Tag Archives: Putin

Among Globe’s Greatest Failures

BY MICHAEL S. JOHNSON | DEC 20, 2016

“My belief is that when the military is used as the sole instrument of power, that never has a good outcome. If there’s no one to take ownership and develop that failed state, human suffering can be even worse than that created by the conflict itself. “
— Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Army General Martin Dempsey

For decades the sole instrument of power in Syria has been the military, an instrument of death and destruction wielded by the dictatorial family of Assad, a father and son who have carried out unimaginable atrocities against their own people illustrating the unlimited potential of man’s inhumanity to man. Continue reading →

No Easy Answers

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

While waiting for some actual news about that missing airliner, my attention moved back to Ukraine generally, and to the whole sanction thing in particular.

In the modern era when one country – say the United States – decides to use sanctions to bring to bear a change in behavior of another country – say Iran – the sanctions often include freezing any accounts with any connection to the sanctioned nation. Continue reading →

Obama at Summit Embarrassed Us

BY RICH CALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

The G-20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico is, thankfully, over.

During the proceedings we watched as President Barack Obama maneuvered himself into a position of being – if not totally inconsequential – certain a minor member of the chorus.

From Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush American Presidents have held the title “the most powerful man in the world.” Sometimes it was altered to “the most powerful man in the western world” but, you know what I mean.

Barack Obama has not just allowed that label to lapse. He appears to have been happy to toss it aside.

This isn’t about American exceptionalism. It’s about Obama ordinariness.

Obama is not First Among Equals at international meetings. At best he’s fourth among equals between Russia, China, and Germany. If you include Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Obama is no better than fifth. Continue reading →

Vlad Must Go

BY JOHN FEEHERY
Reprinted from FeeheryTheory.com

The Occupy Wall Street movement has moved to Russia. How is that for some irony?

The protest movement that started in Cairo, swept through almost every Middle East Country, made its way through, Paris, London and New York has finally showed up at the Kremlin.

If I were Vladimir Putin, I would be a bit nervous.

Putin tried to steal the election for the Duma, and the Russian people called foul. Good for them. Bad on Putin.

Putin is a thug. The single worst thing George W. Bush said during his 8 years in office (and he said a lot of stupid things), had to do with seeing something he stared into Putin’s eyes. What W. should have seen was a KGB thug. Who knows what he actually did see? Continue reading →