Margaret Thatcher was famously known as "The Iron Lady", a name given to her by the leaders of the Soviet Union. The Russians rightly saw Thatcher as a leader who would not bend to their will, someone with strong views and a clear grasp of right and wrong. Today, it seems that another nickname for a Western leader is coming from Russia. This time it's president Obama who gets the new moniker. The Russians are calling him "The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man". The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, of course, is that fictional character from the movie "Ghost Busters". Dan Ackroyd created him by thinking of the least threatening thing he could. The marshmallow man is a 50 foot tall soft blob of a creature who is melted at the end by a blast from the Ghost Busters ray guns. It's an apt image for Obama.
Just think of how the Russians see Obama in just the last month. During the last year when Russian forces have been invading Ukraine, Obama has told the world that Russia will pay a heavy price for that invasion. Russia will be ostracized from the community of nations according to Obama; it will also be hit with heavy sanctions. A few weeks back when Russia sold a major air defense system to Iran within days of the signing of the Iran nuclear deal, Obama did nothing. When the Russians started to send troops and weapons to Syria to aid the Assad regime (and to prolong the civil war there), the White House denounced the action. Obama even tried to get various countries to deny Russia the right to fly over their territory with military aircraft so as to cut off the route to Syria for the Russian planes. Bulgaria complied with the request, but the Russian planes are still arriving after flying over Iran and Iraq. That's right, Iraq is allowing the Russian overflights despite the supposed American influence in that country. Now that Russian forces are participating in some of the fighting in support of Assad, Obama is getting quiet again. But here's the kicker: Russia suggested that there be talks between the USA and Russia to discuss military cooperation in Syria, and Obama accepted. America and Russia are now talking about working together in Syria. The Russians who were supposed to be ostracized by the world are now being accepted by Obama himself.
It's hard to imagine someone with less "iron" in his spine than Obama. Vladimir Putin knows that Obama has no intention of doing anything about the Russian forces in Syria. Indeed, he offered to have talks to give Obama a face saving way of avoiding the real issues. Obama can always point to the ongoing talks as his response, even though those talks change nothing.
America needs a new president. Soon!
Just think of how the Russians see Obama in just the last month. During the last year when Russian forces have been invading Ukraine, Obama has told the world that Russia will pay a heavy price for that invasion. Russia will be ostracized from the community of nations according to Obama; it will also be hit with heavy sanctions. A few weeks back when Russia sold a major air defense system to Iran within days of the signing of the Iran nuclear deal, Obama did nothing. When the Russians started to send troops and weapons to Syria to aid the Assad regime (and to prolong the civil war there), the White House denounced the action. Obama even tried to get various countries to deny Russia the right to fly over their territory with military aircraft so as to cut off the route to Syria for the Russian planes. Bulgaria complied with the request, but the Russian planes are still arriving after flying over Iran and Iraq. That's right, Iraq is allowing the Russian overflights despite the supposed American influence in that country. Now that Russian forces are participating in some of the fighting in support of Assad, Obama is getting quiet again. But here's the kicker: Russia suggested that there be talks between the USA and Russia to discuss military cooperation in Syria, and Obama accepted. America and Russia are now talking about working together in Syria. The Russians who were supposed to be ostracized by the world are now being accepted by Obama himself.
It's hard to imagine someone with less "iron" in his spine than Obama. Vladimir Putin knows that Obama has no intention of doing anything about the Russian forces in Syria. Indeed, he offered to have talks to give Obama a face saving way of avoiding the real issues. Obama can always point to the ongoing talks as his response, even though those talks change nothing.
America needs a new president. Soon!
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