Obama: Bad News For Russia ?

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Killjoy, Nov 9, 2008.

  1. Killjoy Propelling The Farce!! Valued Senior Member

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    Outside View: Obama bad news for Russia

    According to a widely held view, the election of Barack Obama is good news for Russia. The new U.S. president, the argument runs, will abandon the confrontational style of George W. Bush and adopt a more conciliatory line in foreign affairs, including in relations with Moscow...

    ...Unfortunately, however, there are many grounds for pessimism about the future of relations between the West and Russia under President Obama.

    The first is the likely foreign policy of Obama himself. Vice President-elect Joe Biden is notorious for his anti-Russian views. In his speech accepting the Democratic nomination in August, Biden specifically attacked the Bush administration for failing to face down Russia. And at a major foreign policy speech in Cincinnati on Sept. 25, Biden said Russia was as much of a threat as Iran. He also spoke warmly of his visit to "Misha" Saakashvili, the president of Georgia -- with whom he is evidently on first-name terms -- and with whom he discussed how Obama would make Russia pay for what he called its aggression against a democratic country.

    But the main grounds for pessimism lie in relations with Europe...

    The Bush years have been exceptionally difficult for the pro-American elite that governs Europe. All the major players in European politics are viscerally pro-American (and concomitantly anti-Russian), but their basic desire to like the United States -- and to be like the United States, for instance, by creating a United States of Europe -- has been thwarted by the contempt in which George Bush is held around the world (and indeed in his own country) and by the evident stupidity of his foreign policy.

    In contrast to Bush, Obama embodies all the values with which European leaders are themselves infatuated -- left-liberalism, youth, dynamism, change, even ethnic diversity.

    In the run-up to the poll, they have hardly been able to contain their excitement at the prospect of his election. Why, Obama even writes books. Years of pent-up pro-Americanism therefore will now flood out as soon as the mood music of multilateralism starts to be played once more in the White House. EU leaders will again be able to identify America with progress, just as they did when they were young, and they will swoon with delight whenever Obama proposes some new international (i.e., trans-Atlantic) plan to spread Western political values around the world (and to augment the power of the West over it).

    By contrast, they see Russia as politically reactionary and as a threat to their most cherished ideals.



    "Years of pent-up pro-Americanism" ?

    Who knew !?

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  3. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    America needs another Cold War .....and she needs it almost desperately!

    Baron Max
     
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  5. superstring01 Moderator

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    Eh. I'm not sure we could afford one.

    ~String
     
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  7. draqon Banned Banned

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    no Obama is good news for Russia...unfortunately not as good as if it was Hillary Clinton
     
  8. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    The war on terror and the war on drugs are running along just fine and doing a bang up business for arms manufacturers and security and prison firms.
     
  9. Killjoy Propelling The Farce!! Valued Senior Member

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    How so ?
     
  10. draqon Banned Banned

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    Hillary would have partnered with Russia on an economical scale much more, just like Bill Clinton did. Obama will just halt the US military expansion in Europe.
     
  11. Texas Bob Registered Senior Member

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    I haven't been by to visit but from what I hear....Obama's election is really stimulating the economy by adding to the bottom line of arms manufacturers and gun stores. Word I hear is that down in this neck of the woods they have been doing a booming business in the last week or two.
     
  12. kmguru Staff Member

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    These people who run for guns are really afraid of Education.
     

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