Blowback from Moscow

you expressed exactly what I was driving at. who the hell made these guys representatives of the entire country? if a group of Americans starting bombing Saudi Arabia b/c of their policies, I hardly doubt the US would excuse their behavior.

“Isolationism is one thing. . . “ Agreed, and as a policy position, it’s defensible. At this point, I am not entirely against isolationism, at least in so far as I’m growing tired of spending millions (billions) of dollars and seeing our soldiers bust their butts for people all over the world and us gain little if anything from it.

“but instinctively ceding territory and claims to whoever’s the most vicious killer on the block is a particularly crazy flavor of masochism.” Precisely the flaw in this sort of thinking. On a micro level, it’s as if these people would cede a city to the drug king pin, after all, it’s his neighborhood. That “logic” applied in other contexts reveals its absurdity.

“And Ron Paul postures that he takes such positions in the name of the national interest, of course.” Right, because of course they’ll simply leave us alone if we just weren’t there. Clearly he has not read their writings because he seems quite ignorant of their ambitions and objectives. That said, I wouldn’t mind staying the hell away from them and having nothing (middle-east oil independent) to do with them. Same thing with this whole Israel-Palestine thing. I’m tired of being damned if we do, damned if we don’t for everything that goes on in the world. The British have it made in some ways. They totally hoisted the worlds’ problems and complaints on our shoulders. I’d much rather solve our own starting with the borders and the national economy (national debt, entitlements, etc.).

On a micro level, it’s as if these people would cede a city to the drug king pin, after all, it’s his neighborhood. That “logic” applied in other contexts reveals its absurdity.

It seems to be based on cowardice and fear. They'd cede that city to the drug king because they're afraid the drug king might kill them if they don't. Worse, in their cowardice they are willing to consign other people to the whims of butchers. After all, in this case they aren't even ceding their own city to the drug king, they're ceding some other city to the drug king: Saudi Arabia is "their" (Al Qaeda's) country and we had no right to contract with her government to station troops there. Similary, Iraq was Saddam Hussein's country and we had no right to oust Saddam Hussein from his palace(s). After we invaded, it belonged to the brutal "insurgents" that claimed it as theirs, and we had no right to stand in the way of their claims.

In every case, we saw a perfect example of the general rule: kill enough people and Ron Paul will become convinced of your right to rule.

Ron Paul is bravely willing to let millions other people live under butchering autocrats - indeed, to enable and back up those butchering autocrats in their claims to power - if he thinks it'll make him marginally safer in some diffuse probabilistic way. Cowardly, and also shortsighted.

“I am certain it is because they have tremendous monetary and political influence on the US and US corporations in a way Russia cannot compare.”

The question being asked is WHY they have been given that “monetary” (trade policy) influence; why has the political class failed to make the case that THERE ARE NO DISTINCTIONS, worthy of lifting up as “better” between the governance of China and the governance of Russia (even in the economic sphere) to warrant the decidedly near-opposite foreign policy positions (and trade positions) we take with the two nations.

Even the argument of China’s “labor market” is not sufficient as a singular and UNIQUE (to China) attribute worthy of the trade distinctions it has with us because in all the rest of Asia, taken together, there is as much untapped, educated labor resources for American firms to make use of if “cheaper labor” was truthfully the driving legitimate criteria. In fact, the U.S. and U.S. firms would have not lost a dime (from obtaining cheaper production of U.S. goods) if, from the 1990s on, 100% of American corporate production in Asia had been/was OUTSIDE China.

None of the facts define the rationale for the policy choices.

Here... let me give you some more, since you haven’t, obviously bothered to reply here....

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3214215&C=Europe

The second half of 2007 has seen an increase in submarine activity out of Russia’s Northern Fleet Base (NFB) in Murmansk, according to fresh “tracking” reports produced by the Norway Armed Forces’ Military Intelligence Unit (MIU) for the Ministry of Defense (MoD) The increase in submarine activity mirrors a rise in scheduled and unflagged exercises by Russian air Force in the North Atlantic and off Norway’s western coast, the report observes.

However, the report notes that Norway’s territorial waters and airspace have not been violated by the increase in Russia’s air and naval operations in the region. The report explained the increased activity as “Russia’s need to display its renewed military strength” to NATO.

“Norway is not overly alarmed over the higher number of aircraft and submarine operations,” said Espen Barth Eide, state secretary at the MoD. “Russia appears to be displaying both its intent and ability to be a superpower to be reckoned with.”

The rise in Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic reflects Russia’s response to U.S. plans to locate a rocket shield system on the European continent, said Eide.

“Russia is vigorously opposed to this plan, and the increase in naval submarine and air force activity can be seen as being a part of its official response. The increased activity isn’t directed at any one country, and certainly not at Norway,” Eide said.
The report’s findings are based on intelligence gathered by Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNAF)-operated Orion surveillance aircraft, and aircraft “tracking” data collected by the RNAF’s Northern Air Force base in Bodo.

The lack of anxiety evidenced in the MoD report is also reflected in relations between Russia and its western and southern neighbors, Finland and Estonia. A sign of growing crossborder cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic states took place in mid-November when Moscow agreed to form a joint committee to examine what measures could be deployed by Russia to avoid “accidental violations” of Finnish and Estonian airspace by Russian military aircraft.

More? Here you go Woof. Why are there so damned many APOLOGISTS posting smart ass remarks on this site these days without bothering to actually LOOK INTO the FACTS? challenge away, Woof.... I have a lot more about Russia, but I expect you to go out and do the research yourself. This stuff is in the open source media. Don’t be lazy, EDUCATE YOURSELVES!!!!!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904151/posts

There is a sinister reason why the U.S. dollar is falling against all currencies, pushing the Canadian Loonie to parity and way beyond to US$1.25 in a year or so.

There is a Currency Cold War being waged by Russia, Iran and various allies such as Venezuela.

Putin wants to force the use of Euros as a reserve currency instead of dollars for oil and other transactions, then eventually the Ruble. This is simply a monetary version of the old Cold War, minus the missiles.

Alliances are falling along the usual lines: In Russia’s camp are America’s enemies or those strong-armed due to the fact that they are wholly, or mostly, dependent on oil or natural gas from Moscow. Like Austria.

The strategy is working in conjunction with the fact that the dollar weakens due to high debts, large military budgets and growing trade deficits. And as the dollar falls, not only do other currencies rise in value but the value of “real” things increases too such as oil (now at US$83 a barrel, gold, copper, lead, steel).

A New Plaza Accord? No Dice

Some Americans are calling for a new Plaza Accord, or multi-lateral currency alignment, but count on the Russians to sabotage that or drive an irrational bargain.

All of this is negative for trading partners like Canada which has seen its currency soar against the U.S. dollar and Canadian manufacturers and exporters bleed.

The pain is also great for the Asian Tigers, friendly Saudis, Emirates and Japan which receive payment in American currency and obligingly keep the proceeds in dollars. They have taken a monstrous haircut in value of late and there is talk of earmarking some reserves in euros.

(By the way, the recycling of petrodollars into U.S. reserves is enormous and represents an interest-free loan to the Americans which they may not count on indefinitely. For instance, there is a special section of the U.S. Department of Treasury devoted to providing a special auction process for Saudi Arabia and its residents so they can buy billions in U.S. T-bills. And the fleet is in the Gulf and boots on the ground to insure the money keeps flowing, but that’s another story.)

The Currency Cold War is in its infancy but Americans are, and must take this very seriously.

The Russians intend to undermine the world’s only hegemon and its former enemy, the United States and President-for-life Vlad Putin and his KGB pals last year launched a ruble exchange for some deals.

What’s Next?

A continuing drop in the U.S. dollar will have a number of interesting consequences: — Commodity prices will keep increasing, particularly gold as it’s a currency substitute to many. — China and other trading partners long on U.S. dollars, and under attack by protectionists in the U.S., will have increasing leverage over Congress. — Europeans will find their currency puts them into an uncompetitive position. — Europeans will find that Russia will try to scupper attempts to diversify energy supplies. Russia’s deal with Iran eliminates competition. — The Americans may end up with surplus dollars, no longer needed for reserves-currency transactions, which will force repatriation and inflation in their economy. — This is bad for Canada because what’s bad for America is bad for Canada.

“Here... let me give you some more, since you haven’t, obviously bothered to reply here....”

If you want someone to actually read your stuff, can the attitude at the start of a post. I don’t answer your post 63 in 5 hours and you post crap like that? I assume you bothered to look and found I had posted NOTHING on FR in those 5 hours?

“More? Here you go Woof. Why are there so damned many APOLOGISTS posting smart ass remarks on this site these days without bothering to actually LOOK INTO the FACTS? challenge away, Woof.... I have a lot more about Russia, but I expect you to go out and do the research yourself. This stuff is in the open source media. Don’t be lazy, EDUCATE YOURSELVES!!!!!”

You actually expect people to read a post with attitude like this from the start?

How to Win Friends and Influence People might be a title you would consider....

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