At his economic conference with other world leaders there, Putin said this...
"We are hostages to this internal strife in the United States..."
And I stupidly used to think Putin was smart.
When one puts limits in one's own mind, even if they are imaginary, those limits can be debilitating.
Putin, as the ruler of the largest country on earth, doesn't understand that Russia has no limits, especially none imposed by U.S. "internal strife," whatever that is.
Pathetic.
I pity the poor Russian people.
Buy some more gold, Vlad.
During his first year, many of Trump’s fans imagined that he was independent of the “Deep State” and was opposed to it. The Democrat establishment’s Russia-gate hoax made the Trump-bots think, “He must be opposed to the Washington swamp.”
ReplyDeleteDuring the last few months, however, Trump has proven himself to be part of the swamp, doing whatever his handlers order him to do. He wants to meet with North Korea, no he doesn’t, yes he does, no he doesn’t. He surrounds himself with swamp creatures like Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Gina Haspel, and the mutant death walrus, John Bolton.
The Trump-bots still worship their Dear Leader, but they look sillier by the day.
Meanwhile Putin still thinks that Trump “means well.” If Putin is that stupid, then Russia is helpless against the Empire.
Trump, you go ahead and impose more sanctions on Russia. More and more. Russia deserves it.
Putin is smart. He's egging the neocons on with sanctions that have made Russia stronger, divided Europe, and brought new anti-US alliances together.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Russia is abandoning SWIFT and the dollar, helping mire the the US in yet another Middle Eastern black hole, building new global trade networks, etc., etc. Meanwhile their military is professional, organized, well-equipped and very, very carefully utilized (unlike someone else's).
"We're at your mercy." LOL
Sorry, Mike. but you totally misread this. It's sucker bait.
Agree, Noah Way.
ReplyDeleteNot only Putin or Trump.
Many of other leaders are much more subtle and comprehensive strategist than Westerners, especially Anglo-American, who tend to be overconfident and arrogant. And they think long term and act asymmetrically.
The Asians especially have a long history of this. Generally Americans completely misread them. Putin is a long time Judo player and he understands this from inside.
Golf doesn't cut it.
Checkers vs. chess vs. go.
And yet you can still use a keyboard. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the U.S. Empire’s insatiable greed, the Empire is self-destructing. This would occur with or without China and Russia.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, this self-destruction is somehow a product of Putin’s genius? This is like claiming that the USSR collapsed because of Ronald Reagan’s “genius.”
Israelis guns down Palestinian men, women, and children like ducks in a shooting gallery. Therefore Putin honors Netanyahu by inviting him to the May Day parade in Moscow. This is genius?
According to studies by Habitat for Humanity, the USA has 554,000 homeless people, while Russia has nine times that, at 5 million. Also, according to the Tobacco Atlas (an industry publication), Russians smoke 2 ½ times as many cigarettes as Americans, and the number keeps rising (while American tobacco use use keeps falling). Putin’s genius again?
At an economic forum in St. Petersburg, a forlorn Putin lamented that internal U.S. politics are holding Russia “hostage.” Putin’s genius again?
It looks to me like some people around here are living in a dream world.
The world won't know for 20 to 50 years.
ReplyDeleteRussians think in terms of centuries. Chinese in terms of millennia. How long has America been in existence?
I can understand Mike Norman's frustration. And many of us here are frustrated with Vanis Varafoukis. Even when Labour governments get elected in the UK they end up being a big disappointment.
DeleteBut we never give to hope and I have read many times how Russia plans in the term run but might look weak in the short term.
PCR and Micheal Hudson wrote an open letter to Putin a few years back explaining why Russia did not need international money and investment from abroad as its central bank can create its own money. I wonder if he ever read it, or if he just sees MH and PCR as two of many, perhaps hundreds, or even thousands, of people vying for his attention.
ReplyDeleteI suggest that Putin should not be referred to as "Vlad". Some people might confuse him with "Vlad the Impaler" otherwise known as "Dracula".....:-)
ReplyDelete"How long has America been in existence?"
ReplyDeleteOver 200 years longer than either China or Russia...
Yo, FRANKO: Russia was founded in the 9th century, China was united under a single ruler around 200 b.c.
ReplyDeleteYou really don't have to try to impress us with your ignorance, we're all well aware of it.
Yo CCCP went belly up in the 90s...
ReplyDeleteI suggest that Putin should not be referred to as "Vlad". Some people might confuse him with "Vlad the Impaler" otherwise known as "Dracula".....:-)
ReplyDeleteThe predominant nickname for Vladimir is Volodya. Putin's nickname has been Volodya from childhood.
Does ‘Volodya’ mean ‘vodka’ in American?
ReplyDeleteTom Hickey writes: "Russians think in terms of centuries. Chinese in terms of millennia. How long has America been in existence?"
ReplyDeleteGood point. Even if Russia thinks only in terms of decades, Russia has an edge on the U.S. Empire, which thinks in terms of FY quarters, or even in milliseconds (e.g. micro-trading).
Sometimes the smartest thing is to simply wait and do nothing.
The primary strategy for the ROW now is just to survive and let the rogue Empire self-desctuct from blinding arrogance and overreach.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, the ROW is also thinking how to play this game long term, like moving toward de-dollarization.
Yes, I think the ROW (rest of the world) realizes that the U.S. Empire's days are numbered. Most Americans realize it too, consciously or subconsciously. I predict that the USA will break into several smaller nations, just like the USSR did.
ReplyDeleteCertainly Israeli realizes it. Jewish billionaires have purchased massive land holding in Argentina, since that is where Jews plan to move to when the U.S. Empire falls, and Palestinians reclaim their nation.
Will Argentina allow this move after the U.S. Empire is gone? That remains to be seen.
The USSR broke up peacefully, with the acceptance central government. That will never happen in the US.
ReplyDeleteThe USSR broke up peacefully, with the acceptance central government. That will never happen in the US.
ReplyDeleteRussian tradition is authoritarian. Tsar as "father."
American tradition is libertarian.
"Give me liberty or give me death." — Patrick Henry.
NH state motto: "Live free or die."
Gadsden flag: "Don't tread on me."
Russian tradition is authoritarian. Tsar as "father."
ReplyDeleteNot always. The Russians fought a five-year civil war (1917-1922) during which the Bolsheviks killed the Tsar and his family. In 1991 when the USSR broke up, the Russians endured a decade of brutal rule by gangster-oligarchs, with continual gangland killings.
Will the U.S. breakup be peaceful? I don't know, but when the Confederacy sought independence, the USA fought a five-year civil war that killed more Americans than all other wars combined.
It's hard to predict exactly how and when the USA will break up, but I am sure that it will happen. Northern California already wants to secede from Southern California.
Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia want to form a new nation called "Cascadia." There are secessionist movements in New England, Alaska, and Texas. The South has a Neo-Confederate movement. There's a movement in South Carolina to form the "Third Palmetto Republic."
Most of Canada's provinces want to seceded from each other.
Right now this is just talk, but as things continue to get worse, these secessionist movements will get stronger.
A lot of this talk is just to negotiate better 'returns' from federal government.
ReplyDelete