Category Archives: Russia
Exceptional Exceptionalism
Putin wrote an op-ed in the NYT last week mocking Obama and the idea of American Exceptionalism. He scored bonus points because everyone knows Obama himself is not so wild about the idea. He thinks America is exceptional in the same way Britain and Greece are exceptional. Which is to say, not very. But that didn’t stop him last week from asking Americans to support an attack on Syrian president Assad – with something more than a pinprick, yet unbelievably small – because we are exceptional.
The abuse continued this week when a Russian minister claimed the Navy Ship Yard shooting was an example of American Exceptionalism.
Exceptional and Weird
Maureen Dowd had a few thoughts of her own about the president concerning the partisan speech he delivered while the shooting was still going on:
“The man who connected so electrically and facilely in 2008, causing Americans to overlook his thin résumé, cannot seem to connect anymore… Top Democrats who used to consider Obama one cool cat now muse that he’s “one weird cat,” as one big shot put it.”
When the going gets tough the weird get going.
Pinprick Peace Process
Syrian President Assad denied having chemical weapons until he agreed to John Kerry’s accidental offer to give them up. Now he denies doing so because of U..S. pressure.
President Obama called for a “shot across Syria’s bow”. Secretary of State Kerry called for an “unbelievably small strike”. Then Obama proclaimed that the United States military does not do pinpricks.
Putin Pinprick Prince of Peace Process
Not surprisingly, Putin has taken the leadership role in the Syrian crisis. He even has an opinion column in today’s New York Times to prove it.
Obama off the Hook
After redlining himself into a hopeless corner of the Mideast live box, Putin let Obama off the hook. Actually, it was more gaffe than hook.
Kerry’s lame comment about Syria turning over its chemical stockpiles is the basis for the whole thing. At first he walked back his proposal. Then Putin snatched it up, Assad agreed, and Kerry walked back the walk back.
Soon enough Obama took credit for the idea and the party elite swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. Next thing we know President Obama was flip flopping like a fish out of water while giving a speech, trying to convince us to hold off on a war nobody – least of all him – wants.
Noonan Nails Obama
Peggy Noonan imagines Putin wants to negotiate with a president of foreign policy stature (like Nixon) but he’s stuck with “a self-besotted charismatic who can’t tell the difference between showbiz and strategy”.
Update: Michael Tackett at Bloomberg covers the whole situation here.
Obama Leno Interview
In an interview with a comedian, Obama complained that Putin doesn’t like being interviewed by reporters.
Asylum with The Most Interesting Man in the World
Ed Snowden spilled the beans on NSA spying on American citizens (a now politically incorrect term since 12 million of us are not legal citizens).
Snowden has been provided asylum by former KBG man, and entertainer to the world, Vladimir Putin. Here are some whacky Vlady highlights including his latest fishing expedition.
All fun and games until somebody gets poisoned by dioxin and reporters start getting killed.
