We have the initial Russian response to those sanctions imposed today on some of Russia's top leadership. The deputy premier of Russia tweeted to ask if president Obama came up with the sanctions or if there was some prankster who issued them as a joke. In short, the Russians are laughing at the sanctions and at Obama as well. And why not? For the last two weeks, the press has been filled with stories about the possibility that top Russian officials would have sanctions imposed upon them. The assets that these folks hold in the USA would be frozen according to the stories. That gave all of the leadership in Russia ample time to make sure that they had no assets in the USA or elsewhere in the West. Today, Obama imposed sanctions on a dozen men. That's right; Russia grabs a province from Ukraine and Obama freezes the assets of twelve men after giving them two weeks' warning by leaking his plans. It actually is funny. I'm with the Russian deputy premier in wondering if Obama had the sanctions plan developed by a prankster. Of course, then I remembered that Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Kerry and Secretary of Defense Hagel had a principal part in developing this plan of action, so there were no pranksters involved, just idiots.
The alternative to these sanctions is an easy one to figure out. The new prime minister of Ukraine was here the other day and asked to purchase American weapons for his armed forces. All that has to happen is for Obama to say yes. That would worry the Russians in a way that silly sanctions would not. America could agree to station troops in a few locations in the territory of our NATO allies Poland and Lithania (or another of the Baltic states). That too would worry Moscow. Obama could announce that he was expediting the approval process for the export of liquefied natural gas to Europe. That really would worry Russia. But no, Obama and his group of idiots chose to impose meaningless sanctions on twelve men in Russia.
It's not original with me, but the current crisis regarding Ukraine is showing that compared to Obama, even Jimmy Carter was a tiger and strong leader when it came to foreign policy.
The alternative to these sanctions is an easy one to figure out. The new prime minister of Ukraine was here the other day and asked to purchase American weapons for his armed forces. All that has to happen is for Obama to say yes. That would worry the Russians in a way that silly sanctions would not. America could agree to station troops in a few locations in the territory of our NATO allies Poland and Lithania (or another of the Baltic states). That too would worry Moscow. Obama could announce that he was expediting the approval process for the export of liquefied natural gas to Europe. That really would worry Russia. But no, Obama and his group of idiots chose to impose meaningless sanctions on twelve men in Russia.
It's not original with me, but the current crisis regarding Ukraine is showing that compared to Obama, even Jimmy Carter was a tiger and strong leader when it came to foreign policy.
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