Good or Bad for the Jews

"Good or Bad for the Jews"

Many years ago, and for many years, I would travel to Morocco to visit uncles, cousins, and my paternal grandmother. Some lived in Tangiers;...

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Frightened by Kerry "Ultimatum," Russian Troops Move out of Crimea . . . and Further into Ukraine

In line with his threat to the Assad regime that we would do "something unbelievably small" if the Syrian dictator didn't do what we said within a week, Pajama Boy's Secretary of State has delivered himself of yet another tough "ultimatum" on the world stage.

John "Xmas in Cambodia" Kerry bared his teeth, pounded his chest, and told Vladimir "I Laugh Standing on Your Mother's Grave" Putin that,
“There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” Kerry said. “If there is no sign [from Russia] of any capacity to respond to this issue ... there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.” 
“Our hope is to have Russia join in respecting international law. ... There is no justification, no legality to this referendum that is taking place,” he said. “The hope is that reason will prevail but there is no guarantee of that.”
So come Monday, unless Putin begins to "respect international law" vis-a-vis Ukraine and does something or another in response to the phony referendum in Crimea, well, then, we are going to get together with the Europeans and start discussing some "serious steps."

The Russians are so terrified of riling up Obama's boys and girls, and those of indeterminate genders, that they immediately vetoed the UN resolution on Crimea and, apparently, have begun moving troops into the rest of Ukraine. You all do remember that Sudetenland reference I made a while back? Time for Obama and Kerry to dust off the history books and look up "League of Nations," "Ethiopia," "Czechoslovakia," "Chamberlain," and "Munich" . . . or, at least, have their teleprompter handlers read this Diplomad entry.

Kerry and his Euro friends mumble on about sanctions, but let's face it, those will prove nonsensical and the brunt of these sanctions will fall on the EU since they are major trading partners with Russia and we are not. So we have to talk the EU into doing something that will damage EU interests, and trust that the EU will keep on doing it. Right, you want fries with that order?

While the Americans and the Europeans blather away, the Russians are pulling some sanctions of their own. You can tell Kerry and Obama have never played sports or been involved in business dealings. It's all well and good to make your plans, revise them, and talk about them, but you might want to consider that the other side is developing a playbook, too. Their playbook and yours might not assign the same roles to the teams. We see, therefore, that while the West prepares to discuss sanctions, Russian banks and companies are withdrawing billions of dollars from the West,
Russian companies are pulling billions out of western banks, fearful that any US sanctions over the Crimean crisis could lead to an asset freeze, according to bankers in Moscow. 
Sberbank and VTB, Russia’s giant partly state-owned banks, as well as industrial companies, such as energy group Lukoil, are among those repatriating cash from western lenders with operations in the US. VTB has also cancelled a planned US investor summit next month, according to bankers.
In addition, an advisor to Putin is advising the dumping of US Treasuries,
An adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that authorities would issue general advice to dump US government bonds in the event of Russian companies and individuals being targeted by sanctions over events in Ukraine
Sergei Glazyev said the United States would be the first to suffer in the event of any sanctions regime. 
“The Americans are threatening Russia with sanctions and pulling the EU into a trade and economic war with Russia,” Glazyev said. “Most of the sanctions against Russia will bring harm to the United States itself, because as far as trade relations with the United States go, we don’t depend on them in any way.” 
Glazyev noted that Russia is a creditor to the United States. 
"We hold a decent amount of treasury bonds – more than $200 billion – and if the United States dares to freeze accounts of Russian businesses and citizens, we can no longer view America as a reliable partner,” he said.
It appears that the Russians are beginning to do exactly what Mr. Glazyev has urged. Some $100 billion worth of US Treasuries have been moved out of New York, apparently by the Russians.

Silly talk and posturing, the making of grand-sounding statements, and drawing erasable "red lines" all have consequences. One, of course, is that Russia is not likely to undo its actions in Crimea. The Russians, furthermore, have sanction-like weapons of their own such as the messing about with US banks and debt noted above, but not limited only to that. They are major suppliers of gas to Europe and in the past have shown a willingness to interrupt supplies for political purposes.

So while we gut our military, refuse to buy Canadian oil, or become energy independent and a major supplier of energy to Europe, we prattle on and on about sanctions and international law and solidarity with the Syrian opposition Ukraine. As noted before, we could neutralize Russia's leverage in the world very swiftly, without ever mentioning the word "sanctions." That, however, requires something we do not have, to wit, patriotic, committed, focused, and decisive leadership.

We have Obama.


44 comments:

  1. http://i.redsnapperverytasty.com/graphics/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/obama-putin-ukraine-crimea-500x689.jpg.

    Funny, sad and, unfortunately, true.

    To paraphrase an Australian book title, "Poor fella your country".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.redsnapperverytasty.com/crimea-river-putin-obama-ukraine.html

      Delete
  2. I'd laugh except this is really to cry for. I'd really like someone to ask Colin Powell if he sill believes in this fundamental change clusterf**ck.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dip, I also read somewhere, probably in the German press, that the Russians have stopped food imports from Lithuania and that Estonia is under a cyber attack.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As William Safire said: Global power does not come from an open mouth.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Obama let our guard down with his "unclenched fist" policy and America's been getting backhanded ever since.

    - reader #1482

    ReplyDelete
  6. The only silver lining I can see is at least this @ssclown is out of the Senate and in a few years will be out of SecState...gone for good (except for starting the 3rd lowest rated show on MessNBC).
    It would have been difficult, but Obama could have chosen worse (Pelosi, Feinstein, Bill Ayers, etc).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mr. Mad,
    I find it rather sad this habit of laying the truth out on these unfortunate situations. Don't you realize how dangerous the truth can be. I myself bless every day that Obama, Kerry, Reid, Pelosi, and the unnamed legions of our brave news media toil day and night to protect us from it's pernicious and corrosive effects Why if this could spread (and very well could through your benighted efforts), people would again start to vote for the interests of their country and themselves using (dare I say it) their own judgement. I truly hope you come to your senses and lean forward, in, or think progress for the good of a nation of onesies!
    For a nuanced look at the current situation one needn't look any farther than to paraphrase the post modern existentialist philosopher R. Lee Ermey.
    "Vladamir has sprinkled some sh-t in D.C.'s latte!"
    James the Lesser

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanna,
      Think sarcasm.
      James the Lesser

      Delete
    2. I beg your pardon.
      My mind was on a totally different track reading your comment at first time.
      "Vladamir has sprinkled some sh-t in D.C.'s latte!"
      ...you can say that again!


      Delete
  8. Mad Vlad is acting more in character with history's dictators. He is a Russian being a Russian. Meanwhile it is little Barry Obama who has been behaving more "Soviet" in his conduct of his office and actions at home. Just which assault on whom is worse?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)
      ...ok...
      living under Putin at least you know where the next blow is coming from...

      ...living under obama transforming, hopping...charging (sorry: changing), translucent, fairy tales.. laws invented at a stroke of a pen and pushed green blinking button on his phone... every day new reality we can...
      oh, well...you know rest of the spiel.
      Last couple of days I was reading headlines saying something like:
      'Paranoia leads Putin into abbys, Putin at point of no return' (paraphrasing)
      Let me say: I hate communists, socialist and all the "equality" lunatics,
      but
      the only paranoia and points of no return as of today are accomplished by performing marionettes posing as too smart for an average American to understand their brilliance bringing us to war they designed long time ago...

      Delete
  9. this article is a joke isn't it? I'm laughing : D

    ReplyDelete
  10. DiploMad,
    You have forgotten more than I will ever know, and I read most of your posts ever since I discovered your site.
    You have provided a great learning experience and for that I thank you!

    Let me put my 2 cents into the pot.
    I don't see Putin as next 'Sudetenland invasion', make up as he does not have any reason to do so.
    East and south of Ukraine including Crimea were historically Russian.
    Many of us is not taking into consideration vast arrays of treaties; economic, political, and diplomatic cooperation between Ukraine and Russia signed and approved by Ukrainian Parliament.
    I have couple of problems with up-to-day situation:
    1. Yanukovych was elected a president of Ukraine (many people are shouting about corruption, no doubt it was there, but there is no gov in the world without it, Washington dc robbing Americans at high noon
    2. Beyond a shadow of a doubt USA and EU masterminded the "freedom" protests turning into ugly
    3. Yanukovich was not against joining EU, but with treaties signed and bonding Ukraine with Russia it was more involved than packing a suitcase and leaving. We also shall remember that EU at the time was basically giving Ukraine an ultimatum' join and we will see what we can do for you afterwards'
    4. It is also obvious that shot, killed people being protestors or police were shot by the same weapon (draw your own conclusion)
    5. Many persons appointed to top governmental positions in the 'freedom, revolutionery, leaders of the pack' are entrenched in Neo-nazi movement going back to WWII worshipping Stephan Bandera and his nationalistic dreams dwarfing those of Hitlers, sporting redone swastica logo...and "heilhitler" type extended right arm greeting...yes, I am talking about Svoboda Party.
    6. obama and kerrie...when I first read about their threats it was a shock, and than plain laughter.
    I mean: can one spell: Laurel and Hardy?
    with one distinction: these two comedians are bringing us to a war we have no interest in and can not win.
    7. Diplomatic ways in the last 5 years were not existing and now obama and kerrie are weaving their plastic swords pretending to be wariors...
    (my little Grandson have more sense than that)
    8. Ukrainian gold reserves were taken away and moved to States for "safe keeping"

    I probably can bring another few points, but why?
    Once kerrie brought up 'not respecting international laws' by Putin, it is so hypocritical it stopped to be funny.
    ...shall we talk about Honduras?..,Egypt?...Tunisia?...how about Sudan?...or Lybia?...well how about the latest mccshame/dubat lunacy shipping weapons to Ukraine?

    Am I loosing my mind or those people need to be clothed in white, long sleeve jackets!!!????

    I guess the point of my rant is that Putin wanted and still does his country to equal United States of America.
    He does not want to invade anyone, but does want to keep Russia strong and independedt of foreign machination bringing nothing but dispair (we shall ask Hungary, Greece, Estonia).
    One last point I want to make is this:
    If there is a problem and we don't know what it is?...look for money trail...

    Russia can survive without EU, but EU can not survive without Russia, and that is naked reality.

    Anyone can ask Europeans how the last ' mad cow disease' or couple years back 'ebola infected' fruits and vegetables trade went with Russia.
    For the latter I was in Poland it was almost comical how Putin played EU ...
    (costing EU billions of euros).
    ...besides, who can blame Putin for keeping IMF at nm distance...??...

    I really do apologize for the rant...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanna, it was often said that for a decade after the Soviet fall, Ukraine was a disappointment to the West. Now it will be Russia's turn. The Russian flies will inherit the fly paper.

      Delete
    2. Too Joanna, I noted Putin & Co declaimed when Kerry-Berry exclaimed, There's no precedent for this sort of wrong-side of History behavior!

      Bad-Ass Vlad replied, Kosovo!

      Arkie

      Delete
    3. @whitewall
      I don't know whitewall,
      I think Putin always knew his fingers will be struggling to undo the used Ukrainian flypaper and peel any dead...entities.
      He is way too smart not to forsee the obvious.
      But I do think he was blindsided with Kiev eruption while Sochi was still on, at this one point he overstated West's honor and now he is po'd.
      Let me put it this way:
      at this point I really would hate to be obama and kerry ...
      (I was using "kerrie" as a girl name, but I think I insulted girls named Karrie)
      He already made a fool of obama in Syria and his rainbow lines in a sand,
      next time around he will destroy them for the whole world to see.
      Lets not forget the personal information on obama held by Putin
      It shall be interesting couple of months.

      ahhh almost forgot my main point:
      imho, Putin used Ukraine as he is using Belorus as a buffer distancing Russia from money sucking vampires...
      it is not a secret Russia is not dealing in dollars with many of their economic partners, they are holding EU on a short rope under a tall tree for now and any sactions with US will hit US much more harder. We must remember that Russia is friends with many goods manufacturing countries and certainly Russians are much more accustomed to temporary shortages of goods...
      go and tell Americans they need to stand in 2 hour line for a box of cheerios or loaf of bread?...can you imagine that?
      ...and one more thing. every time I think about Ukraine situation Monsanto is springing into my mind?...?...

      Delete
    4. @Anon
      Arkie,
      ok, this hard one for me, but I will say it:
      Putin is few years younger than me, we both were trained by the best on the oposite spectrums with the same velocity, slick and cool heads facing reality presented at given moment; both of us growing up in political/historical whirlpool rim making to shore accessing situation and making adjustments.
      obama and kerry are spitting out rethorics anyone with half of brain wouldn't pay any attention to.
      When situation in Ukraine will calm down without war fires started by WH fools we will owe it to Putin; after all lives of our young people will be placed on a choping bloc by warmongers.
      Since you mention Kosovo...right you are; if memory serves me right, it was hillary pushing for the invasion (wait a second...invading another country without provocation...ohhh well... do as I say not what I do, bloody hands mantra)
      We also need to keep in mind Putin is not going for Muslim/Islam muliticultural equality. He does have about 50 tribes in his own country to deal with and I do hold a lot of respect for him for managing all the primal hords at bay.


      Delete
    5. Mostly agree with this comment, *EXCEPT*, I don't think Mr. Mad is really saying anything much at all about the Ukraine issue itself.
      What he seems to mostly be pointing out, is that Obama has undermined US standing such that even if we should need to do something in foreign affairs, *this* is the treatment we'll be receiving from our enemies (or not-quite-enemies).
      Afaik, Mr. Mad hasn't taken much of a position on the Ukraine issue itself (correct me if I'm wrong), but rather is lamenting the ability of this administration to do anything in the world at all after all the foreign policy failures of the arab spring, Syria, etc...

      Delete
    6. Anon, Yes, that is correct. My concern is for the overall state of US foreign policy. At times, no matter how powerful and smart you are, there is nothing you can do about a particular situation. The point, however, is to be in a position so that those situations do you no harm. We are now in a position where we apparently have responsibility for everything that happens and no plan or resources to do anything about them.

      Delete
    7. @Anon,
      If my comments sounded like I am disputing Mr DiploMad, it was not intentional. Mr Mad stated his position about Ukraine previously.
      I guess I am very frustrated and angry and scared the fools from Washington are bringing us to war

      Delete
    8. "My concern is for the overall state of US foreign policy."

      We have an overall foreign policy, Sir??? My gosh, they allow a brash bimbo to broadcast our destabilization efforts in Ukraine over an unsecured phone?" Then we hobble along, until we end up cut off at the knees by Vlad the master strategist, who has outmaneuvered this bandwagon of buffoons before they even figured out where Crimea was on the map. Kerry might want to command his yacht to the Black Sea and lead the Charge of the Idiot Brigade, and hopefully he will drag along Senator Magoo, with his loyal sidekick, Let's Attack Lindsey, to help. Please allow a few of the new chest-beating Amazons in this WH to gain real battlefield experience too. Could we have a crowd of more inept fools gathered in one administration or is that a statistical improbability? Putin already controls the board and Obama hasn't even figured out what game is being played, let alone where his pieces are on the board. It's just so embarrassing having a leader from behind, not to mention extremely dangerous for our poor troops. Kerry and Hagel running a military action....... I can't imagine the epic disaster that would be.

      Joanna, you're right, we tried to clandestinely instigate regime change in Ukraine, but blabbermouth Nuland blew that one. Kind of hard to listen to this hypocritical sanctimony, knowing we were stirring things up on Russia's border and then act like Putin is being paranoid.... I wrote a week or so ago that he might want to take more of eastern Ukraine as a bargaining chip, which Russians like to do. Then he can negotiate later and remove Russian troops from eastern Ukraine and keep Crimea, which is his primary want. The Soviets used to like to take more than they really wanted, so they could give back some, keep what they really wanted, and play it off like they were being magnanimous. Of course, Kerry might infuriate them so bad, with his pomposity, that they might say, "To hell with you, come and take it back, if you can?"






      Delete
    9. @Joanna [tangentially Diplomad]

      I too "trained at velocity" though my syllabus was CENTCOM & AFRICOM - "mostly" the former.

      I'm going to say something Joanna [Diplomad] I hope doesn't derail you but although it was perhaps only cruel serendipity Ukraine (for the general public audience) caught a break when another story broke.

      (Forgive me but I used to get paid pretty good for thinking along quasi Hollywood lines. I thought it especially good at the time because I didn't have to wear scratchy uniforms or waste any spit on my shoes. Scary at times but I was youngish and [*relatively] dumb. But the main thing was ... I had to learn a bunch of disparate details stuff.)

      One of the things I learned - it's best the diplos do their end of the stuff off the radar - by that I mean, squirreled away in sound-proofed hideaways where the Bill O'Reillys and Wolf Blitzers of the world can't stick a microphone in their faces.

      (Should Diplomad ever get close to it - and I've had a few beers - I "might" type on the time an acquaintance of mine "enjoyed" a chance meeting with Mike Wallace. Probably not though, that taught me something too.)

      "obama and kerry are spitting out rethorics anyone with half of brain wouldn't pay any attention to."

      That's precisely why I used the word declaim. I comprehend I think, Joanna what your original comment of March 16, 2014 at 9:30 AM was intended to convey.

      "We also need to keep in mind Putin is not going for Muslim/Islam muliticultural equality. He does have about 50 tribes in his own country to deal with ..."

      That would be the Caucuses region Joanna?

      Of which Ukraine would be ... near enough for all practical purposes?

      Arkie



      Delete
    10. Arkie, "tangentially" ? You sipping some rarified single malt tonight?

      Delete
    11. Friend Whitewall.

      I was asked to speak at a funeral today. & I had to fly a short distance, in a f'ing helo - I've always hated helos.

      Glenfiddich.

      I didn't imbibe at all until about an hour or so ago - I wanted to I'll admit but you'll be noting even now my spelling is pretty good.

      Anything further - ask me Thursday.

      & yes - in my opinion Glenfiddich is, both rarified and tangentially.

      I "think I know" Whitewall.

      Thank you Sir.

      Arkie

      Delete
    12. Oh I forgot to mention Whitewall ... a helo ride in equal parts drops of 40° F - rain when I walked into the church ... then a coupla hours later when I walked out ... heavy sleet.

      Enough sleet the "locals" sent some guys to "clear the skids."

      Had there been a news crew in the vicinity ...

      Ark

      Delete
    13. Baby, don't apologize. You're really hot when you rant, or so I tell my wife, when she rants. It often defuses her. However, it's not just strategic flattery. She really is! So, a good rant is a rare and good thing, and never a cause for apology.

      Delete
  11. The people of the United States--or any country, I suspect--care about international relations for a while after a major war kills a lot of people. And otherwise not.

    A good leader cares all the time, because foreign policy is cumulative; but the Democrats--not only Obama--care only when the people care--i.e. only insofar as it affects the next election.

    La Clintona (if not stopped) will be no better. Ditto any other Democrat on the horizon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "A good leader cares about foreign policy all the time, because foreign policy is cumulative." Someone should chisel that over the door of the White House.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Mr. Mous.

      Delete
  12. Europe helped to overthrow a democratically elected government in Ukraine , now they can fix it. We need to stay the hell out. I am more than tired of the USA having to pull Europe out of the messes it causes, like Libya.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, let the European Action Service deal with problems on their border. I need a good laugh.

      There is very little the west can do to hurt Russia-a censure at the UN, hmmm unlikely, a disinvitation from the G8, these are things that the pansie boys of the west would sulk about, Putin, not so much.

      I look forward to the EU providing future stress tests for their insolvent banks after Russia removes its assets, should be good reading. US banks are not immune. I also look forward to Russia demanding payment in gold for future gas exports. They have opened one very big can of worms.

      Delete
    2. You're very right Cascadian. Just look at the wild swings in the markets during the last year. These coming from mere rumors of Fed policy change. The Eu monetary system is rotten top to bottom, they couldn't stand too great a shock. The US economy is relatively better off, but wouldn't like a shock either. Russia's economy is bad too, but I think it could take upheaval much better. I'd bet on it, and I think Putin will too.
      The Diplomad has laid it out very clearly and correctly. Obama has made the US military essentially irrelevant. In foreign policy he's become almost completely beholden to Putin to save his political hide, especially after the Syrian "red line" business. Obama wants out of Afghanistan and Putin sits on the only fairly secure land route for withdrawal. Kerry still chases around making statements that are beyond inane (in the vain hope of erasing his sordid past). So what does the Administration have left? The mighty Spin Machine Dreadnought. Haven't you noticed in the "news" reporting Putin's insane, detached from reality, paranoid, and still in the 19th century. Well Putin's old out fit had 70+ years of experience with disinformation etc and he's not impressed. If anything he's out spun Obama.
      James the Lesser

      Delete
  13. What's sad is that we've got two failures *stacked* together.
    First, we've got Kerry and his foreign policy lunacy (or what would have been, had he been at the helm after 9/11), and he's simply doing the bidding of Obama's separate type of wacked out foreign policy.
    Either one of these fails.
    Yet more proof that two wrongs don't make a right.

    - reader #1482

    ReplyDelete
  14. John Bolton said: Sending John Kerry to negotiate with the Russians (I think he means Sergei Lavrov) is like sending a cupcake to negotiate with a steak knife.

    http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/121820-john-bolton-sending-john-kerry-negotiate-russians-like-cupcake-negotiate-steakknife/

    ReplyDelete
  15. About Bolton's comment: Puh-LEEZE! A FRENCH cupcake.

    ReplyDelete
  16. A little off topic - or not - but I 'spect all Putin would have to do to earn the undying support of at least 51%(the ones paying the bills) of the US population would be to set off a small(trailer-sized) EMP device outside the doors of the treasury building. Before April 15th and all that, heh, heh, heh.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The best strategy for dealing with Putin now would be to drill oil wells and teach the Europeans and Ukrainians to do so. That, unfortunately, is against Obama's religion.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sebelius will sign Putin up for Obamacare.
    That'll show him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Putin will get the congressional exception...

      - reader #1482

      Delete
  19. OK you guys, lay off, it's just Obama being "flexible", that's all.

    LibertyGrace'sGrandma

    ReplyDelete
  20. As far as I can tell, the only foreign policy the current misadministration is seriously concerned about is working for a country that doesn't exist and against our only true friends in the Middle East. Dear DiploMad, keep up the good work. I learn a lot from you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. If someone has already posted this, my apologies..quote by FMR AMB John Bolton.
    Sending John Kerry to negotiate with the Russians is like having a cupcake negotiate with a steak knife...Bwwwwaaaah!!!!

    ReplyDelete