quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Unfortunately you have completely the wrong idea about missile defence. The bases in Poland, Czech Rep and the UK (which I get to visit next month!!) are to defend against a missile launched from Iran (well, the Middle East region) and would be completely useless at defending against Russian missiles, not only for their location but because Russia has thousands of warheads (and many more thousands in reserve) which this missile shield simply cannot defend against. Missiles fired from Russia would fly over Sarah Palin's house, or would be launched right on the coast line from nuclear subs. They would NOT fly over Poland! But I don't think the missile shield is a defensive system, but an offensive system to increase American dominance over the Middle East (and all its resources), and THIS is what Russia feels threatened by.

That's very interesting, never thought of that. It's so odd, that what's presented by the media, or even what is considered "common sense", e.g., "Well of course the missile deployment in Poland is actually meant to defend against Russians due to the close proximity" -- could be way off the mark, and that the real reason is much more subtle!

What's also interesting is that politicians choose to talk and rebut along these false lines! As you say, Russia knows what the missiles are for (Mid-east dominance), and feels threatened by them, and the Americans know what they are for (since they put them there...), and yet, on the world stage, they play this game of "is Russia being targeted or not". Weird!

I wonder why that is...? Is it because these false arguments are more emotionally-charged and strike more of a raw nerve with the populace than the "real" reason? I.e., if Russia complained vis-a-vis the Middle East, maybe the Russian (& European/World) people wouldn't care so much. But they have a greater chance of stopping it if they appeal along the lines of, "We're being targeted by the imperialistic Americans!!1"

Well Russia won't come out and say they want dominance over the Middle East as much as America won't admit it! So both nations are willingly engaging in these false arguments to prevent revelations over both of their true intentions...

quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Well Russia won't come out and say they want dominance over the Middle East as much as America won't admit it! So both nations are willingly engaging in these false arguments to prevent revelations over both of their true intentions...

i like your logic here; it makes absolute sense to me.

quote:

Originally posted by George Smiley Missiles fired from Russia would fly over Sarah Palin's house,

LOL ha ha along with Putin's head!

Somewhere, Brzezinski is smiling.

___________________
Wave is to particle as zero is to one as bagpipes are to modem noises.

quote:

Originally posted by Alex Russia likes to talk, lets see if they actually do anything. Their biggest asset remains the control of gas to Europe, it's about time the Europeans started taking a more aggressive stance with Russia, the EU is formidable enough ffs.

And they don't owe the world more then thier country is worth...

quote:

Originally posted by guerra-monstru Why can't the Russians do as they please so long as it is in their own border? Or in the interest of their national security? Its not like they are saying they are going to be placing missle jammers in Serbia or Bulgaria or Iran? Their is no challenge to the US. Even if Russia did confront the US, how long would Russia last for? 1 week, a month, a year? Its silly that many believe Russia could last against the US or that their will be a confrontation. There wont be because the Russians would have to use their best weapon which would destroy us all.

Simple Over-egoism

If the war in Iraq has taught you anything is that strategic thinking goes over military power.

Don't say those countries or any other country doesn't have a chance against America. Look at history even, the biggest military powers have fallen to the smallest of militaries because they made one mistake of thinking they were invincible.

Start thinking like that, and America will fall.

I love how pundits in this thread discuss democracy and are fully focused at the stooge positioned center-stage, while ignoring the puppeteer behind the curtain. Let me help you see what's really at play here:

1. Medvedev was, IS and WILL BE nothing more than a puppet

2. From the article:

quote:

Before he stepped down as president Putin regularly insisted that Russia's constitution was sacrosanct.

. But... since Putin's hand is so firmly up Medvedev's ass, Medvedev would be the one proposing it, making seem like benevolent Putin was not involved... Besides,

quote:

The new six-year term would not apply to the current incumbent and would only come into effect after Medvedev's present four-year term was up, it clarified.

What this would effectively do is (as pointed out in the article):

3.

quote:

...Putin, now the prime minister, who could return as president in 2012 - and then extend his stint in power to 2024. Russia's present ruling team would remain in power indefinitely, they added.

Allowing this KGB-operated Russian Mafia to remain in control of the biggest criminal cartel in the world - Russian Federation.

I'm glad Russia is finally taking off that fake "democracy" mask and finally exposing it's rotten core - at least that's honest. Tricky, but honest - "fuck the people, fuck the liberty, fuck democracy USSR is back".

So, Magnetonium, when are you going back to USSR? Need help packing?

___________________

quote:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

--Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

quote:

Originally posted by Arbiter Who cares? Let Russia rattle their sabres if it makes them feel better. You know what we need to do to respond to this? Absolutely nothing. Because it doesn't affect us. At all.

If only foreign affairs worked this way, the world would be a much better place

___________________
Indiana Clones Upcoming Sets
[ I May Upload Something Someday ]

yeah we'll see where this goes if oil stays below 90-95 plus dollars a barrel

___________________

quote:

Originally posted by Lira If only foreign affairs worked this way, the world would be a much better place

I just don't see what our foreign policy objective is that our leaders apparently think whining about this furthers -- and lets be clear, that's all they're doing. It's not like we're actually going to respond in any meaningful way; why the hell would we?

Is whining going to persuade Russia not to do it, or to refrain from similar activities in the future? No. Is it going to piss them off? Yes, of course it is. And what is that going to accomplish except make them more likely to do other things that we'd rather they didn't and less likely to cooperate with us?

How does that advance any foreign policy objective whatsoever? Unless our objective is to make things as hard on ourselves as possible, it doesn't.

I'm just asking that our leaders pretend, for a few moments, that they had half a brain between the lot of them, and then do whatever they would do if they in fact had that half a brain. Is that really asking too much? C'mon!

quote:

Originally posted by jerZ07002 this is like a 100 pound outcast gorilla pounding its chest from across the forest while the 450 pound alpha male silverback gorilla is watching. It's the silverback's move.

brilliancy.