Posted on 11/04/2001 5:38:10 PM PST by Pokey78
Dittos.
And I've always believed the same of Ronald Reagan and G Bush Sr.
The right men at the right time in history.
God bless them all.
"I recall a book about the KGB (the one by readers digest) in which a KGB agent begged a Russian Orthodox priest to baptize his baby daughter although he knew the priest was himself a KGB agent. He did this knowing the priest would have power over him because of that discretion.
"This agent was not a Christian, yet he somehow knew he wanted his baby to be one."
Russia is at a crossroad (no pun intended). It is gravitating towards its pre-communist Christian roots, but eight decades of communism have ravaged the country. There is a lot of cynicism, a lot of corruption, and there are still old-line communists that long for the "good old days".
IMO the communists are attriting out, and their power -- along with their long range goals -- is rapidly fading.
However, if Russia is not able to make a fairly rapid transition to the West, "Ivan Sixpack" may vote the commies back into power. Remember, even in the pre-communist days, Russia had a siege mentality, partly because of Napoleon, partly because of geography and partly because of the arrogant European aristocracy. If they decide to go into hermit-mode, it won't be back to a czarist state this time, it'll be to a communist hellhole.
Bush seems to be taking the right course, the reverse of what clinton did. Clinton gave the country to China, and gave Russia the finger. Russia wants to be an ally, and China will continue to be an adversary.
I too think that Putin is sincere, but the flip side is that unless he's able to bring his country "into the fold", there's a risk that they'll revert to something very ugly.
When you compare the atmosphere in Russia today with that only a few decades ago, it's mind boggling. If you've ever read the book by "Brother Andrew" AKA "God's Smuggler" you know what it was like for Christians behind the Iron Curtain. Reagan toppled the Evil Empire, and hopefully Bush will do for the end of the cold war what the US did after WWII ended -- the two enemies we defeated were turned into two strong allies.
If Putin caves, he wins. Both countries need a viable missle defense, and neither has a need for an ABM treaty, since we are not going to nuke each other.
Ultimately, I expect the "limited" missile defense plan to evolve into impermeable shields for both countries. With both countries impervious to nuclear blackmail (talking about missile attack, not terrorists with backpacks), they will be able to effectively deal with the transnational islamists. It won't be long before the Arabs have the "Islamic Bomb" (presuming they don't already have it), and combined with missiles made by Iran, Iraq, and China, there will be a serious threat potential.
Putin isn't really caving, it's more like he's putting on the team colors and signing up with the winning side. Bush isn't "bargaining" him down, he's wooing him in.
"I do. Of course I hope that I am wrong. Trust but verify."
After dealing with clinton for eight long miserable years, I suspect the Russians are saying the same thing. Bush and Putin are just getting past the "first date" stage, but I think they're both level players, each wanting the best for their countries, and the survival of civilization. The whole game board has changed since 911, and at times like this, you find out who your real friends are. And sometimes it's a shocking discovery.
IIRC he also equated Tubol with Tobolsk. If I've spelled those right, that is.
His book (TLGPE) came out when I was a fairly new Christian back in the early '70s, and it shook things up a bit, but it doesn't look like things have gone according to his timetable, does it? About the only specific thing I remember from his book is a chapter heading he called something like "Dancing Sheik to Sheik", but I seem to remember the theme of the book being that the end was near, and that "near" meant something substantially less than thirty years.
Well what makes my blood run cold is when I see stuff about the muslims bonding with catholics vis-a-vis mary-reverence.
If the Antichrist is going to appeal to the major religions, then it's going to take something mighty unique to bond what are probably the two biggest candidates.
Now, call me cyincal, but for the life of me I can't see the Catholic Church and the House of Islam bending the knee to Vlad Putin. At least not any sooner than they would to Ariel Sharon, that is. :)
I think God is greater than that. I think that it would have gone just as well if Alan Keyes had won the election, and he's a Catholic. Man looks at the outward appearance, and God looks at the heart.
Thank you Lord for giving us George W. Bush!
Don't be so quick! Russia and it's leadership could change dramatically in as little as 5-10 years.
LARRY KING LIVE. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN DISCUSSES DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
CNN Aired September 8, 2000
(excerpt from near the end of the hour-long interview)
KING: There is much talk about Vladimir Putin and religious faith. I'm told that you wear a cross. Is that true? Are you religious? What are your feelings in this area?
PUTIN (through translator): I prefer -- I would prefer not to develop on that subject in detail. I think such things are sacred for everybody. Everybody's belief is not to be shown off, it's inside a man's heart. As regards to wearing cross, earlier I never had it -- once my mother gave it to me and when I visited Israel. I was there two times. First on an official invitation of the minister of foreign affairs of that country. The second time, I liked the country, and I traveled there with my family as a tourist.
So my mother gave it to me to have a blessing there at the Tomb of Lord. I did so and now it's with me always.
Incidentally enough, there was a story about this cross and since then I have always decided to have it on my body, now in the Dacha close to St. Petersburg, there was fire on the Dacha, it happened because of the fact that something went wrong with sauna.
Prior to entering the sauna, I took off the cross before entering the sauna, and then with my friend we jumped out naked, since it was so unexpected. And I cherish that cross very much, it was my mother's cross, and the fire was really in earnest at the time. So I was thinking about whether perhaps it could get even remnants of it, it was an aluminum-made cross, a very simple thing.
I was surprised completely when one of the workers, just muddling through those ashes of the remnants, found that cross intact. And the house fell, that was a surprise, a revelation, and therefore I always now keep it with me.
KING: Do you believe there is a higher power?
PUTIN (through translator): I believe in human beings. I believe in his good intentions. I believe in the fact that all of us have come to this would to do good. And if we do so, and if we do so together, then success is awaiting for us. And both with regards to our relations as people to people, or inter-state relations. And most important, we will achieve the ultimate goal, comfort in our own heart. . . . (posted 15 September 2000)
Your screen name says it all.
. . . filling, delicious and great for building strong backbones.
Why should he have? The last administration was using Al-Qaeda to fight Russian interests.
Read all about it @ BIN LADEN GATE
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