Posted on 05/08/2006 8:59:41 PM PDT by RepublicNewbie
"(N)o legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail, either by supply management or attempt to monopolize transportation," thundered Vice President Cheney to the international pro-democracy conference in Vilnius, Lithuania.
"(N)o one can justify actions that undermine the territorial integrity of a neighbor, or interfere with democratic movements."
Cheney's remarks were directed straight at the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin, who is to host the G-8 Conference in July.
Cheering Cheney on is John McCain, front-runner for the GOP nomination, who has urged President Bush to snub Putin by boycotting the G-8 summit. What the GOP is thus offering the nation right now is seven more years of in-your-face bellicosity in foreign policy.
What does McCain think we would accomplish -- other than a new parading of our moral superiority -- by so public an insult to Putin and Russia as a Bush boycott of the St. Petersburg summit? Do we not have enough trouble in this world, do we not have enough people hating us and Bush that we have to get into Putin's face and antagonize the largest nation on earth and a co-equal nuclear power? What is the purpose of this confrontation diplomacy? What does it accomplish?
(Excerpt) Read more at postchronicle.com ...
Other Post Chronicle moonlight reading:
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| Illegal Immigration And The Creation Of A Permanent Underclass The Republican-run House of Reps actually proposed a strong and viable bill (that would also protect the country from terrorists), but the Senate (both Democrats and Republicans) are proceeding to dismantle it.... More |
| Sudan is Suffering, As Are Other African Countries If the Sudanese government is concerned at all about the suffering of their people, they'd let anyone in to help, including the U.S.... More |
| Measuring Achievement Against Objective President Bush inherently understood that a culture whose objective is to dispose of those who do not follow their beliefs is an imminent danger to people or countries that disagree. Something needed to be done about it.... More |
| The Missing "I" Word In Immigration The "I" word may have been missing this past week in the MSM, but most Americans see through the PC nonsense.... More |
| Who Broke the "Bully Pulpit"? I think that it is almost broken beyond repair. Can any American President really use it ever again? I don't think so. Why?... More |
Pat would be all for dissing Putin if he said he supported Israel agains the arab hordes.
Oil is the reason that we bait putin....
What do we have to gain from "antagonizing" Putin? The better question is: "what have we got to lose"?
That stunt Putin pulled when he turned of the gas sent a shock round the world.
Great Post
Thats right! To put it in a way people in DC will never do. Russia is now a 3rd rate power, time to push them around. If they don't like it, then who cares.
Well, on this one Buchanan is simply wrong. What is needed is to start a Mahhattan Project-scale effort at the alternative energetics- nuclear, coal gasification, biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, eic. This requires crystallized public support - $3 gas alone has not yet done it. Thus a PR campaign focused upon foreign energy suppliers and their malicious agendas.
*sigh* And to think he actually worked in the Reagan administration.
Does Buchanan know that Russia has been blackmailing the Ukraine, and the world, with price fixing on oil and natural gas? Does he even know that Russia has been sticking a knife in America's, Europe's and Israel's backs by thwarting our efforts to halt Iran's nuclear bomb-making materials? Iran is a hostile dictatorship, run by true madmen, hence giving tacit support to their nuclear ambitions makes Russia far more confrontational than Cheney was.
I used to like Buchanan, but I think he needs meds or something now. His thinking is great one day, (such as immigration reform), but then he loses all credibility the next day by writing nonsense like this.
I wonder what Russia has done lately which would make Pat suggest that Russia is now hostile to us.
Russia didn't support Saddam Hussein? Russia didn't make billions on Saddam's UN Oil for Palaces Scam? Russia just started supporting Iran recently?
Maybe Russia's newfound support for HAMAS is what Pat is talking about. Somehow I doubt it.
If we don't want these people in our backyard, what are we doing in theirs?
Why is Putin selling Hugo Chavez fighter jets, attack helicopters and thousands of rifles?
January is the wrong month to shut off gas in that part of the world. BRRR.
Well said and right on target..
At least Cheney, unlike our spineless congress, has the backbone to point out Putin's move toward fascism..
Of course, I have always suspected the so-called fall of the USSR was a gigantic hoax, a ruse, to put america at ease..
Not that I was ever sure of it, but it was always there, in the back of my mind..
Eastern europe is still struggling economically, and is highly vulnerable to communist takeover under the right circumstances..
In the meantime, Socialism/communism is taking root in South america, Central america, Mexico..
Once the dominoes are all in place, what's to stop a return of the old USSR??
Yeah.. If you really want to take over all of Eastern europe, shut the gas off in like, October..
By May, all the satellite nations will be goose-stepping in unison to the soviet's music..
What does McCain think we would accomplish -- other than a new parading of our moral superiority -- by so public an insult to Putin and Russia as a Bush boycott of the St. Petersburg summit? Do we not have enough trouble in this world, do we not have enough people hating us and Bush that we have to get into Putin's face and antagonize the largest nation on earth and a co-equal nuclear power? What is the purpose of this confrontation diplomacy? What does it accomplish?==
Good questions. Cheney picked up on most popular leader of Russia today. Russian people won't like it at all. What Cheney did just rise up the anti-americanism in Russia on record altitude. He did so stupid that it is unbeleiveable.
Cheney "killed" Vlad Rizhkov already. Guy just disappeared from political scene. No one can find him and get interview:). Rizhkov is new "political dead" now.
Interesting how many more "russian democrates" Cheney will "kill"?
Why is Putin selling Hugo Chavez fighter jets, attack helicopters and thousands of rifles?==
Just business. Russia needs to make money and feed her industry.
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