Putin's Letter to Americans

[sturg33]

Pretty sad that I agree with Putin more than the President when it comes to Syria. But a well thought out response nonetheless.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/opinion/putin-plea-for-caution-from-russia-on-syria.html?_r=2&

[bravesnumberone]

He made some good points, but some of his statements are essentially hypocritical. Go read the New York Times Op-Ed he wrote in 1999 about the Chechen conflict. A remarkably different tone.

And the part at the end. I agree somewhat with the exceptionalism bit, but LOL at him trying to put "God created us equal" part in. This coming from a man who has signed a law that shuns homosexuals in his country.

[sturg33]

He made some good points, but some of his statements are essentially hypocritical. Go read the New York Times Op-Ed he wrote in 1999 about the Chechen conflict. A remarkably different tone.

And the part at the end. I agree somewhat with the exceptionalism bit, but LOL at him trying to put "God created us equal" part in. This coming from a man who has signed a law that shuns homosexuals in his country.

Yeah, there is definitely some hypocrisy in there. But show me a world leader speech that isn't...

I just think he is using a lot more sense than Obama regarding Syria. This could seriously start a global war if it escalated. Russia and China aren't just going to let us go beat up whoever we choose.

[bravesnumberone]

Well Obama will have a different stance by Friday and another by Monday. Give him time.

[holden]

If you believe anything Putin says, you're a terrible fool. Of course he doesn't want us to intervene in Syria. His reasons are completely disingenuous.

That said, I don't think we should do anything. But Putin is a master manipulator.

[weso1]

Let's be clear here. Russia has a vested interest in this Syria thing and it has nothing to do with humanitarianism. In this very complicated world of foreign policy Russia stands to benefit from Syria annihilating the rebels. In fact if you put emotion and humanitarianism to the side, one of the main reasons to support action in Syria is to weaken Russia. A weakened Russia is good for America.

[Runnin]

If you believe anything Putin says, you're a terrible fool. .......But Putin is a master manipulator.
?

So you mean that there are a lot of fools in the world.

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2009/08/04/0804_vladimir_putin_ap09080407547_ap_02-1.jpg

[holden]

yea

[50PoundHead]

I'm no flag-waver and I agree with the basic point of Putin's letter that a military strike against Syria would be unwise, but other than that, what a crock of BS. Our nations stood against each other during the Cold War, spending zillions of dollars and willing to infiltrate unaligned countries the size of a postage stamp simply to p*ss off the other side? Say it ain't so! I've never been an adherent to the extreme school of American Exceptionalism, but for a Russian to call us out on that after all the "we will bury you" and "decadence of the West" stuff that got ladled out during the Cold War really rings hollow. I guess it's a "what have you done for me lately" world. Russia is no longer the juggernaut it was during the Cold War. That much is obvious. But their history has always shown an imperialistic bent and I always watch for that reflex. How did that Chechnya thing turn out for you Boris?

[Julio3000]

Putin has showed his colors many times, notably in his cynical embrace of the Bush "War on Terror," which he used as cover to take the gloves off in Chechnya. There's a brand of nationalist chauvinism there that encourages imperialist exceptionalism. It's not wholly unlike our own, only theirs is less counterbalanced by democratic institutions.

[50PoundHead]

Putin has showed his colors many times, notably in his cynical embrace of the Bush "War on Terror," which he used as cover to take the gloves off in Chechnya. There's a brand of nationalist chauvinism there that encourages imperialist exceptionalism. It's not wholly unlike our own, only theirs is less counterbalanced by democratic institutions.

Precisely Julio. Look at Lenin after the Russian Revolution when he emigrated Russians into all of the Republics so that there would be a significant Russian presence (often a majority) throughout the new Empire. Is it any wonder that the Ukrainians and others embraced the invading Germans? Talk about the "enemy of my enemy is my friend." I'm no Cold Warrior, but I am a bit of a hardened realist and if there weren't an advantage somewhere for Putin to take this stand, he certainly wouldn't do it.