Posted on 07/15/2006 10:08:40 AM PDT by Phsstpok
And Russia is "stable?"
As to Iraq, I hope he and all of us spend more time pointing out the amazing level of success in Iraq. A good historian is going to have to do a decent comparison to post war Germany and Japan, or simply to the iron curtain countries after they won their freedoms under far less difficult circumstances. Is it perfect? No, but then neither is South Central L.A. or about any Democrat dominated inner city in the US. Iraq is a miraculous success.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, Phsstpok. While I have high hopes for Iraq and think they've made tremendous progress, if Putin came here and made suggestions to President Bush that we model our goverment after Iraq, I'd laugh in his face.
Russia is a lot more stabilized than Iraq. Far, far more stabilized.
I don't know....I still see that fat toad Al-Sadr making waves...and until the Iraqi Govt. can keep people like that from fomenting unrest, they are still on pretty shaky ground.
NOW, having said that...I will defend to the death that what HAS been accomplished is almost miraculous..when compared to Germany and Japan...and I am very proud of Bush.
BUT, I am kind of in the wait and see mode...especially with this flare up in Israel/Lebanon/Syria.. and possibly Iran.
IF they can keep their heads...and not fall into the same rhetoric as Iran and other nations re: everything is Israel's fault...I will be more prepared to pat them on the backs.
I don't think we disagree about the current state of affairs in Iraq. I think our disagreement is over the conditions in Russia. From what I've been able to tease out of my contacts they are hanging by a thread.
Personally I predict a coup or some other form of government disruption in Moscow within five years. I further expect China to try and take advantage of that situation and try to sieze some of Eastern Russia, which is horribly underdefended (except by nukes) and rich in resources.
I don't know whether it will be a "liberation" movement, ala Solidarity, rebelling against the neo-Stalinist "strong men" or vice-versa. However, I do think that things are not going well in Russia. Our news media is failing horribly in informing us about what's going on over there. Whatever disruption happens, if China moves the Russians won't be able to respond effectively without using nukes and that just doesn't bear thinking about. It simply wouldn't end there.
Txsleuth's mention of the restrictions on opposition candidates is just one example of where our media have totally failed to keep us up to date. Putin will end up hand selecting a successor (read that as puppet) but I just don't think they'll be able to hold things together for long.
As I said in my post to Peach, I'm not disagreeing with either of your assessments of Iraq. They are truly barely hanging on, but they are on the right track. Russia, on the other hand, has been falsely portrayed, IMHO, as having a stable and successful government in the post Soviet era.
I think that the DBM has been handing us something and trying to convince us it was Shinola.
On political instability and economically about Russia, we sure do agree. And their position with regard to China is precarious. I thought we were talking about everyday safety, number of schools open, electricity and water running freely, etc.
We should try to find some articles about what's really going on in Russia - or at least some blogs - and post them here. But we'll wait until the current situation with Israel stabilizes because that's where, correctly, the current focus is.
I'll have to start paying attention to Bill Gertz again and see if he's on top of the situation in Russia; he's typically terrific about accurately reporting the situation on the ground in various regions of the world.
Oh...yes, from that standpoint, you are dead on.
I was shocked, really, when I saw that report, and now that you mentioned it...the segment ended with the reporter saying that the candidate (I forget his name) has had to hire bodyguards..(because of Putin)..
AND, that regardless of what HE does, it is accepted that Putin will "hand pick" his successor.
Hopefully, since he won't be leaving before 2008...this man or someone else will find a way to change that prediction.
Umm Peach you are probably too lady like for International Diplomacy. The President was making a slam on Putin for his strong arm behavior. He is mocking Russia as being in even worse shape then Iraq. Basically he was calling out Putin saying "Well we played nice and you screwed us so now its not so now it's not nice time."
The Sunday Shows - Lineup
By: Mark Kilmer · Section: Other Politics
For Sunday, July 16, 2006Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert will talk to Joe Biden ('08) and Newt ('08) about "the recent violence in the Middle East, the foreign policy hot spots of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, and the upcoming election season.:
Let the knowledge pour forth, and we, the knuckle-dragging masses, shall be enlightened.
FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace will chat with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ('08). The question, as articulated on their web site? "Is Pres. Bush's foreign policy being undercut by realities on the ground?" So, Secretary Rice, has reality made Bush obsolete? We'll see what she has to say.
Wallace next speaks with George Allen ('08) and Chris Dodd ('08), presumeably about stuff and fiddlesticks.
Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer speaks with Rice, Dick Haass, president of the CFR, and Jane Harman (D-California) of the House Intelligence Committee.
This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos talks to Rice then to former Clinton (Bill) State Secretary, and friend to North Korean despots Madeline Albright. He loves carting out those relics to "prove" that the dead dream lives.
Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer talks to Dan Bartlett, with whom we're all familiar, and to Isreali Vice Premier Shimon Peres. His congressiona duel will be between Trent Lott and California's DiFi.
-----Allen, Lott, Dodd, and Feinsten. There's no Team Interesting material there. Joe Biden and Newt always have interesting theories and schemes on international matters, trapped somewhere between meta-reality and gibberish. Secretary Rice is always good.
Haass of the CFR is an interesting case. In 2003, he told Charlie Rose that there "was a very strong case about [Saddam posessing] chemical and biological weapons." Earlier this month, Haas told the WashPost: "The danger is that Mr. Bush will hand over a White House to a successor that will face a far messier world, with far fewer resources left to cope with it."
Then there's Madeline Albright. Again.
As always, I'll have the show-by-show here at RedState.com on Sunday afternoon.
(2 comments, 2 new) Comments >> Jul 15th, 2006: 12:40:50
Putin’s Pinnacle of Power Though not directly on the point we were discussing, it does indicate that there are issues working against that nations extended survival, at least as it exists now.
It was linked from an interesting post on RedState.COM
On Those Who Throw Stones From Glass Houses And Those Who Don't Notice
That goes directly to the comparison of Russian and Iraqi democracy, basically saying that since Iraq does have a democracy, however shaky, and Russia has effectively none, the comment by Bush was a thinly veiled slam at Putin. I would tend to agree with this analysis, particularly since the comment was made publicly. Though Putin's comment drew laughs and appreciation from the (leftist) media, I bet Putin took it as a very public humiliation and a sign that Bush is pissed with him.
I think, MNJ, that of the four of us, you may have had the issue diagnosed the best.
I am not surprised...but, the discussion has been enlightening...and like Peach said...as soon as we get this war won in the Middle East...we should start paying more atttention to Russia..
I think I have been feeling that with Condi's education in Russian history..perhaps she could "deal" with them on a different level than any other Sec. of State would...but, when you are talking about KGB..all bets are off.
That's not good. I am surprised, however, that Putin has rejected outright some kind of revised immigration policy to solve Russia's declining population problems. Not that there are people clamoring to get into Russia. LOL
"The reason she is being that way is because the Bush Admin is basically playing a stalling game..."
I agree 100%, and I would like to add one other possible factor for "the stalling game". I think the Bush administration is following the money, specifically money from recent sales of gold, in May and June.
Gold reached a high of roughly $725/oz. on May 12th. The selloff began the next day. We were all led to believe the decline was because of lower oil prices, which is mostly true. On June 20th the price was $570/oz. Friday, July 14th, the price was $666/oz. (coincidental price for sure). The reason for the recent uptick for the cost of gold is probably because Iran, Russia, SA and other OPEC countries (the petro dollars) and China are buying it to add to their reserves.
Now, just think of what has happened since May 12th. There was the bombing in India, Hamas conflicts with its own Palestinian people and this blame war between Israel and Hamas. Syria and Iran are deeply involved. As we can safely surmise, petro dollars from Iran are used to purchase gold. The gold can be transferrd to terror groups. And, I would bet my last Krugerrand that Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria have all been selling lots of gold the last 6 to 7 weeks.
Just a thought, one which I have had for many years when thinking about how terrorists pay for their attacks, etc.
The time and effort you apply to producing this thread is greatly appreciated be me and all others who read and participate on the Sunday thread.
Thanks, Phsstpok.
Gingrich says it's World War III
Seattle Times ^ | July 15, 2006 | David Postman
Posted on 07/15/2006 10:32:36 PM CDT by West Coast Conservative
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says America is in World War III and President Bush should say so. In an interview in Bellevue this morning Gingrich said Bush should call a joint session of Congress the first week of September and talk about global military conflicts in much starker terms than have been heard from the president.
"We need to have the militancy that says 'We're not going to lose a city,' " Gingrich said. He talks about the need to recognize World War III as important for military strategy and political strategy.
Newt's staking out what I think is the right position, but I find this significant beyond his potential candidacy. This is what the '08 Presidential race will be about and, increasingly, it looks like this may be what the '06 midterms will be about. The liberals (read that as "extreme leftists"), who now own the Democrat party, want to return to the notion of all of these "troubles" being manageable as "crimes" and something we can take to courts or the UN. Conservatives have declared that this point of view is not only BS, but criminally insane and dangerous to the continued survival of civilization. How well the Republicans do this fall may depend on how well they understand that dichotomy and respond to it.
Newt may just save us for '06, even if he doesn't win in '08. If he does save us in '06 by making this a top issue then he may deserve our support in '08.
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