Victor Davis Hanson on Putin’s letter in the New York Times
If it were regrettable that Vladimir Putin’s formidable diplomatic skills were wasted squashing rather than ensuring freedom inside Russia, it seems even more lamentable that his impressive prose likewise is not put to better use. Putin’s letter to us, the American people, is brilliant sophistry. The best rhetoric is always that which blends truth with half-truth and occasional fiction. In Putin’s case, he did all that—while offering the dessert of channeling Obama back to Obama. […]
After calling the U.S. secretary of state a “liar” and “pathetic,” only someone as brazenly confident in his mellifluousness as Vladimir Putin could write, “My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust.”
Putin ends with another flourish in lecturing the U.S. in response to Obama’s pleas that America is always exceptional in its concern for stopping atrocities abroad:
And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too.
Where have we heard something like this before?
Putin, I think, is reminding us that it was largely from Barack Obama himself. “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism,” said our president. Like Obama here, Putin too believes that everyone is about the same, both democracies and perhaps those like Syria (and Russia?), which Putin might be thinking of when he says that they too “are still finding their way to democracy.”
Putin saves the best for last. As the man who ended the Chechnyan war on rather tough terms, he now assumes the role of a campus-diversity czar: “We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.”
Ask a Russian critic of Putin if there is such concern for respecting differences inside Russia.
So what to make of Putin?
He is J. R. R. Tolkien’s melodic and fatherly Saruman come alive.
A (scary) comment on the naked emperor.
“I suppose that might include the 2008 Russian use of force over Ossetia.”
heh
Very nice Darleen!
It should always be remembered that pwn-ing the USA was baked into the UN DNA right from the beginning by the selection of who was to be our representative and “Secretary General” at the “United Nation’s Charter Conference.” Mr. “Ales” gave his all for the country to which he had given is allegiance and they still profit from his work and the building of the fiction of there being an “International Community”.
Putin’s recent treatment of Obama is unbelievably embarrassing.
Do you think he and his staff even understand how much Putin is toying with them at this point?
I know that Obama is OK with America no longer being a super-power (since it seems that was his goal), but he may not have factored in that shrinking America’s impact also dwarfs his power. Such a fool.
Do you think he and his staff even understand how much Putin is toying with them at this point?
Because Teh Won cannot do anything in retribution to the grievous insult, He will pretend it never happened. It is the only way He can maintain His belief that He is loved everywhere and always.
at least Putin didn’t call Obama a socialist.
Do you think he and his staff even understand how much Putin is toying with them at this point?
How could they? I mean, with what faculties, capacities or equipment would they even begin? They don’t seem to possess the tools, so it just doesn’t seem possible.
Must be especially difficult for him to comprehend Putin’s disrespect & condescension given that Obama gets nothing but teenage crush-level adoration from everyone who matters to him.
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“Whom do you serve?”
Sweet gfx, Darleen, though also a bit unnerving.
It seems backwards, the guy with no clothes should be Putin as Obama’s reflection.
Plenty of topless Putin photos out there, so get to it. Chop, chop.
… and that leaves us with Grima Wormtongue as president.. Perfect.
Aaaaaand…..again.
Assad: We’ll start handing over our chemical weapons when the U.S. stops arming Syria’s rebels
Putin may be Saruman, but Obama is sure as hell no Gandalf. More like Radagast the Uselessly Brown.
charles
but O! is absolutely convinced he is clothed — and underneath those staid navy blues is golden raiment spun by heavenly angels out of unicorn wool while singing sweet sweet praises.
More like Radagast the Uselessly Brown.
Or Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light.
I’m with Ouroboros — the <edit> Clown </edit> Disaster is Wormtongue.
baracky needs his bicycle helmet
Saw a man with the jinx in the third degree
From trying to deal with people–people you can’t see
Take away, take away, this house of mirrors
Give away, give away, all the souvenirs
We’re all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world
The flat old world
The street is a sideshow from the peddler to the corner girl
Life is a carnival–it’s in the book
Life is a carnival–take another look
I sort of see the OFA/OWS/SEIU as the legions of Uruk-hai.
Sort of OT, I’m using Firefox to browse but I cannot login in to comment here using Firefox. I have to go back to IE to be able to login and comment. It sucks.
Anybody know what I’m doing wrong or how to fix it?
Using firefox too charles, and just logged out and logged back in as per usual, so . . . . I’m guessing it ain’t the browser or the website. Sorry I couldn’t help any better.
maybe your add-ons are blocking stuff?
DiploMad, doing splendidly what a proper diplomad does:
*** To confirm that things must not be going well for John “Xmas in Cambodia” Kerry we see a press account which reports how Kerry has had to emphasize that the negotiations over Syria are “no game.” It is, indeed, a sad day when the US Secretary of State has to plead to be taken seriously. But, my friends, what else could this disaster of a SecState expect? What about the Obama/Clinton/Kerry “policy” re Syria should be taken seriously? Not much–except that Obama and his two hapless Secretaries of States haven’t a clue about how the world works, how to project American power and defend American interests. Putin certainly has realized that. ***
Firefox here and have had no issues.
Darleen, think you could come up with Putin’s arm pointing at Obama’s genitals while laughing?
Considering how easily Putin emasculated Obama…..
Anyway, great job, Darleen, love the images.+
Thanks for the help, login seems to work, but every time I get back to PW it keeps telling me I have to login. I may uninstall and reinstall Firefox. I’m past enjoying the geek shit.
OT, but Missouri came within a single vote of getting the 2/3 necessary in the State Senate, and gained more than enough in the Assembly, making it only 10 overridden vetoes this year (the previous high water mark was 3, set in ’03), and the media is spinning this as a BIG WIN for the Dem governor…
http://news.yahoo.com/dem-gov-wins-big-vetoes-gop-legislature-202449550.html
McCoward says Obama’s Syria policy is teh hawt but normal people can’t be bothered.
These clowns have no credibility when they talk about the middle east anymores. They need to practice stepping on their dick in the middle east on someone else’s fucking dime for awhile is the sum total of my opinion.
happy baracky
BREAKING: U.S. Consulate in Afghanistan Under Attack
i checked the manual it says they on their fucking own
buenos suerte momos
Darleen, think you could come up with Putin’s arm pointing at Obama’s genitals while laughing comment
He is laughing and pointing . . .
Redline, redline, who’s had the redline.
Hillary made it political, Obama made the political, personal.
If Stanley Kurtz analyses correctly, and the doctrine under which The Clown Disaster operates does in fact originate in Samantha Power’s formulation of a humanitarian altruism first and foremost, with national interest taking the hindmost precisely to demonstrate the purity of her intention (and therefore, the nation’s), then we can see why The Clown Disaster would be so utterly out of tune with the Americans (and obviously, he is).
But while that suggestion can account for a great portion of the collapsing pseudo-strategic confusion we see before us, it cannot account for the complete backwardness of the procedures taken.
The Clown Disaster, for instance, could rather easily have pressed a great diplomatic campaign in the UN and with our allies three years ago to corral and remove Al-Assad’s mass destruction weapons. It can’t be claimed in excuse that The Clown Disaster did not know such weapons existed in Al-Assad’s hands.
But he did not until after the fact of his ultimatum.
The Clown Disaster could have easily devoted his time and attention to bringing in full his case against the Al-Assad regime to the nation three years ago, along with any color of threat to the Americans, in order to persuade them to back his diplomatic efforts and coalition building against Al-Assad’s mere possession of mass destruction weapons (which was also not undertaken) for the purpose of the prevention of the potential of Al-Assad using his mass destruction weapons on anyone.
But he did not until after the fact of his ultimatum.
Everything backwards. Why?
(And sure, we can forward all manner of pointless answers to this question: he’s stupid, he’s foolish, he’s autocratic, he’s a fraud, etc. But what would be a purposeful answer, one which supposes axiomatically that The Clown Disaster had something in mind to guide his seeming carelessness, if there is one?)
I’m sorry but Clown Disaster sounds like an all girl roller skating ska band or something.
I see your point, palaeo — far too manly an association for the Obamarrhoids…
And?
I think of him as Zero Fett. Everyone talks about how cool he is and fears him and then a blind guy accidentally knocks him into a pit and that’s it.
Or maybe he’s the blind guy and the whole US has been knocked into the monster pit.
I’m sorry but Clown Disaster sounds like an all girl roller skating ska band or something.
Agreed. But I still don’t see the problem with referring to the Charlie-Fox currently at #OccupyResoluteDesk as such. At least the ska band would have helped improve the economy.
(If it were mere incompetence, he would be right every once in a while.)
FoxTrot?
But, as has been established, he skates. And with his pockets filled with public monies.
From “Statement by Ambassador Samantha Power”
Always remember and never forget just how this cake was assembled and baked, by who, and for what purpose. That purpose snakes through the world like a main circuit cable plugged straight into progressive socialist tyranny. To steal from an old movie.
All the ideas around R2P speak of what governments are to do for the people. Positive rights. If they were serious about protecting people from atrocities, most of which are done by governments and other organized gangs of thugs, then the right of the people, worldwide, to keep and bear arms would be the priority so that each individual, each family, could have the R2P themselves, themselves.