I typed out a very wordy response Germans... Then I deleted it... Basically it went: Putin is a shady guy, not a cuddly teddy bear, but that doesn't make him wrong in this instance.
I know full well what Putin is saying is a poisoned apple... It all sounds just a wee bit too good. But that doesn't make him incorrect in certain regards. He's as slimy as a politician can get, but he makes some very valid points. Really, what his op-ed is doing is destabilizing Obama. Politically speaking, it's really quite smart.
The rest of the world is watching the US's political, geopolitical, and economic decline. It's obvious our two party system isn't working the way it should. Without some changes it's clear the current political situation is not sustainable. The Republicans are eating themselves alive and getting crazier by the day. The Democrats are spineless, oligarchs, though the Republicans have more than their fair share of oligarchs too. I think the rest of the world is waiting with baited breath to see how the mighty will fall. Everyone loves a good tragedy after all. The US's situation is a culmination of self-inflicted wounds. What could be more tragic? It's clear the US is in a pronounced period of decline, much like Western Europe following WWII. How will the US handle such damage to their reputation? Will the US continue to dominate in the one arena we clearly have the upper hand in (ie. military power)? Or will we look inwards and fix some of our very serious internal issues? We certainly won't handle it with as much grace as Europe did... which doesn't exactly bode well...
As to Putin not being in a position to champion diplomacy and civilian lives... Well, one would think the Nobel Peace Prize winner would do that instead of insisting on military action against a sovereign nation that has done no direct harm to those outside of their country. One would think Obama would have been the one to seek a diplomatic solution. But no, it wasn't him... It was the thug Russian. That deserves some props, because it takes some balls to stand up to the US who is notorious for simply waltzing in and intervening militarily in various countries, no matter what Putin's personal motivations are.
I know full well what Putin is saying is a poisoned apple... It all sounds just a wee bit too good. But that doesn't make him incorrect in certain regards. He's as slimy as a politician can get, but he makes some very valid points. Really, what his op-ed is doing is destabilizing Obama. Politically speaking, it's really quite smart.
The rest of the world is watching the US's political, geopolitical, and economic decline. It's obvious our two party system isn't working the way it should. Without some changes it's clear the current political situation is not sustainable. The Republicans are eating themselves alive and getting crazier by the day. The Democrats are spineless, oligarchs, though the Republicans have more than their fair share of oligarchs too. I think the rest of the world is waiting with baited breath to see how the mighty will fall. Everyone loves a good tragedy after all. The US's situation is a culmination of self-inflicted wounds. What could be more tragic? It's clear the US is in a pronounced period of decline, much like Western Europe following WWII. How will the US handle such damage to their reputation? Will the US continue to dominate in the one arena we clearly have the upper hand in (ie. military power)? Or will we look inwards and fix some of our very serious internal issues? We certainly won't handle it with as much grace as Europe did... which doesn't exactly bode well...
As to Putin not being in a position to champion diplomacy and civilian lives... Well, one would think the Nobel Peace Prize winner would do that instead of insisting on military action against a sovereign nation that has done no direct harm to those outside of their country. One would think Obama would have been the one to seek a diplomatic solution. But no, it wasn't him... It was the thug Russian. That deserves some props, because it takes some balls to stand up to the US who is notorious for simply waltzing in and intervening militarily in various countries, no matter what Putin's personal motivations are.
