sent Navy ships to the Black Sea during the Georgian War. They view this as payback.
Absolutely. Few things are as popular in Russia as moves that make Russia look strong, and America weak.
Realist on March 17, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Thanks for the link to the Bear Ad. I’d forgotten that one.
As long as the Dems as so eager to “reset” things, the RNC needs to bring that ad back and recycle it.
INC on March 17, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Hee, hee. No, they’re the wife’s. I have Pink Floyd. I was to s**ned to dance back then.
SPCOlympics on March 17, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Liberal Senate, liberal House, Liberal President=nuclear bomb green light.
The Russians are just more confident in letting the world know about it.
Speakup on March 17, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Ha , just wait , Obama is stacking up on DVD gift boxes.
the_nile on March 17, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Instead they’re doing the opposite, escalating tensions to the point where he’ll have no choice but to follow through on it lest he appear weak.
No need for him to APPEAR weak, he is!
Believing as Obama does about missile defense in particular and Defense in gerneral, don’t tell me you honestly think Obama will NOT scrap missile defense just because of this?
The administration will simply wave this off as Russia responding to decades of american aggression. That the Russkies would be stupid not to update their arsenal.
See a trend here? Obama wanting to scrap missile defense, gut defense, not update our own nuclear arsenal – while the Russkies do the exact opposite..
catmman on March 17, 2009 at 5:48 PM
I was getting nostalgic for the good ‘ol Cold War days. What’s next a resurgence of disco?
Just A Grunt on March 17, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Meh. This is just another clumsily transparent negotiating tactic by the Russians.
After kicking Obama to the curb over linking missile defense to Iran (the “secret letter”), the Russians made it clear they’d rather link missile defense to strategic nuke talks, specifically START-1 which expires later this year.
Indeed, a detail Allahpundit missed from another report today was this nugget:
Again, transparent.
Cuffy Meigs on March 17, 2009 at 5:49 PM
No chance. Almost everyone has forgotten the photos of Maddie Albright giving and autographed basketball to Dear Leader….
If the Russians build up their supply of nukes, they won’t need more than a handful of airplanes.
Osama Obama needs to go. Today would be a good day to start the process.
MrScribbler on March 17, 2009 at 5:50 PM
None of this changes Russia’s demographic implosion.
pseudonominus on March 17, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Naww, he’ll get advice from Joe the F’n Foreign Policy Genius and give them a check for a few billion, no strings attached.
I knew 2 years ago Barry was going to be an incompetent bumbler. But he’s proving me uncharacteristically optimistic, and it won’t be long before we see him screw up monumentally, with a re-nuking Russia and a nuked-up Iran to deal with.
Great. Just f’n great.
mr.blacksheep on March 17, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Cuffy Meigs on March 17, 2009 at 5:49 PM
They work on establishing this, while we have disbanded all our PK’s, with no new development of something updated.
catmman on March 17, 2009 at 5:52 PM
What are they going to pay for this with?
Oil revenues are plunging.
Saber rattling they can’t back up.
NoDonkey on March 17, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Maybe they will get turned on by pushing us around and start reproducing.
myrenovations on March 17, 2009 at 5:56 PM
OT –
How does one comment on the Headlines threads, anyhow? Never been able to figure that out.
warbaby on March 17, 2009 at 5:56 PM
I mean, come on! How can so many be so blind to the fact that The Precedent is in way over his head??!?!??!?!
Sheesh. My cat could do a better job at governing.
ladyingray on March 17, 2009 at 6:01 PM
Guys, Nate Hale at Former Spook has been discussing this issue for quite some time now.
Unlike the US, Russia heavily depends on its nuclear forces as a deterrent. It’s well known that Russia has been modernizing its nukes for years. Nuclear weapons infrastructure in the US, by comparison, is dangerously outdated. Obambi has no inclination whatsoever to rectify the problem, either: he’d prefer to unilaterally disarm.
Think about it. With all the Spendulus money washing all over the place, defense is the only sector that Obambi focuses on to “rein in” costs, even as he spends so much debt that the Chinese have us by the balls financially.
Countering Putin is really easy:
* Drill for new sources of domestic oil, to make the US self-sufficient for its oil requirements (thus depriving Russia of hard currency from high oil prices, as world oil demand would fall significantly once US demand is removed, and prices would fall);
* Modernize the US nuclear weapons infrastructure, to demonstrate to the Russians and others that we treat the issue seriously and value nukes as a strategic deterrent (thus making Russia see that any talk of increasing their defense spending gains them nothing); and
* Continue iterative development of BMD so that it gradually moves from defending against singular, “rogue” launches, to that of defending against saturation launches (thus demonstrating to both Russia and China that we have good reason to not increase the size of our nuclear forces).
But Obambi will have none of this. In his world, decreasing defense spending = more money to pay off his hard-left political base.
And God help us all…
Wanderlust on March 17, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Agreed. Remember the SS-N-30?
Wanderlust on March 17, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Which is oddest in that defense spending has been the only government spending that has ever had much of a chance of returning anything of value. Ask a lefty about successful government spending and they will invariably point out some defense project (though the lefties never seem to be aware that these projects came from defense).
But The Precedent is unfazed by this, since his motivation is only to exact revenge against the US and the West, anyway.
When this junta finally comes down, people had better be held to account and receive the appropriate punishments for their treason. Nothing less will do.
progressoverpeace on March 17, 2009 at 6:11 PM
If you’re signed in here, you should be signed in there as well.
To see the column click on the red Headline.
To see the comments and add your 2 cents, click on the number.
INC on March 17, 2009 at 6:13 PM
Fleeing Eagle, Hungry Bear.
Maquis on March 17, 2009 at 6:15 PM
russia will always be the bad guy reagan got it why can’t liberals get it.are you still stuck on stupid.
wade underhile on March 17, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Cue the Charlie Daniels Band….
“In America”, circa 1980.
“And you never did think that it ever would happen again…
Well we damn sure fooled you.”
Kind of the opposite of the original intent of the song. But in Newspeak, it’s all teh same.
connertown on March 17, 2009 at 6:49 PM
I’m sure that President Slick will be able to convince the Russians of the error of their ways. After all, he has all that VAST experience as a community organizer. Maybe the ‘smartest woman in the world’ will be able to help.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GarandFan on March 17, 2009 at 6:54 PM
The target group of these declarations are:
1. internal (Russia Strong)
2. the “near-abroad” where Russia wants to restore hegemony (but is having difficulties even to force Belarus into recognizing Abkhazia and SO)
3. the anti-american alliance (Venezuela, Iran, etc) whom Russia wants to nurture as a diplomatic cheering force on its corner to retain its seat in the major leagues
Since Obama has already indicated he will throw Poles and Czechs under the bus, Russia wants to pile on as much as possible and then emerge as the supreme victor from the bout having forced Obama to concede in Russia’s sphere of influence WITHOUT giving anything in return. If Obama grows a backbone and continues with the missile defence – Russia loses little (as the shield doesn’t threaten Russia) and can claim all these other initiatives have been countermeasures.
The reality is that Russia has been reforming and rearming its armed forces for more than a decade now and their best in Georgia were still second rate.
kittysaidwoof on March 17, 2009 at 6:56 PM
President Barack Obama – Nuclear Whipping Boy in Chief.
Ivan smells weakness in Washington and as AP says they are using their new found ability to tweak the US Governments tail for domestic purposes. The reality is the Russians are all bark and no bite but they know if they bark loud enough and put on a big enough show they can get get a full fledged pussy like Obama to back down, which plays real well in the Russian media and with the Russian people.
Dreadnought223 on March 17, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Thanks much.
warbaby on March 17, 2009 at 7:06 PM
Morever, sensitive defense jobs ensure:
1. High tech skills that everyone always bitches about the US lacking.
2. High tech positions that can ONLY go to US citizens. Furners can’t get high clearance positions.
Cuffy Meigs on March 17, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Obamateur may follow through, but, his response will make Jimmy Carter look like Patton.
William Teach on March 17, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Tested. Gird your loins.
vcferlita on March 17, 2009 at 7:31 PM
You’re not on your todd, there, Hog Wild.
OldEnglish on March 17, 2009 at 7:37 PM
In Soviet America, Russia overpowers YOU!
BKennedy on March 17, 2009 at 8:08 PM
I wonder if Jon Stewart is upset that after doing Barry’s dirty work on Cramer (and being a Barry supporter for I don’t know how many months)that instead of showing gratitude by going on his show he’s instead going on Leno’s. (He should have known the drill, Barry is your friend up until the time he doesn’t need you and not a second longer.)
Dave_d on March 17, 2009 at 8:09 PM
You’re welcome!
Also, I forgot to mention this, but in case you don’t already know, you can find the Headlines archives by clicking on All Headlines. Once there, if you want to go back further, click on the red double pointers after the specific category headline .
INC on March 17, 2009 at 8:59 PM
Probably what the Ruskies and mullahs are counting on, Obama the chicken.
jimmy2shoes on March 17, 2009 at 9:12 PM
The target is Israel.
jimmy2shoes on March 17, 2009 at 9:14 PM
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