Putin jockeying for deal with US on Syria

[Chicog]

This is the dumbest read from the AP that I have ever seen... Putin is an ally of Assad and Syria, while the US created ISIS as a clandestine organization to take out Assad... Putin's move to put troops on the ground in Syria is a huge f##k you to Obama and America for doing the dirty work of Saudi Arabia and Qatar... As usual, more disinformation for the masses from the largest propaganda machine on the planet, the AP...

That is possibly the dumbest interpretation of events I have ever read since the Arab Spring started.

Thanks for the laugh!

[capcc76]

BTW, I am that 430 guy. I just cannot remember how to sign in since it kicked me off.

Alas, I have gotten way too worked up this stuff. The funny thing is I am so laid back in day to day life and the I read stuff on here that gets my necks hairs all riled up.

I think the vast majority of US people are good people with big hearts. We may not see eye to eye and I think a lot of unnecessary decisiveness has entered through politics recently.

[Chicog]

Publicus, buddy, pleas . . . you have not a clue about Russia or China. The Googe button does not make one educated. You try to save face for the US, but you are everything we are not and pretty clueless on too of that.

I see our resident legal eagle is also an expert in foreign affairs.

How many more feathers do you have in that imaginary cap of yours?

Holy smokes. Are you just a miserable stalker or what?

You know what, I would love to by you many beers and a nice dinner in October. Man, I get all worked up over BS and a lot of what I see does hurt my hurt deeply.

That said, I think all of you guys with strong opinions are pretty cool because at least you care about something.

I'm not sure if you are more interesting before or after your recreational drugs of choice.

I would like to hear if you think Putin actually gives a toss about what's happening in Syria and the knock-on effects in Europe, or if you simply think he's protecting the billions of dollars he gets from Assad?

Either way, I don't think throwing Russian military advisers and weapons into the mix is going to help. If he fights the rebels, he strengthens IS, if he fights IS, he strengthens the rebels, and I don't see either of those turning out well for him.

[capcc76]

^^^ I need some recreational drugs. Unfortunately my firm does random drug testing.

Putin is very calculated and knows what he is doing. Does he care what is happening now? Nope. Why should he. He already has all the wealth anyone would ever need and the the Oligarchs are totally dependent on him being the friend.

The common Russian is totally f'ed right now.!!my wife world with the oligarchs close to Putin. They are all terrified.

[capcc76]

^^^. Sorry. Typing on iPhone and make so many mistakes.

My wife works with very powerful people in Russia under Putin. They are all terrified and dependent. Can you imagine being dependent on your daddy for allowance each week knowing your daddy could and would kill you at any time.

[bartender100]

Russia has no barging tool at all except the atom bomb, would Putin be stupid enough? yes i think he would. IMHO war with Russia is very close. The price of oil has pushed them to this

[capcc76]

Russia has no barging tool at all except the atom bomb, would Putin be stupid enough? yes i think he would. IMHO war with Russia is very close. The price of oil has pushed them to this

Except that he is very rich either way. Why risk it.

[Chicog]

Russia has no barging tool at all except the atom bomb, would Putin be stupid enough? yes i think he would. IMHO war with Russia is very close. The price of oil has pushed them to this

Except that he is very rich either way. Why risk it.

Nonsense, the poor fella only earns GBP120K a year.

You're not implying he's corrupt, are you?

[craigt3365]

Putin is globally isolated except for the governments, peoples and countries like himself and like his own. The economy there is sinking and so it Putin. The sanctions will continue through all of 2017 at the least, which the US and EU figured from their outset would run Putin out of time, money and town. The freight train looking to lay a kiss on Putin's face is running on schedule.

You need to stop watching Fox News; Russia's main import from the west was food. It's main trading partner is China anyway, and yes it'll take a year to get production fully online, but it has more than enough land to take care of its own. Europe on the other hand, is sailing very close to the wind - would hate to wake up in Berlin in January with no gas...

The illusions that people gobble up from our air-bag propaganda-artists is jaw-dropping.

Trade with China isn't going so well.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-01/putin-s-china-turn-hits-potholes-as-trade-drops-markets-slide

And the Russian economy is tanking big time:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4b9944c-3f77-11e5-b98b-87c7270955cf.html#axzz3lILzv7j9

Russia’s economy contracted by 4.6 per cent in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2014, the largest drop in six years, marking the country’s first recession since the financial crisis in 2009.

China is in a huge mess also with perhaps the worst yet to come.

[craigt3365]

Anyone who thinks Putin is a Mr Fix-it had better not get a leaky roof or termites cause a barrel bomb is his first solution. Polonium is his second. Investigative journalists in Russia have the shortest life expectancy of 'em all over there. And dontcha know Putin loves Muslims so much he's letting Grozny rebuild itself from the ground up.

Putin is globally isolated except for the governments, peoples and countries like himself and like his own. The economy there is sinking and so it Putin. The sanctions will continue through all of 2017 at the least, which the US and EU figured from their outset would run Putin out of time, money and town. The freight train looking to lay a kiss on Putin's face is running on schedule.

So what would you prefer.

The US causes the mess because Hussein and Ghaddafi had control, as harsh as that was. But it kept the extemists in line. Very little international issues.

The US gets into things and the whole world turns to cr*p.

My vote for Putin to move in and bring some stability back and nto the region.

These guys are really happy Russia invaded:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/world/europe/in-crimea-a-disputed-beach-is-a-symbol-of-corruption.html?emc=edit_ae_20150813&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=58582962

Seventeen months after Mr. Putin deployed Special Forces troops to seize Crimea from Ukraine, prompting the deepest confrontation with the West since the Cold War, life on this Black Sea peninsula remains in disarray.

Freedoms of speech and assembly have largely evaporated, as has a free and independent news media, but that is not what upsets people here. It is the familiar demons, government corruption, venality and incompetence, that have infuriated many.

A half-dozen cabinet members and other senior officials have been either arrested on corruption charges or fired for incompetence in recent months, and a Kremlin audit released in June found a huge chunk of highway funds missing. Two nights before his beach appearance, Mr. Aksyonov spent more than three hours answering a battery of questions live on television, a rare event, trying to explain it all.

[konying]

I was giving you a chance to garner some credibility, but you got none. US had their bad times in 2008/09. Russian has had their bad times and, unfortunately, they are in the thick of one of the worst times ever.

Do you even know anyone in Russia? We have family that spans all ages, some retired, some college educate, some truck driver types and etc. They are hurting reall bad. All of them.

How is here in the states? Well, I purchased a new car last week, had a bottle 2005 Dom that I took to a restaurant last week, m wife is doing mid 6 figures selling stuff of all things, I give all of my work to younger associates because I get 1/2 of what they bill without doing anything and my biggest decision tonight is Wyuga beef or back to our seafood place that flies it in fresh every day.

Meanwhile, my mother in law and her entire family cannot even purchase groceries this week and stuff like barley has not been on the shelves for weeks. I would not even eat barley yet they are desperate to get it.

I have to say life is much better here.

You were giving me a chance? That's nice of you.

Now remind me again what US debt is? Then remind me of Russian debt.

Just because your mother in law comes from isaan alike village , does not make the entire country poor

Edited September 10, 2015 by konying

[timbothaivisa]

Trade with China isn't going so well.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-01/putin-s-china-turn-hits-potholes-as-trade-drops-markets-slide

And the Russian economy is tanking big time:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4b9944c-3f77-11e5-b98b-87c7270955cf.html#axzz3lILzv7j9

Russia’s economy contracted by 4.6 per cent in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2014, the largest drop in six years, marking the country’s first recession since the financial crisis in 2009.

China is in a huge mess also with perhaps the worst yet to come.

Hey, thanks for the western-interest hype & propaganda; wonder if there's any Russian propaganda to match it?

Have the sanctions hurt Russia in the short-term? Of course!

Does Russia have everything it needs to keep going (and more) over time? WIthout a doubt

Is the entire global economy up the spout without a paddle? You bet!

Nevertheless, don't assume I think the sun shines out of Putin's posterior. What I reject is the assumption that the West is a benevolent force for good, and getting back to the topic, the USEU (let's call it the "use-you") have from Benghazi to Baghdad, utterly cocked up the entire Middle East and brought suffering of biblical proportions on 10's of millions.

People whine on about the Crimea when Syria, an entire country, is being evacuated. If any major power steps up on this crisis, I will give praise where it's due

Edited September 10, 2015 by timbothaivisa

[craigt3365]

I think you misunderstood my post. I never said the West is a benevolent force for good. Quite the opposite at times. And yes, Syria is a mess due to a variety of factors. Influences from outside are a big one. But, Assad is the president. If he stepped down, this silliness would stop. Quite simple actually.

[timbothaivisa]

Assad is the president. If he stepped down, this silliness would stop. Quite simple actually.

Oh sure!!! Assad steps down, ISIS packs up and goes home - why didn't anyone think of that??

[Scott]

Numerous posts and replies have been removed. Stay on topic please and stop with the personal remarks directed at other members.

[Credo]

I think you misunderstood my post. I never said the West is a benevolent force for good. Quite the opposite at times. And yes, Syria is a mess due to a variety of factors. Influences from outside are a big one. But, Assad is the president. If he stepped down, this silliness would stop. Quite simple actually.

Assad stepping down at this point would leave a massive power vacuum and the situation in Syria would be infinitely worse than it is now, if that is possible. Just who would become the leader of Syria? I think the idea of 'free and fair' elections is a very distant dream.

I have no idea if Russia's involvement will be of benefit. I doubt it, since things usually keep getting worse in the ME, but he is welcome to give it a try.

We will see how people react when it is Russian soldiers being burned alive and beheaded. I am sure those videos will be blocked in Russia, but the rest of us will get a look.

[craigt3365]

Assad is the president. If he stepped down, this silliness would stop. Quite simple actually.

Oh sure!!! Assad steps down, ISIS packs up and goes home - why didn't anyone think of that??

If Syria had a fully functioning government, ISIS would be gone. But yes, it's a tough one now. If he had stepped down initially, we wouldn't be where we are today. Whether that new place would be good or not is anybody's guess. Strong governments are a key to fighting these guys.

[LomSak27]

^{Hey, thanks for the western-interest hype & propaganda; wonder if there's any Russian propaganda to match it}

^{No Russian propaganda? Putin has his own troll brigade, but as they are mainly internal, – check out a recent Guardian news article .. What spawned Russia's 'troll army'? - The Guardian}

^Or

^{Check out Land Destroyer – the famed Tony Carlucci, or whoever writes under that name are “guns for hire”. The local Thai Democrats, Yellow Junta hooters in Thailand bought that support a couple years back as part of their Ying take down operations, media division, as has Putin and heck, The Burmese Generals paid for some copy too. So they go there you go a whole crowd of journos shouting out Love Actually for iron pumping roid head Putin.}

^{In you rehash of the cocking up the middle east you seem to have forgotten the “Arab Spring” if any one person or entity brought that along it was Julian Assange and Wikileaks – You have a real uphill battle trying to pin that on the USEU but hey give it go, who knows what gibberish rubbish conspiracy theory you will come up with.}

^{No one is going to argue with you about USEU <deleted> up however you can overuse then it seems more a sop when the world gets moving a little too fast and the Leo bottle is a little too near ...}

[Chicog]

I think you misunderstood my post. I never said the West is a benevolent force for good. Quite the opposite at times. And yes, Syria is a mess due to a variety of factors. Influences from outside are a big one. But, Assad is the president. If he stepped down, this silliness would stop. Quite simple actually.

Assad stepping down at this point would leave a massive power vacuum and the situation in Syria would be infinitely worse than it is now, if that is possible. Just who would become the leader of Syria? I think the idea of 'free and fair' elections is a very distant dream.

I have no idea if Russia's involvement will be of benefit. I doubt it, since things usually keep getting worse in the ME, but he is welcome to give it a try.

We will see how people react when it is Russian soldiers being burned alive and beheaded. I am sure those videos will be blocked in Russia, but the rest of us will get a look.

Spot on. Saved me saying it.

[konying]

6700 airstrikes, over 4 billion dollars wasted in the past year and yet ISIS is getting bigger and stronger and no end to Syrian conflict.

May be its time for the mighty EMPIRE to listen to others?

May be even time to step back from the captains stool and assist others willing to act?

[Exsexyman]

^^^. Sorry. Typing on iPhone and make so many mistakes.

My wife works with very powerful people in Russia under Putin. They are all terrified and dependent. Can you imagine being dependent on your daddy for allowance each week knowing your daddy could and would kill you at any time.

Your posts are very entertaining as always. As something of a connoisseur of the fine art of bulls****ing, may i just say that it is a privilege to see a master craftsman at work! .

[craigt3365]

Interesting analysis:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/just-got-clearest-sign-yet-181700769.html

We just got the clearest sign yet that Russia doesn't really care about fighting ISIS in Syria

........

But as The Daily Beast's Michael Weiss points out, any antiaircraft missiles deployed by Russian troops in Syria won't be directed at ISIS, since ISIS has no air force.

In fact, none of the rebels do — only government forces have access to aircraft.

Now that US and Russian fighter jets are flying side-by-side — the US has been launching airstrikes against ISIS since mid-2014, and Russian drones and fighter planes are reportedly surveilling non-ISIS rebels in the country's north — Moscow sees it as an opportunity to force Washington to come to the table.

Love this comment! LOL

"Well, but now I have fighter jets flying in the same sky. What if they crash into yours? We should talk, no?" Weiss, playing the role of Putin, said on Twitter.