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Obama Can Stop Putin, If He Summons The Will
Topic Started: Mar 14 2014, 08:46 PM (247 Views)
Berton
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Obama Can Stop Putin, If He Summons The Will


The president of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council challenges critics of President Obama's Ukraine policy by saying, "What are you going to do, send the 101st Airborne into Crimea?"

Not exactly subtle. And rather silly, considering that no one has proposed such a thing. The alternative to passivity is not war but a serious foreign policy.

For five years, Obama's fruitless accommodationism has invited the kind of aggressiveness demonstrated by Iran in Syria, China in the East China Sea and Russia in Ukraine.

But what is to be done now?

We have three objectives. In ascending order of difficulty: Reassure NATO. Deter further Russian incursion into Ukraine. Reverse the annexation of Crimea.......

LINK

It sounds like a reasonable solution to me. But we need a leader to accomplish it.
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Pat
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Apparently the complexity of the situation is at fault. Europe rattle's it's sabers in full knowledge that it receives 75% of it's natural gas from Russia. A war and destruction of pipeline infrastructure would throw the continent and probably the world into a economic tailspin. America still has one war waging and is broke. $18 trillion is dept and deficits in the hundreds of billions of dollars do affect the foreign policy and options available. Russia knows this. The only option left is total isolation of Russia which will send that country into a very deep depression, the problem is you have France and other countries willing to underhandedly trade with blockaded countries.
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Berton
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Yes, that is discussed in the article.

Edited by Berton, Mar 14 2014, 10:30 PM.
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Pat
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So what do we do? The problem is and I brought this up before. The west has an agreement to defend the Crimean and all of the Ukraine. Yet Russia has now amassed 30,000 troops and equipment 30 miles from the Ukraine and is occupying the Crimean.
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Berton
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I would follow what is outlined in the article. It is not a quick and simple answer but it does address the situation rather than sticking our heads in the sand like nothing is happening.



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Pat
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Berton
Mar 14 2014, 10:34 PM
I would follow what is outlined in the article. It is not a quick and simple answer but it does address the situation rather than sticking our heads in the sand like nothing is happening.



I bet plenty is going on behind the scenes. Putin may be an arrogant S.O.B. but not stupid. And it could very well be that the west has decided to capitulate and allow the Ukraine to be swallowed up by Russia. It's not like there is no prior track record of this happening. It was called the Soviet Union.
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tomdrobin
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What would the hawks have us do? Maybe another military buildup? And, of course we shouldn't raise taxes to pay for it :sarcasim: . I think Obama's measured response is appropriate, with the threat of some sanctions. I don't really give a crap, if Putin wants Crimea let him have it. Over 60% of the population is ethnic Russian and they have a huge naval base there.
Edited by tomdrobin, Mar 14 2014, 11:16 PM.
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Berton
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tomdrobin
Mar 14 2014, 11:15 PM
What would the hawks have us do? Maybe another military buildup? And, of course we shouldn't raise taxes to pay for it :sarcasim: . I think Obama's measured response is appropriate, with the threat of some sanctions. I don't really give a crap, if Putin wants Crimea let him have it. Over 60% of the population is ethnic Russian and they have a huge naval base there.

Try reading the article and see what is wrong with that plan. It seem that the only people who are bringing up military actions are the left wing. Another straw man argument.

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tomdrobin
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Berton
Mar 14 2014, 11:28 PM
tomdrobin
Mar 14 2014, 11:15 PM
What would the hawks have us do? Maybe another military buildup? And, of course we shouldn't raise taxes to pay for it :sarcasim: . I think Obama's measured response is appropriate, with the threat of some sanctions. I don't really give a crap, if Putin wants Crimea let him have it. Over 60% of the population is ethnic Russian and they have a huge naval base there.

Try reading the article and see what is wrong with that plan. It seem that the only people who are bringing up military actions are the left wing. Another straw man argument.

Quote:
 
Reverse the annexation of Crimea:
Clearly the most difficult. In the short run, likely impossible. There are no military cards to play, Russia holding all of them. Ukraine's forces are very weak. The steps must be diplomatic and economic.


Duh, isn't that what Obama is doing?
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Neutral
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Kerry drew a red line of Monday, anyone think for a second Putin won't cross it?
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