[mick]

Yes he is. But he is also clumsy. Witness how he turned the Orange revolution into an election victory by heavy handed interference. Witness his shutting off the oil for awhile in Ukraine. And now this. The russians are feeling resentful and rich. But they haven't converted their money into real military power yet. IMHO Putin made his move too early. If we and the Turks and the Ukrainians and Poles can help the Georgians hold the line at the border of Georgia it will blunt the russians and wake up the euroweenies , especially the krauts, and then Putin will have a coalition of the awakened to contend with. The man is clumsy, brutal, and at his heart, a killer. But I think now he is exposed. And BTW, he also helped his american enemy in the election, JMcC.

[Halgr]

Incredible insights mick!!!

I hope you are right.

[autumnraine]

That’s a big if. I don’t think we, the Turks or the Poles are worried about Russia, but Russia’s friends.

[Seruzawa]

Good points. I would suspect that the east european ex-soviet slave states won’t let Russia do this without opposition. They can see the handwriting on the wall much better than I can.

[advance_copy]

"I looked into Mr. Putin’s eyes and I saw three things — a K and a G and a B."

-- Senator John McCain