Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? | 127 comments (127 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 1)

I agree, it's about time for Realpolitik. Does Putin have a reliable partner for an agreement? It seems Germany's Angela Merkel is turning around and would be trusted by Russia. I read the CDU - Konrad Adenauer Foundation for democracy (sic) here and here. I was surprised.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Mar 10th, 2014 at 05:06:45 PM EST

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 0)

Putin have a reliable partner for an agreement?

Sadly, most Western national leaders are, or are striving to be, front men for oligarchs. Merkel might be the closest he gets to a true leader.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Mar 10th, 2014 at 05:31:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (4.00 / 2)

ARGeezer:

Sadly, most Western national leaders are, or are striving to be, front men for oligarchs.

What a good thing Putin isn't.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 03:16:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 0)

Yeah, Putin probably deals with his oligarchs at least on a basis of equality. I am not certain who was the last US President to do so.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 08:55:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (4.00 / 3)

Bush the Lesser. He was one of them.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 08:57:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 0)

He might have thought he was, but, if so, he was deluded. Cheney had control of much of the dirty side of the administration and Bush, like Reagan, was the front man.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 09:00:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (4.00 / 3)

Are you serious? He has a net worth of merely 35 million. I though maybe Hoover, but he was only worth 70 million. Clinton, with $80 million is a bit closer.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 09:04:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 1)

My criterion is the power the leader has vis-à-vis the various billionaire oligarchs and my sense it that W would have gotten slapped down had he been so foolish as to seriously oppose Cheney on a plan near and dear to oil oligarchs' hearts. Bush 41 seems to me to be a much more likely answer to my question. Not Obama, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, Ford or, even Nixon, IMO - (Bebe Reboso and Howard Hughes?) - though the USA was a significantly different country under Nixon and before. The most certain answer is FDR, but he was a 'one of'. It has NEVER been pretty.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2014 at 09:45:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

President Carter was on the list (none / 1)

He just wasn't powerful enough to stay on the list.

--Gaianne

The Fates are kind.

by Gaianne on Sun Mar 16th, 2014 at 03:13:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? (none / 1)

Realpolitik:

How Crimea Plays in Beijing » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Oh, Samantha ...
The herd of elephants in the (Ukraine) room, in terms of global opinion, is how the authentic "international community" - from the G-20 to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) - who has had enough of the Exceptionalist Hypocrisy Show, has fully understood, and even applauded, that at least one country on the planet has the balls to clearly say "F**k the US". Russia under President Vladimir Putin may harbor quite a few distortions, just like any other nation. But this is not a dinner party; this is realpolitik. To face down the US Leviathan, nothing short of a bad ass such as Putin will suffice.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sun Mar 23rd, 2014 at 07:57:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Ukranian Standoff: What's Next? | 127 comments (127 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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