September 17, 2009

Obama Plays Russian Hoops: Nothin' but Nyet

Ever since Obama entered office, the Russians have been training him to jump through hoops. For his best trick yet, Obama has agreed to withdraw the missile shield that would defend some of our newest and best European allies from inevitable Iranian ballistic missiles. Did the Russians agree to withdraw from Georgia? Nyet. Stop meddling in Ukraine? Nyet. Stop selling nuclear material to Iran? Again, nyet. In fact, he got nyothing in return for this major concession. According to a WSJ report:

Russia on Thursday welcomed the news that the U.S. administration will drop plans to deploy a nuclear missile defense shield in Europe, but said it saw no reason to offer concessions in return.

This is really gonna make those mullahs sit up and take notice of "American resolve."

Side question: Why is it that the only group which the Democrats view as enemies and with whom to play hardball is the Republicans?

Current Events Posted by Boulder Refugee at September 17, 2009 10:24 AM

No, not Republicans. Racist rabble-rousing white mobsters over 30 and a few Uncle Toms, most of whom may happen to be registered Republican voters. Republican politicians are for the most part welcome in the Democrats inner circle - because they act like Democrats.

Posted by: johngalt at September 17, 2009 12:26 PM

I think the President was just being nice and giving them something to help celebrate an anniversary:

Seventy years ago, in the morning hours of September 17, 1939, the Red Army troops crossed the Polish border and over the following weeks, in accordance with the secret protocols of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, occupied and annexed large swathes of what was then eastern Poland and is now western Ukraine and Belarus and southern Lithuania. The outgunned and outmaneuvered Polish army was already by that stage collapsing under the onslaught of the first German blitzkrieg, so from a military point of view the Soviet invasion did not materially affect the outcome of the struggle. It did, however, provide a dastardly coup de grace for the first chapter of the Second World War.

Posted by: jk at September 17, 2009 12:51 PM

Forgot to give Brother br props for the headline: good stuff, man, Good stuff.

Posted by: jk at September 17, 2009 1:00 PM

Oh, the Russians have given us concessions.

I was wondering when we would see what it was the Obama team bargained for to get that agreement. (And perhaps this one as well.) Logistics is a hard mistress; one cannot wage war without it.

We have given the Russians the Eastern European missile shield in order to continue our Bactrian expedition. My worry then, is this - the next time the Russians come a-knocking they might ask for something much more valuable than an fanciful missile shield.

Posted by: T. Greer at September 17, 2009 10:48 PM

I'm more worried about the Iranians. These guys have perfected the art of haggling over the price of rugs for the past 3000 years. They now know Obama will give something big for nothing. They will hold out for nothing less.

Posted by: Boulder Refugee at September 18, 2009 11:01 AM | What do you think? [5]