Putin's got the Chinese, Islamic separatist and an declining population to worry about. He wants international stature to insure domestic political power, he wants absolute control of the European energy markets because it is his sole source of income to placate his oligarchs, army and masses. He's fine with international intrigue and tit-or-tat back biting, but he doesn't want any direct confrontation with the US and wouldn't want the counter balance of US international influence removed. The Chinese are on the same continent as him staring down on his abundant resources. If history is your guide that is his biggest future threat. So don't bother trying to revive old Reagan political slogans. They aren't relevant to the 21st century.
I know. I was just poking fun at Dick cheney's speech in Italia. I've noticed a disturbing pattern... they keep mentioning russia and the evil empire at every conference.
Typical republican propaganda: I'm going to be very blunt and very insensitive here... This video pretty much sums up the ignorance and lack of intelligence that is the republican base. Lets use logic here... If 1. Bush, using bad intelligence (whether it was knowingly/unknowingly), invaded Iraq. 2. Invading Iraq involved sending troops to their deaths and life-changing injuries. 3. Obama identifies invading Iraq as a mistake and a waste. Then 1. Obama is criticizing the troops and is spitting on their sacrifice???? OR 2. Obama is criticizing Bush's choices/motives as president???? If you can't figure out the correct "Then" statement, you should be sterilized and deported. This video is so ridiculous and so stupid, I don't even know where to begin. After all these years... after knowing how bad the intelligence was... after finding ZERO weapons of mass destruction... after smashing our economy to benefit the well-connected... after spitting on the wounded troops and not getting them the BEST medical attention in the states that money can buy... The fact that there are people that still buy into this nonsensensical propoganda is mindblowing. CRITICIZING THE WAR IS NOT AN INSULT TO THE TROOPS.
Trying to lose the war is an insult to the troops and their efforts. If it weren't for Joe Lieberman, the Dems would have voted to end the war. Our troops would have come home losers, and the Middle East would have descended into chaos. Instead, we are winning in Iraq and our troops have reason to be proud.
Thanks for the incoherent rambling... What is a win???????? A. Find and eliminate all weapons of mass destruction/biological weapons in Iraq. Check. B. Remove Hussein from power and set up a democracy (weren't we supposed to let the Iraqis chose what type of government they wanted?). Check. C. Fight al-qaeda in Iraq. Hmmmmmmm..... thats funny, this mission keeps changing... Operation fly paper succeeds! D. Stop extremist Islam from taking over the country. This is getting fun now... ISLAM EQUIPS POWER VACUUM!!!!!! WHEN AMERICA LEAVES, WE FIRE!!!! E. Getting massive contracts for the well-connected. Check. F. Getting control of some of that black gold. FAILED OBJECTIVE. While we spend billions a month, the Iraqis are making a pretty sweet profit. Good for them though, its their oil. Promoting stability, instead of war, in the region might actually lower the price of oil a little bit... G. Getting Iraq to assume responsibility/security for their own freakin country. EVERYONE HERE SEEMS TO LIKE THE OBAMA PLAN OF A TIMETABLE... Not the, we stay til we say we leave Bush/McCain plan... Not the, leaving is retreat plan. OBJECTIVE STILL NOT COMPLETE UNTIL GWB IS GONE. H. Striking fear into the American people that Iraq still had something to do with 9/11. A RESOUNDING CHECK!!!! So, to respond to your statement of "trying to lose a war" I can only say one thing...
When the people are usurped by lobbyist, that is fascism. The only defense is a free press. When communities organize, thats democracy.
Speaking of facists, I took this pic in Stockholm a couple of weeks ago. It was on the side of a building, in an alley, in the Old Stockholm area. <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mus8uWnojRDT5EzLBPSmFQ"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/treymcglaun/SL3Siw546vI/AAAAAAAAVbI/4u6UqQGhGjk/s400/Europe%20Trip%202008-08-13%200003.JPG" /></a>
