« Happy Anniversary!!! | theCleverBulldog's Blog | Lies, Statistics, and the 45,000 dead from lack of insurance »
"Stabbed in the Back and Sold to Russia"
The headline from Polish paper Fakt says it all: http://www.efakt.pl/Zdrada-USA-sprzedaly-nas-Rosji,artykuly,52626,1.html The largest Czech paper said simply "No Radar, Russia Won". Way to improve those european relationships, Obama. Smart thinking, that will surely give confidence to Ukraine and other former Soviet states. You can count on us! (To sell you out!)
Advertisement
OK, trying again after about a dozen failed attempts - After watching what Bush let Russia do to Georgia after the US-armed Saakashvili attacked South Ossetia and Abkhazia, I rather doubt that the Ukrainians or Poles expected too much protection from the US.
September 18, 2009 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sad but true. We talk a good talk, then when the going gets tough, we walk.
September 18, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
So that's the "change" we were supposed to be getting?
September 18, 2009 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fomenting revolutions we have no intention of supporting militarily, and planning vastly expensive weapons systems we can't afford for those that don't want it makes no sense to me. Nor does invading Afghanistan, for that matter.
September 18, 2009 9:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who says we can't afford them? Sounds like you would just like us to remove ourselves from all foreign countries and roll the dice
September 18, 2009 11:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
If we can't afford to invest in our own workers we certainly can't afford global domination.
September 18, 2009 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Global domination? C'mon, I think you're watching too many Austin Powers movies.
We are still going to spend money for a missile defense system in Europe. Probably just as much money as the Bush system had cost. But Obama has is own idea for a more "effective" system.
September 19, 2009 7:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
So when we remove all the insults, we're back to square one, and you and bulldog have no point.
September 19, 2009 8:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sure I still have a point. My point is that it was a bonehead move to reneg with Poland and Czech on the missile defense shield. Obama is trying to play nice with folks like Iran, Russia and Venezuela. But he continues to piss of friends like the ones above plus Mexico, China, Canada, Honduras, etc.
Missile defense in Europe is very important given Iran's growing threat. We need to help other countries build that defense.
President Obama seems to think that by making a grand gesture and downplaying the Iranian threat he will achieve good will from the Russians and the Iranians, never mind the hurt feelings of long-time allies. More likely, Iran, Russia, and others will see this for what it is: a colossal sign of U.S. weakness.
September 19, 2009 8:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Iran has no ICBMs, they have short to medium range missiles.
http://www.themonkeycage.org/2009/09/why_obamas_decision_to_scrap_t_1.html
September 19, 2009 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
They don't have ICBMs today, but I'm worried about the future, not the present.
September 19, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you're worried about the future, worry about China, not Iran.
September 20, 2009 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I worry about both. Therefore I was supportive of the missle defense project
September 20, 2009 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
You've got it - more flexibility:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/opinion/20gates.html?em
I only hope we can afford it.
September 20, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Bulldog and I didn't have a point?
September 20, 2009 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm waiting.
September 20, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I already made my comments above, you just don't like them. That's different than saying I don't have a point.
September 20, 2009 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, you prefer an older missile system that even the Sec Def says is less effective and less flexible than what is now planned. Great point!
September 20, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since when did you start agreeing with Gates on things?
September 20, 2009 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since when did you start disagreeing?
September 20, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can have my own opinions. Sorry I don't agree with him. I'm sure you agreed with everything else he's said historically
September 20, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nope. I'm sure your disagreement has nothing to do with who is Prez right now.
September 20, 2009 5:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure I'm biased. But so are you.
September 20, 2009 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well that makes everything OK, doesn't it?
September 20, 2009 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know if that "makes it alright" or not. But I was in favor of the missile shield and it appears Obama backtracked on his relations with Poland and Czech to appease the Russians.
September 21, 2009 7:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't read it
September 21, 2009 9:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see, here we are almost pulling each others hair out about how to lower the cost for health care and they are upset because we didn't put in an unproven missile shield. Not gonna happen!
It is called making and keeping priorities.
It is time for Europe and countries to learn that we aren't the world's police force. If they are so afraid, please go ahead and invest in your own missile defense shield.
And please do let us know if it works.
September 18, 2009 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think maintaining world peace and democracy in Europe is more important than paying for health insurance for some dirtbag that doesn't want to spend his own money on it.
September 18, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
CB,
Just curious - How are you defining 'dirt bag'? Would it be applicable to all or part of the 40k plus that reportedly died in year due to lack of healthcare coverage?
Thanks.
September 18, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah! Dirty fucking hippies on medicare!
September 18, 2009 8:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL, well done!
September 18, 2009 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
1849 - I must disagree. We are not retreating from foreign policy. Unfortunately we continue to focus on it the wrong way. We are courting adversaries while screwing our advocates. Obama is seeking to improve ties with North Korea, Iran, Russia and even Venezuela. While on the other hand, we are pissing off Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Israel and Honduras. I think our priorities are screwed up.
September 18, 2009 7:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Frankly, I think we should sell ourselves out to Iceland. Just hand the entire Defense Department to Iceland.
Let them deal with it.
September 18, 2009 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or Denmark, lots of nice Danes. I'm sure they would protect us.
September 18, 2009 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Doubtful, I don't know if they can even keep Greenland in their midst. With global warming making Greenland actually green, there's more and more talk of succession there.
September 18, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Running retreads now bulldog?
September 18, 2009 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama promised us that he would win America friends. But he's got his priorities all screwed up. He's tying to warm up to Iran, North Korea, Russia and even Venezuela. While on the other hand, we are pissing off Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Israel and Honduras. I think our priorities are screwed up.
September 18, 2009 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a question and I'm sorry if it was asked and answered before. I would like to know why exactly that shield was so vital and what has been irretrievably lost now that it's gone. Thanks.
September 18, 2009 9:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for this query. Well done!
September 18, 2009 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm guessing you will find the answer to this question in the stock prices for Raytheon and numerous other defense contractors, whose shareholders have undoubtedly pulled back out of fear that these companies might no longer have unfettered access to our tax dollars as exorbitant payment for expensive, unproven, and ill-considered technologies.
In numerous corporate boardrooms throughout the country, I'm sure the directive went out to get more money flowing to the Democrats to reverse this decision or otherwise prevent any such embarrassing losses in the future.
Just as an aside, wouldn't it be nice if we suddenly found schools being funded from a "black budget" while the Defense Department and its contractors required bake sales to get what they wanted?
September 19, 2009 1:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
First of all, it's not "gone" per se. Obama has his own view on the type of technology that is going to be built. But now that they're going back to the drawing board a bit, it will take a lot longer before any type of system is actually up and running.
But to your question about why it was so vital? In my opinion I think once Iran is actually shooting off long-range ICBM's willy nilly at other countries, I'd like to have a way to counter these attacks.
September 19, 2009 8:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
MCB: I understand what you say about Iran's ICBMs. But the shield started long before Iran became an issue.
My impression is that the shield is justified by a series of rationales that change according to the developments of the day.
That would mean that it never had a consistent, long-term reason to exist and is justified by geo-politics, not defense.
Perhaps I'm an isolationist, but such reasoning is unconvincing to me.
September 19, 2009 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
You say that the shield started long before Iran became an issue? Obviously other "star wars" type projects have been in existence since Reagan.
Are you talking about this particular program for Poland and Czech? I don't believe this particular program was proposed until a year or two ago. And I would argue that Iran has certainly been an issue for most of this decade.
September 19, 2009 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink