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Politics and War in Ukraine (1 Viewer)

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Insoxicated
Russian tanks rolling in... parliament surrounded
Russian warship off coast of Miami in cuban harbor
Obama wagging "There will be costs" stick again



 
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4 minutes ago

Obama on Ukraine: The U.S. is 'deeply concerned'
(CNN) - The United States is "deeply concerned" by reports of Russian military movements inside Ukraine, President Barack Obama said Friday, saying any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty would be "deeply destabilizing."

Obama said that the situation in Ukraine was "very fluid" and that the United States would continue to coordinate closely with European allies and communicate directly with the Russian government.

"The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine," he said.

Here's a transcript of his remarks:

Good afternoon, everybody.

Over the last several days, the United States has been responding to events as they unfold in Ukraine. Throughout this crisis, we have been very clear about one fundamental principle: The Ukrainian people deserve the opportunity to determine their own future. Together with our European allies, we have urged an end to the violence and encouraged Ukrainians to pursue a course in which they stabilize their country, forge a broad-based government and move to elections this spring.
I also spoke several days ago with President Putin, and my administration has been in daily communication with Russian officials, and we've made clear that they can be part of an international community’s effort to support the stability and success of a united Ukraine going forward, which is not only in the interest of The people of Ukraine and the international community, but also in Russia’s interest.
However, we are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine. Russia has a historic relationship with Ukraine, including cultural and economic ties, and a military facility in Crimea, but any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing, which is not in the interest of Ukraine, Russia, or Europe.
It would represent a profound interference in matters that must be determined by the Ukrainian people. It would be a clear violence of Russia’s commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine, and of international laws. And just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic Games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world. And indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.
The events of the past several months remind us of how difficult democracy can be in a country with deep divisions. But the Ukrainian people have also reminded us that human beings have a universal right to determine their own future.
Right now, the situation remains very fluid. Vice President Biden just spoke with Prime Minister - the Prime Minister of Ukraine to assure him that in this difficult moment the United States supports his government’s efforts and stands for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and democratic future of Ukraine. I also commend the Ukrainian government’s restraint and its commitment to uphold its international obligations.
We will continue to coordinate closely with our European allies. We will continue to communicate directly with the Russian government. And we will continue to keep all of you in the press corps and the American people informed as events develop.
Thanks very much.


 
Ukraine's acting President Oleksander Turchynov has accused Russia of deploying troops to Crimea and trying to provoke Kiev into "armed conflict".

In a TV address, he said Moscow wanted the new interim government to react to provocations so it could annex Crimea.

Russia's UN ambassador said any troop movements in Crimea were within an existing arrangement with Ukraine.

US President Barack Obama warned of the "costs" of any Russian intervention in the Ukraine.

_73296412_73295433.jpg


President Obama: "Any violation of Ukraine sovereignty would be deeply destabilising"

In a statement from the White House he said: "Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe."

He said Washington stood by Ukraine's new interim government and commended "its restraint and its commitment to uphold its international obligations".

President Turchynov appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop provocations and start negotiations".

He said Russia was behaving as it did before sending troops into Georgia in 2008 over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have large ethnic Russian populations.

"They are implementing the scenario like the one carried out in Abkhazia, when after provoking a conflict, they started an annexation of the territory," President Turchynov said.

Protecting 'strategic sites'

Continue reading the main story From the scene
_58711054_oleg.jpg
Oleg BoldyrevBBC Russian, Simferopol
Passengers at the main airport in Simferopol were waiting for their flight to Istanbul when they were told airspace over the city was closed and the flight would not leave until the next morning at the earliest.

Some considered making the 500km (310-mile) trip to the nearest international airport, in Odessa.

Meanwhile, the airport car park was still being patrolled by heavily-armed soldiers in uniforms that gave no indication of where they were from.

News from elsewhere was no less alarming. The main television station was taken over by armed men who said they were from Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Reports came in that fibre optic lines connecting Crimea to the rest of Ukraine were either blocked or damaged.

If the mobile or internet connection goes down, it will be the most palpable indication yet of an emergency situation for the local people.

His statement came a few hours after the Kremlin said President Putin had spoken of the "extreme importance of not allowing a further escalation of violence" during telephone conversations with Western leaders.

However, flights from and to the Crimean capital, Simferopol, were cancelled with airlines saying airspace over the peninsula had been closed.

Senior Ukrainian official Sergiy Kunitsyn told local media 13 Russian aircraft carrying nearly 2,000 suspected troops had landed at a military air base near Simferopol. This remains unconfirmed.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said that any Russian military movements in Crimea were within Moscow's long-standing arrangement with Ukraine on the deployment of military assets.

"We are acting within the framework of that agreement," he said, after a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council.

He did not give details of any Russian military deployment.

Earlier in the day, Russian armoured vehicles and helicopters were seen in and around Simferopol and Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet are based.

Armed men in unidentified military uniforms, believed to be loyal to Russia, have moved in on Crimea's parliament, state television building and telecommunication centres.

 
What should we do?

I hate to say it, but much like the Soviet Union crushing Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, what can we do other than wag our finger at them and say, stop that!

 
Armed forces of the Ukraine: 159,000 active personnel

Armed forces of Russia: 766,000 active personnel

Total budget for Ukraine armed forces: 1.9 billion

Total budget for Russia armed forces: 90.4 billion

:oldunsure:

 
"You don't cross this line.......(crosses line).....No, not that one, this line (crosses line).....No, I mean this line." :rolleyes:

All that aside, we really need to let the international community handle this one. But I don't see any harm in us sending out a nice welcome wagon to the ships off Miami.

It is interesting how Romney was dismissed for calling Russian our number one geopolitical foe by Obama and Co. during the elections. But here we are....

 
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Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's that manner of thinking that let Japan kill 10 million or so Chinese.

The Holodomor was less than 100 years ago. How quickly people forget atrocities without a good lobby.

 
If Obama and Western Europe really wanted to head this off, they'd offer Ukraine NATO membership tomorrow. The last president turned it down, but the current one wouldn't.

 
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's that manner of thinking that let Japan kill 10 million or so Chinese.

The Holodomor was less than 100 years ago. How quickly people forget atrocities without a good lobby.
Not viewing war as a test of manhood let the Japanese kill 10 million Chinese? The insecurity that people reveal when talking about the decision to go to war is sickening.

Or, in other words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CghWWWXSUUU

 
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's that manner of thinking that let Japan kill 10 million or so Chinese.

The Holodomor was less than 100 years ago. How quickly people forget atrocities without a good lobby.
Not viewing war as a test of manhood let the Japanese kill 10 million Chinese? The insecurity that people reveal when talking about the decision to go to war is sickening.

Or, in other words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CghWWWXSUUU
I will agree that Scoresman did not phrase it the correct way, nor do I know if Russia/Ukraine relations pose a sufficient casus belli, but at some point military action is the correct decision. We should have done more in Rwanda. We should still be doing more.

 
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's that manner of thinking that let Japan kill 10 million or so Chinese.

The Holodomor was less than 100 years ago. How quickly people forget atrocities without a good lobby.
Not viewing war as a test of manhood let the Japanese kill 10 million Chinese? The insecurity that people reveal when talking about the decision to go to war is sickening.

Or, in other words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CghWWWXSUUU
I will agree that Scoresman did not phrase it the correct way, nor do I know if Russia/Ukraine relations pose a sufficient casus belli, but at some point military action is the correct decision. We should have done more in Rwanda. We should still be doing more.
Agreed, but I think we recently have let some point come much too easy. That said, your NATO suggestion is intriguing.

 
Agreed, but I think we recently have let some point come much too easy. That said, your NATO suggestion is intriguing.
In realpolitik, what happens to Ukraine shouldn't impact us in much sense and if Russia is going to be there, our only real concern should be the violence is minimized. I'd love to see some horse trading though and give Russia basically a free hand in Crimea for a withdrawal of support to Syria. Getting Syria back to a fairly normal state is worth a lot more to us than if Russia takes back part/all of Ukraine.

 
Gawain said:
Slapdash said:
Agreed, but I think we recently have let some point come much too easy. That said, your NATO suggestion is intriguing.
In realpolitik, what happens to Ukraine shouldn't impact us in much sense and if Russia is going to be there, our only real concern should be the violence is minimized. I'd love to see some horse trading though and give Russia basically a free hand in Crimea for a withdrawal of support to Syria. Getting Syria back to a fairly normal state is worth a lot more to us than if Russia takes back part/all of Ukraine.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2570335/Former-British-Ambassador-Moscow-warns-Russia-invaded-Ukraine-difficult-avoid-going-war.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490Appears it could impact us based on a prior agreement already in place.

 
Gawain said:
Slapdash said:
Agreed, but I think we recently have let some point come much too easy. That said, your NATO suggestion is intriguing.
In realpolitik, what happens to Ukraine shouldn't impact us in much sense and if Russia is going to be there, our only real concern should be the violence is minimized. I'd love to see some horse trading though and give Russia basically a free hand in Crimea for a withdrawal of support to Syria. Getting Syria back to a fairly normal state is worth a lot more to us than if Russia takes back part/all of Ukraine.
One of the economists I read suggested something like this, including Iran with Syria:

For Russia, matters in Ukraine are close to an existential crisis, as Ukraine is intimately tied up with Russia’s sense of itself as presiding over a mini-empire of sorts. Nor could an autocratic Russia tolerate a free and prosperous Ukraine, developing along the lines of Poland. America cares about Ukraine less, and cares more about Syria and Iran, or at least cares about saving face in those latter venues. Therefore there is a Coasean deal to be had between America and Russia, where Russia gets to partition part of Ukraine, create a buffer against Europeanization and democratization, keep the larger Ukraine unit weak, and also keep its Black Sea fleet. In turn Russia would do something less than totally sabotage all American plans for Syria and Iran. (Of course that is Coasean for the leaders, and not necessarily for the citizenries.)

The thing is…China. What kind of signal would such a Coasean deal of partition send to China?

That is what I worry about.
 
I doubt we do anything unless we want to start something big. The Russians consider the Ukraine in their sphere of influence. The Europeans won't do anything. We'll say a bunch of angry things and that's about it.

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.

 
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
While Kennedy was president the Russians occupied Ukraine. Thanks a lot JFK.

 
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One item we will be hearing a bit more, soon: Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.

With a grain of salt (liberal writer), read here: Explainer: The Budapest Memorandum And Its Relevance To Crimea.

Excerpt:


The "Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances" is a diplomatic memorandum that was signed in December 1994 by Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

It is not a formal treaty, but rather, a diplomatic document under which signatories made promises to each other as part of the denuclearization of former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Under the memorandum, Ukraine promised to remove all Soviet-era nuclear weapons from its territory, send them to disarmament facilities in Russia, and sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Ukraine kept these promises.

In return, Russia and the Western signatory countries essentially consecrated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as an independent state. They did so by applying the principles of territorial integrity and nonintervention in 1975 Helsinki Final Act -- a Cold War-era treaty signed by 35 states including the Soviet Union -- to an independent post-Soviet Ukraine.
 
Gawain said:
If Obama and Western Europe really wanted to head this off, they'd offer Ukraine NATO membership tomorrow. The last president turned it down, but the current one wouldn't.
If the US offered Ukraine membership to NATO tomorrow, that would start WWIII.

The last president of Ukraine was not offered NATO membership.

 
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:goodposting:

 
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Gawain said:
If Obama and Western Europe really wanted to head this off, they'd offer Ukraine NATO membership tomorrow. The last president turned it down, but the current one wouldn't.
If the US offered Ukraine membership to NATO tomorrow, that would start WWIII.

The last president of Ukraine was not offered NATO membership.
No, but Ukraine was in the Membership Action Plan until drawn out by the former (current?) regime. The Membership Action Plan was the process for full NATO membership. I misspoke, the last president changed Ukraine's course towards NATO membership (in essence, if not if fact turning it down).

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.

 
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Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
As far as Obama is concerned, the real enemy are the Republicans and he can't be bothered with any atrocities of threats to freedom anywhere else. He's waiting so he can unleash his full fury on the real enemy.

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
:lmao:

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
:whoosh:

I think you're missing the point in your partisan zeal.

 
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Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
:whoosh:

I think you're missing the point in your partisan zeal.
It looks to me like Obama followed through on both Libya and Iran (even though the Republicans are currently trying to #### that one up). You're so busy calling him a pu##y, you can't even see that sometimes he actually makes some good calls.

Interested in your take on what he should be doing with the current situation, btw. Start measuring #####?

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
:whoosh:

I think you're missing the point in your partisan zeal.
It looks to me like Obama followed through on both Libya and Iran (even though the Republicans are currently trying to #### that one up). You're so busy calling him a pu##y, you can't even see that sometimes he actually makes some good calls.

Interested in your take on what he should be doing with the current situation, btw. Start measuring #####?
:lmao:

What a bunch of horse-####. He shouldn't be making empty threats, or any threats at all for that matter.

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
:whoosh:

I think you're missing the point in your partisan zeal.
It looks to me like Obama followed through on both Libya and Iran (even though the Republicans are currently trying to #### that one up). You're so busy calling him a pu##y, you can't even see that sometimes he actually makes some good calls.

Interested in your take on what he should be doing with the current situation, btw. Start measuring #####?
:lmao:

What a bunch of horse-####. He shouldn't be making empty threats, or any threats at all for that matter.
Is Qua-daffy still in power? Isn't there an international deal to keep Iran from making nukes?

 
Bucky86 said:
Slapdash said:
Scoresman said:
Time to see if Obama's balls are anywhere near as big as Kennedy's were.
Its this way of thinking that leaves humanity constantly wasting money butchering each other.
:goodposting:

Easy for these ####### armchair generals to want to blow #### up.
It's pointless to even listen to the right anymore while Obama is in there. When he's talking tough they say he's all talk, if he takes military action they'll say he's reckless and arrogant. They're actually waiting to see what he does to figure out how to complain.
:bs:

Uhmmm....Syria? Libya? Iran? Hello? Does that sound familiar? The problem with Obama is that he has a track record of making promises he won't keep. Putin knows this. Everyone is justified in raking him over the coals for making empty threats again. It makes us look weak.
YOU GET A WAR!

YOU GET A WAR!

EVERYBODY GETS A WAR!!!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
:whoosh:

I think you're missing the point in your partisan zeal.
It looks to me like Obama followed through on both Libya and Iran (even though the Republicans are currently trying to #### that one up). You're so busy calling him a pu##y, you can't even see that sometimes he actually makes some good calls.

Interested in your take on what he should be doing with the current situation, btw. Start measuring #####?
:lmao:

What a bunch of horse-####. He shouldn't be making empty threats, or any threats at all for that matter.
The article you posted in the other thread was critical of Obama for not making enough threats.

 
You guys know military action isn't the only option, right? If Obama has any actual clout in the world and the guys to do it, he should get the rest of the Western world to immediately halt all trade with Russia until they withdraw all troops from Ukraine. That would actually be a gigantic consequence for Russia that would likely force Putin to back off.

But my bet is that Obama has so little cache or desire to actually pull that off.

We could be a lot more than hot air without committing a single troop.

 
You guys know military action isn't the only option, right? If Obama has any actual clout in the world and the guys to do it, he should get the rest of the Western world to immediately halt all trade with Russia until they withdraw all troops from Ukraine. That would actually be a gigantic consequence for Russia that would likely force Putin to back off.

But my bet is that Obama has so little cache or desire to actually pull that off.

We could be a lot more than hot air without committing a single troop.
Russia is the worlds largest natural gas exporter and largest producer of oil. Which countries do you think they export to and which one of those is willing to give up that energy?

ETA: Fixed for accuracy

 
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You guys know military action isn't the only option, right? If Obama has any actual clout in the world and the guys to do it, he should get the rest of the Western world to immediately halt all trade with Russia until they withdraw all troops from Ukraine. That would actually be a gigantic consequence for Russia that would likely force Putin to back off.

But my bet is that Obama has so little cache or desire to actually pull that off.

We could be a lot more than hot air without committing a single troop.
Russia is the worlds largest natural gas exporter and largest producer of oil. Which countries do you think they export to and which one of those is willing to give up that energy?

ETA: Fixed for accuracy
Of course it would hurt. But it would hurt Russia a whole lot more. That's where a true world leader can convince other countries to bite the bullet and accept some short term financial pain to do the right thing.

 
You guys know military action isn't the only option, right? If Obama has any actual clout in the world and the guys to do it, he should get the rest of the Western world to immediately halt all trade with Russia until they withdraw all troops from Ukraine. That would actually be a gigantic consequence for Russia that would likely force Putin to back off.

But my bet is that Obama has so little cache or desire to actually pull that off.

We could be a lot more than hot air without committing a single troop.
Russia is the worlds largest natural gas exporter and largest producer of oil. Which countries do you think they export to and which one of those is willing to give up that energy?

ETA: Fixed for accuracy
Of course it would hurt. But it would hurt Russia a whole lot more. That's where a true world leader can convince other countries to bite the bullet and accept some short term financial pain to do the right thing.
:rolleyes:

If only Obama could walk on water, he'd be a great President!

 

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