What to do, what to do about the villain, Vladimir Putin? Well, first, while it may sound like I am supporting Putin’s takeover of Crimea, I’m not. I do understand Putin’s moves and respect how adroitly he made his moves though. NATO or any combination of Western leaders will not act and aside from hollow rhetoric and ineffective sanctions, Putin won’t pay much of a price for securing Russian control of Crimea.
How far he dares to encroach further into eastern Ukraine remains to be seen, but if past is prelude, sometimes the Russians push further to give themselves some negotiating space for later. They may move further into eastern Ukraine, so they can pull back later and look reasonable, while still holding on to Crimea. The Russians love playing games like this, “Here I took all your marbles, but hey, I’m a magnanimous sort, so I’ll give you back 2 and keep the other 10.” Really, this is how the Russians bargain and it works for them among the ill-informed western media.
By and large, our leaders are outclassed and due to our internal political partisanship, our politicians remain impotent. President Obama can’t make tough decisions and has surrounded himself with clueless, far-left loons, who have no grasp of history, geopolitics or strategic-planning. It’s a complete bust for us. Heck, the Russians are the likely source of the leak of our foul-mouthed diplomat’s phone conversation with our ambassador in Ukraine, thus spreading distrust of the US among our European allies, again. They know how to play the game and we aren’t even in the game anymore – sitting it out …. again.
We aren’t in a position to do much about Ukraine – that’s the reality. What we need to do to prevent more provocative Russian moves or other countries deciding the US is no longer relevant is get our own house in order. Here are some steps we need to take. Energy independence needs to be a national security premiere objective. Time to rebuild our relationships with our allies and we’ve got to start acting like a trustworthy ally. Now, isn’t the time to start gutting our military. We need to get our fiscal house in order and that will mean some painful, hard choices. If we want to act with one voice abroad, we’ve got to find some common ground between our warring partisans at home. To remain relevant will require a complete home remodel effort. We need to rebuild the American team and so far, I don’t see that happening among our feuding political class.
Strength comes from being in a position to act, not react. Putin knows how to act and others will watch this latest episode of American ineptitude and follow suit. To thwart this, America needs to master a steep learning curve and I doubt this administration even understands the events unfolding around the world and their integral part in creating the atmosphere where the West, and particularly America, is seen as a lot of irritating background noise, to tune out. Weakness is provocative and this administration excels at projecting weakness.
libertybelle diaries 
Because you’re a Lady I know you wouldn’t dare place such a link to such an article from such a website as it wouldn’t be “ladylike.”
I however am not so restricted therefore:
http://www.redstate.com/diary/thomas/2014/03/05/vladimir-putin-show-weakness-beating-everyone-including-us/
Good bit of background there in my opinion.
Thanks, Liberty and JK. Excellent post, and outstanding link. I haven’t been to Red State for a while, so I’ve just now tabbed it on my MAC to remind me.
We’ve never had a president before who held America in contempt, and who saw the world only in terms of his own ideological ego.
You’re so very welcome Lady Minta. I’m happy you (apparently) enjoyed that link. Admittedly I’m waiting for Lady Liberty’s review before I write fuller if only because …
We’ve, you & I Minta, come to understanding one another?
Except for maybe you mentioning you using a Mac? Take care you not mention that should you “cross the pond” and comment on Duff & Nonsense.
E’s a bit twitchy where Apples get comparisonized.
Thanks for the link JK and I agree with Minta (a rather common occurrence that, lol), an outstanding link. The real truth is this line:
“The West is largely irrelevant in what they think because they keep showing they don’t really care.”
Glad someone else feels the same way I do whenever Obama lectures:
“Wrong. Kiev’s independence is and always has been illusory. Yushchenko realized it even when Bush was in the White House and the world knew America would shoot people, and Yanukovich realized it when Obama was in the White House and the world knew that Obama would talk people to death.”
Of course, I would note that listening to Kerry speak should be covered by the Geneva Convention…. a cruel torture for Lavrov, lol.
That Libertybelle, Kerry speaking being a violation of the Geneva Conventions got to me – I didn’t expect that.
No. What I was waiting on was, whether you’d in “Ladylike conventions” given me the guff over me having placed such an “unfair thing” at which you might’ve [at most] admitted to hiding a delicate diplomatic giggle behind a silk kerchief or …
did (as your “cruel torture for Lavrov, lol”) says you did. Blew snot while guffawing all over your keyboard suggests.
If the latter – getting you guffawing was Martha Stewartlike – a good thing.
JK, yes, it’s hard to maintain proper decorum, after spending decades around those rough and tumble soldiers. I’ve been known to blurt out, “What a cluster – F -#$%!”, in less than ladylike tones…..
My my Libertybelle, Minta?
Shakespeare himself couldn’t have bested … well,
http://annaraccoon.com/2014/03/06/uk-raine-terrain/