Amid Russian airstrikes, a Putin craze takes hold in Mideast

[Naam]

The west is weak and incredibly stupid. The foreign policy makers are detached from reality.

1. Don't get involved. Stay out.

2. Insulate the west from the middle east. Do not allow anyone in, including refugees. Tell the refugees to go to Russia. Treat the middle east combatants as infectious disease carriers.

3. Let the Shiites and the Sunnis wage their sectarian conflict. This has been going on for centuries. Let Turkey deal with its barbaric legacy of colonialism. Before there were US, French and American interests, the Middle East was dominated by Turkey. The borders in large part were created during the Ottoman Empire. Let them all kill each other.

4. let's give a lot more stupid as well as arrogant advice as mentioned in #3 and #4

[ABCer]

The word "deserves" is suspect to me.

You, me and anybody else deserve what we've got.

No free freedom. No free lunch. No free living. You must get it, take, fight for it, work for it.

If you believe Americans are altruistically trying to help different people at different parts of the World to become free, prosperous and happy - you are a dreamer. A dangerous dreamer. The same goes for Russians.

Every person, people, Nation must come to what it wants through their own effort. Not imported help.

And don't tell me Assad is a tyrant. If he is - let Syrians get rid of him. Not Russians, British or Americans.

100% agree. But Russia's been involved with Syria for years providing weapons. All 3rd parties should leave. Including Hamas, Iran, etc. But that's not going to happen. Too much money involved.

Remember, Russia's done 1.5 billion in arms sales to Syria. That's big money.

Yes, I'm a dreamer. Like Martin Luther King. Dreams like that are a good thing, right?

Hey, craigt 3365,

I like you and many things you say, but stop playing marked cards. This is utterly unfair! Please, do not force me to defend Russians because I do not like them as a State.

But selling weapons is legal. So do US, France, GB, China, etc. 1.5 Bn in arms sales between countries is not excessive. How much is US selling to Saudis? Please, be fair.

Dreaming is good for humanity - sometimes. A good dream can bring about a good change. Or a bad change. Or no change. Or be dangerous to the dreamer. No punt meant, just saying...

One more thing. It is extremely rare for different people to see the same dreams

[hard124get]

The US just needs to get out of Syria and concentrate on Iraq for now. Let Putin have Syria.

Israel and Saudi Arabia will not allow that.

[craigt3365]

The word "deserves" is suspect to me.

You, me and anybody else deserve what we've got.

No free freedom. No free lunch. No free living. You must get it, take, fight for it, work for it.

If you believe Americans are altruistically trying to help different people at different parts of the World to become free, prosperous and happy - you are a dreamer. A dangerous dreamer. The same goes for Russians.

Every person, people, Nation must come to what it wants through their own effort. Not imported help.

And don't tell me Assad is a tyrant. If he is - let Syrians get rid of him. Not Russians, British or Americans.

100% agree. But Russia's been involved with Syria for years providing weapons. All 3rd parties should leave. Including Hamas, Iran, etc. But that's not going to happen. Too much money involved.

Remember, Russia's done 1.5 billion in arms sales to Syria. That's big money.

Yes, I'm a dreamer. Like Martin Luther King. Dreams like that are a good thing, right?

Hey, craigt 3365,

I like you and many things you say, but stop playing marked cards. This is utterly unfair! Please, do not force me to defend Russians because I do not like them as a State.

But selling weapons is legal. So do US, France, GB, China, etc. 1.5 Bn in arms sales between countries is not excessive. How much is US selling to Saudis? Please, be fair.

Dreaming is good for humanity - sometimes. A good dream can bring about a good change. Or a bad change. Or no change. Or be dangerous to the dreamer. No punt meant, just saying...

One more thing. It is extremely rare for different people to see the same dreams

LOL. I'm not a card player, so wouldn't know how to use marked cards! LOL

Absolutely true about weapon sales. My point was the financial tie between Russia and Syria. Just like the US has with many countries, France/UK/etc all the same. I'm 100% against any arms being sold to dictators like this. Yet, it's BIG business and is done by many countries around the world. Unfortunately!!!

[Thorgal]

The word "deserves" is suspect to me.

You, me and anybody else deserve what we've got.

No free freedom. No free lunch. No free living. You must get it, take, fight for it, work for it.

If you believe Americans are altruistically trying to help different people at different parts of the World to become free, prosperous and happy - you are a dreamer. A dangerous dreamer. The same goes for Russians.

Every person, people, Nation must come to what it wants through their own effort. Not imported help.

And don't tell me Assad is a tyrant. If he is - let Syrians get rid of him. Not Russians, British or Americans.

100% agree. But Russia's been involved with Syria for years providing weapons. All 3rd parties should leave. Including Hamas, Iran, etc. But that's not going to happen. Too much money involved.

Remember, Russia's done 1.5 billion in arms sales to Syria. That's big money.

Yes, I'm a dreamer. Like Martin Luther King. Dreams like that are a good thing, right?

1,5 billion in arms sale is relatively low for a country who's in a defensive war.

ISIL and consorts are waging wars and terror with much higher budgets.

Syrian yearly public budget expenses with their broken economy is estimated at 19 billion/year.

Some countries are not even questioned if a sudden 3 meter hole makes vanishing trillions of military budget to the public opinion...

Serial numbers of some missing F-16 jets has never been traced or found yet.

And some cargos have been 'wrongly' dropped in ISIL territory...

Edited October 13, 2015 by Thorgal

[Ulic]

The one thing about Putin/Russia is he will back up through thick and thin if you are an ally, unlike

the fickle west that backs up in good time and heads for the exits and even jumps on the other

teams band wagon when the going gets a little tough. There is little doubt the US is the mightiest

of the mighty superpowers but I would pick Russia if I wanted someone to stick with me through

thick and thin.

[Nobb]

Putin is nothing more than a 63 year old Napolean. A little man with much power and money while his country suffers by him spending so much of the countries money on military actions instead of helping the poor and starving people of his country. The Russian currency is at a all time low. And the people of Russia are tired of it. So sorry of what is going to happen to you little man!

[Naam]

Putin is nothing more than a 63 year old Napolean. A little man with much power and money while his country suffers by him spending so much of the countries money on military actions instead of helping the poor and starving people of his country. The Russian currency is at a all time low. And the people of Russia are tired of it. So sorry of what is going to happen to you little man!

keep on dreaming!

[pgrahmm]

Putin/Russia need the warm water port/ports in Syria. That is their sole strategic goal. They want it and they want to secure it. I imagine Putin views Assad as an interim means to Russia's goal.

Oddly timing wise Israel has discovered a huge oil reserve on land it holds but is in dispute with Syria over who owns it.......

Might be another piece of the puzzle since Obama has shunned/abandoned Israel.....Creating odd alliance opportunities.....

Don't forget most of Russia's oil is in Muslim regions in Russia ..... Also a good reason/excuse to stop ISIS on "neutral" ground - very possibly pre-emptive to keep upcoming conflicts out of "home" and civil war......

Edited October 13, 2015 by pgrahmm

[Publicus]

Associated Press is a highly regarded news organisation that is a long standing one of a considerable and widespread respect. They may have this one overstated, however, as actual data indicate:

As you can see, Russia is extremely unpopular in most of the world. That's most true in Europe, where its favorability rating is typically somewhere in the teens, but it's also very true in Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. There are some major implications in this map for Russia, its place in the world, and in the long-term.

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/18/6028853/this-map-shows-how-deeply-loathed-russia-is-around-the-world

Edited October 13, 2015 by Publicus

[JHolmesJr]

The one thing about Putin/Russia is he will back up through thick and thin if you are an ally, unlike

the fickle west that backs up in good time and heads for the exits and even jumps on the other

teams band wagon when the going gets a little tough. There is little doubt the US is the mightiest

of the mighty superpowers but I would pick Russia if I wanted someone to stick with me through

thick and thin.

don't know the guy personally but in reckon he'd <deleted> you over faster than the US might…..it's just that he's ex-kgb…by nature they don't like to draw attention to everything they do like the US….cameras, press….he likes to work in the shadows, then come out and wrestle a bear for the cameras…till the next photo opp.

[Publicus]

Putin is nothing more than a 63 year old Napolean. A little man with much power and money while his country suffers by him spending so much of the countries money on military actions instead of helping the poor and starving people of his country. The Russian currency is at a all time low. And the people of Russia are tired of it. So sorry of what is going to happen to you little man!

keep on dreaming!

Russian GDP is currently minus 5 percent.

Slightly improved oil prices and energy prices in general, which constitute the Russian one-industry economy, cannot lead the economy out of its present pits nor can it begin to reverse this plunge in economic growth.

Iran can support Putin in his Syrian military aggression for only so long. Iran just said no to Assad's hand extended to Tehran for $6 billion more after the ayatollahs had agreed to roll over a previous $3.4 billion 'loan.' Iran sent only $1 bn more to Assad, i.e., even the ayatollahs told Assad he was on his own. Hence Putin's entry to Syria with bombs flying around..

The US last nigh airdropped 50 tons of ammunition, supplies, weapons to rebels and SA with Qatar is also putting more money and fighters in to the mix. What, is Putin going to go to the IMF for a traunch of dough? Is Putin going to go to Beijing which still can't pay Russia the $25 billion advance on the energy contracts it promised Putin when he signed those deals?

Putin is in Syria on borrowed time and is running out of borrowed money.

[pgrahmm]

Putin is nothing more than a 63 year old Napolean. A little man with much power and money while his country suffers by him spending so much of the countries money on military actions instead of helping the poor and starving people of his country. The Russian currency is at a all time low. And the people of Russia are tired of it. So sorry of what is going to happen to you little man!

keep on dreaming!

Russian GDP is currently minus 5 percent.

Slightly improved oil prices and energy prices in general, which constitute the Russian one-industry economy, cannot lead the economy out of its present pits nor can it begin to reverse this plunge in economic growth.

Iran can support Putin in his Syrian military aggression for only so long. Iran just said no to Assad's hand extended to Tehran for $6 billion more after the ayatollahs had agreed to roll over a previous $3.4 billion 'loan.' Iran sent only $1 bn more to Assad, i.e., even the ayatollahs told Assad he was on his own. Hence Putin's entry to Syria with bombs flying around..

The US last nigh airdropped 50 tons of ammunition, supplies, weapons to rebels and SA with Qatar is also putting more money and fighters in to the mix. What, is Putin going to go to the IMF for a traunch of dough? Is Putin going to go to Beijing which still can't pay Russia the $25 billion advance on the energy contracts it promised Putin when he signed those deals?

Putin is in Syria on borrowed time and is running out of borrowed money.

That's one reason why the newly discovered oil reserves (estimated st 10x larger than the average find) under land that Israel currently controls but is claimed by Syria might be so tantalizing.....

Israel can handle itself regionally but cannot win against the Bear....Obama has turned his back on Israel while America needs oil while at the same time denying the Keystone pipeline which would quench some of the thirst.....Means the US has to buy oil from it's enemies - subsidizing them with oil purchase petro dollars......

Russia could walk away from this very nicely while reshaping the world to it's favor.....

Better believe they still remember how the collapse splintered/hurt/damaged them....Now they have a chance to turn the tables.....

Meanwhile the US is being orchestrated into internal problems.....Divide and conquer via smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.....

Edited October 13, 2015 by pgrahmm

[Publicus]

Russian GDP is currently minus 5 percent.

Slightly improved oil prices and energy prices in general, which constitute the Russian one-industry economy, cannot lead the economy out of its present pits nor can it begin to reverse this plunge in economic growth.

Iran can support Putin in his Syrian military aggression for only so long. Iran just said no to Assad's hand extended to Tehran for $6 billion more after the ayatollahs had agreed to roll over a previous $3.4 billion 'loan.' Iran sent only $1 bn more to Assad, i.e., even the ayatollahs told Assad he was on his own. Hence Putin's entry to Syria with bombs flying around..

The US last nigh airdropped 50 tons of ammunition, supplies, weapons to rebels and SA with Qatar is also putting more money and fighters in to the mix. What, is Putin going to go to the IMF for a traunch of dough? Is Putin going to go to Beijing which still can't pay Russia the $25 billion advance on the energy contracts it promised Putin when he signed those deals?

Putin is in Syria on borrowed time and is running out of borrowed money.

That's one reason why the newly discovered oil reserves (estimated st 10x larger than the average find) under land that Israel currently controls but is claimed by Syria might be so tantalizing.....

Israel can handle itself regionally but cannot win against the Bear....Obama has turned his back on Israel while America needs oil while at the same time denying the Keystone pipeline which would quench some of the thirst.....Means the US has to buy oil from it's enemies - subsidizing them with oil purchase petro dollars......

Russia could walk away from this very nicely while reshaping the world to it's favor.....

Better believe they still remember how the collapse splintered/hurt/damaged them....Now they have a chance to turn the tables.....

Meanwhile the US is being orchestrated into internal problems.....Divide and conquer via smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.....

The just discovered new oil is in the Golan Heights which has been a part of Israel since Syria got its arse kicked in the 1967 war. The Heights are strategic militarily, politically, and now in respect of energy. Israel is not leaving the Golan Heights nor will it be leasing it to anyone.

Let's deal with that reality today here and now.

The Russian economy is minus 5 percent this year. Next year will be no better or worse. The ruble is cheap wallpaper.

Putin can't afford this reckless adventure and neither can Syria, nor can Iran which is coming off a long period of severe sanctions. The withheld money being returned to Iran as the result of the nuclear agreement is desperately needed in Iran, even though Putin could get some small amount of it to sustain his aggression in Syria.

As I'd said, Putin is living on borrowed time and borrowed money. He's running out of blue smoke; all of his mirrors are cracked or smashed. Putin will be lucky to walk away from this at all nevermind the perpetually old and failed fantasy of the now aligned Putin fanboyz to divide and destroy the USA from within.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Publicus

[Johpa]

Heaven only knows the outcome of the ME debacle...

But this is my assessment of the two adversarial foreign countries vying for supremacy in that area of the world...

Putin projects strength, intellect, determination, decisiveness, and leadership...

Obama appears weak, lacking in foreign policy savvy, wishy washy, unpredictable, not to be trusted, and unwilling to take a leadership role when the world is looking to the US for some form of a ME plan for stability...

Russia has gone into Syria with guns blazing to protect their interests...the US has spent years and billions of dollars trying to create a rag tag force to unseat Assad...and have failed miserably...

Who would you bet on?....

In the long term I would not bet on Putin. At some point the Russian people will sober up and decide to wrest control from the criminal element that Putin presides over and that is screwing over the Russian people. Perhaps, having forgotten how the Russian entanglement in Afghanistan went, the inevitable crash by intervening in the Middle East will be the tipping point. I for one am glad that Obama, perhaps, sees the folly of once again intervening in another part of the world. But as an American, the folly of such actions is much clearer to me from the recent debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention my retained memory of Vietnam) than is the somewhat more distant debacle of Russian intervention in Afghanistan.

As for placing Putin on some pedestals in the Middle East, well there is a long history of the male dominated societies of the Middle East favoring tough guy politicians. This is the region that did align themselves with the Axis powers in WWII.

Of course you are correct that even though not intervening directly in Syria, the US has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars in the region. But that is because the criminal element in the US presided over by the President and Congress has a more palatable veneer than does the criminal element in Russia. Again, as clearly described by that pussy US Marine general Smedley Butler, and confirmed by that equally pussyfooted US Army general Dwight Eisenhower, war is indeed nothing but a racket.

[konying]

Russian GDP is currently minus 5 percent.

Slightly improved oil prices and energy prices in general, which constitute the Russian one-industry economy, cannot lead the economy out of its present pits nor can it begin to reverse this plunge in economic growth.

Iran can support Putin in his Syrian military aggression for only so long. Iran just said no to Assad's hand extended to Tehran for $6 billion more after the ayatollahs had agreed to roll over a previous $3.4 billion 'loan.' Iran sent only $1 bn more to Assad, i.e., even the ayatollahs told Assad he was on his own. Hence Putin's entry to Syria with bombs flying around..

The US last nigh airdropped 50 tons of ammunition, supplies, weapons to rebels and SA with Qatar is also putting more money and fighters in to the mix. What, is Putin going to go to the IMF for a traunch of dough? Is Putin going to go to Beijing which still can't pay Russia the $25 billion advance on the energy contracts it promised Putin when he signed those deals?

Putin is in Syria on borrowed time and is running out of borrowed money.

That's one reason why the newly discovered oil reserves (estimated st 10x larger than the average find) under land that Israel currently controls but is claimed by Syria might be so tantalizing.....

Israel can handle itself regionally but cannot win against the Bear....Obama has turned his back on Israel while America needs oil while at the same time denying the Keystone pipeline which would quench some of the thirst.....Means the US has to buy oil from it's enemies - subsidizing them with oil purchase petro dollars......

Russia could walk away from this very nicely while reshaping the world to it's favor.....

Better believe they still remember how the collapse splintered/hurt/damaged them....Now they have a chance to turn the tables.....

Meanwhile the US is being orchestrated into internal problems.....Divide and conquer via smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.....

The just discovered new oil is in the Golan Heights which has been a part of Israel since Syria got its arse kicked in the 1967 war. The Heights are strategic militarily, politically, and now in respect of energy. Israel is not leaving the Golan Heights nor will it be leasing it to anyone.

Let's deal with that reality today here and now.

The Russian economy is minus 5 percent this year. Next year will be no better or worse. The ruble is cheap wallpaper.

Putin can't afford this reckless adventure and neither can Syria, nor can Iran which is coming off a long period of severe sanctions. The withheld money being returned to Iran as the result of the nuclear agreement is desperately needed in Iran, even though Putin could get some small amount of it to sustain his aggression in Syria.

As I'd said, Putin is living on borrowed time and borrowed money. He's running out of blue smoke; all of his mirrors are cracked or smashed. Putin will be lucky to walk away from this at all nevermind the perpetually old and failed fantasy of the now aligned Putin fanboyz to divide and destroy the USA from within.

So narrow minded that its incredible.

Your obsession with Russian economy is tedious, unlike US economy as i stated before, Russia is not in trillions of dollars in debt.

Yes Russia is at it with future money, however Russia is NOT at it on borrowed money.

Iraq, Iran, Syria and Russia have formed a coalition.

Iran is not shy about its hate for Saudi's and its only the matter of time before ISIS and few others turn their head towards Saudi's, if not willingly than to be paid.

Saudi;s will have no choice but not only raise prices of oil but end up in a war.

Iran, Iraq and Russia will be controlling oil prices, while Saudi's will be busy with internal problems.

Since US and Co are out of the picture, Saudi's are and will be even more isolated in the region, what then?

On the other hand, even if nothing happens through military, the new pack of 3 will have huge influence over oil prices.

I guess you have not heard yet of new world order and it does not include the West.

Unlike Obama, Putin and Iran think 100 steps ahead as confident people do, while those unable just speak.

Despite all the hot air, Putin outplayed US in Ukraine and Iran outplayed US in its nuclear deal(not that i am gloating)

And before you make yet another silly assumption, no i am not Russian, but that does not mean i should support my county choice like a blind puppy

Edited October 13, 2015 by konying

[JHolmesJr]

Iraq, Iran, Syria and Russia have formed a coalition.

Iran is not shy about its hate for Saudi's and its only the matter of time before ISIS and few others turn their head towards Saudi's, if not willingly than to be paid.

Saudi;s will have no choice but not only raise prices of oil but end up in a war.

Iran, Iraq and Russia will be controlling oil prices, while Saudi's will be busy with internal problems.

Since US and Co are out of the picture, Saudi's are and will be even more isolated in the region, what then?

USA is saudi's staunchest ally in the region…hard to imagine them just sitting this out. (unless donald becomes prez)

THis is shaping up to be the mother of all clusterfucks.

[konying]

Iraq, Iran, Syria and Russia have formed a coalition.

Iran is not shy about its hate for Saudi's and its only the matter of time before ISIS and few others turn their head towards Saudi's, if not willingly than to be paid.

Saudi;s will have no choice but not only raise prices of oil but end up in a war.

Iran, Iraq and Russia will be controlling oil prices, while Saudi's will be busy with internal problems.

Since US and Co are out of the picture, Saudi's are and will be even more isolated in the region, what then?

USA is saudi's staunchest ally in the regionhard to imagine them just sitting this out. (unless donald becomes prez)

THis is shaping up to be the mother of all clusterfucks.

US will have no problem dumping its ally or risk an all out war.

[Scott]

Please stay on topic. This thread is about Russia's involvement in the Middle East.

[bendejo]

This is a very fickle part of the world. As easily as people can make the meteoric rise to popularity, they can find their heads on a platter.

[...]

I was thinking that when I read about the posters -- a quick change of sentiment and those posters could be easily modified to show his severed head.

A sea change in perspective, now the Russians are Christians and respected for it, as opposed to the godless atheists that the Soviets were.

[Publicus]

Russian GDP is currently minus 5 percent.

Slightly improved oil prices and energy prices in general, which constitute the Russian one-industry economy, cannot lead the economy out of its present pits nor can it begin to reverse this plunge in economic growth.

Iran can support Putin in his Syrian military aggression for only so long. Iran just said no to Assad's hand extended to Tehran for $6 billion more after the ayatollahs had agreed to roll over a previous $3.4 billion 'loan.' Iran sent only $1 bn more to Assad, i.e., even the ayatollahs told Assad he was on his own. Hence Putin's entry to Syria with bombs flying around..

The US last nigh airdropped 50 tons of ammunition, supplies, weapons to rebels and SA with Qatar is also putting more money and fighters in to the mix. What, is Putin going to go to the IMF for a traunch of dough? Is Putin going to go to Beijing which still can't pay Russia the $25 billion advance on the energy contracts it promised Putin when he signed those deals?

Putin is in Syria on borrowed time and is running out of borrowed money.

That's one reason why the newly discovered oil reserves (estimated st 10x larger than the average find) under land that Israel currently controls but is claimed by Syria might be so tantalizing.....

Israel can handle itself regionally but cannot win against the Bear....Obama has turned his back on Israel while America needs oil while at the same time denying the Keystone pipeline which would quench some of the thirst.....Means the US has to buy oil from it's enemies - subsidizing them with oil purchase petro dollars......

Russia could walk away from this very nicely while reshaping the world to it's favor.....

Better believe they still remember how the collapse splintered/hurt/damaged them....Now they have a chance to turn the tables.....

Meanwhile the US is being orchestrated into internal problems.....Divide and conquer via smoke and mirrors and slight of hand.....

The just discovered new oil is in the Golan Heights which has been a part of Israel since Syria got its arse kicked in the 1967 war. The Heights are strategic militarily, politically, and now in respect of energy. Israel is not leaving the Golan Heights nor will it be leasing it to anyone.

Let's deal with that reality today here and now.

The Russian economy is minus 5 percent this year. Next year will be no better or worse. The ruble is cheap wallpaper.

Putin can't afford this reckless adventure and neither can Syria, nor can Iran which is coming off a long period of severe sanctions. The withheld money being returned to Iran as the result of the nuclear agreement is desperately needed in Iran, even though Putin could get some small amount of it to sustain his aggression in Syria.

As I'd said, Putin is living on borrowed time and borrowed money. He's running out of blue smoke; all of his mirrors are cracked or smashed. Putin will be lucky to walk away from this at all nevermind the perpetually old and failed fantasy of the now aligned Putin fanboyz to divide and destroy the USA from within.

So narrow minded that its incredible.

Your obsession with Russian economy is tedious, unlike US economy as i stated before, Russia is not in trillions of dollars in debt.

Yes Russia is at it with future money, however Russia is NOT at it on borrowed money.

Iraq, Iran, Syria and Russia have formed a coalition.

Iran is not shy about its hate for Saudi's and its only the matter of time before ISIS and few others turn their head towards Saudi's, if not willingly than to be paid.

Saudi;s will have no choice but not only raise prices of oil but end up in a war.

Iran, Iraq and Russia will be controlling oil prices, while Saudi's will be busy with internal problems.

Since US and Co are out of the picture, Saudi's are and will be even more isolated in the region, what then?

On the other hand, even if nothing happens through military, the new pack of 3 will have huge influence over oil prices.

I guess you have not heard yet of new world order and it does not include the West.

Unlike Obama, Putin and Iran think 100 steps ahead as confident people do, while those unable just speak.

Despite all the hot air, Putin outplayed US in Ukraine and Iran outplayed US in its nuclear deal(not that i am gloating)

And before you make yet another silly assumption, no i am not Russian, but that does not mean i should support my county choice like a blind puppy

A good post

Yes indeed, a good post by Karnac the Magnificent to save for future reference so that one could bring it back out after, say, six months. The post is however a laff riot now with its parade of specific predictions.looking for questions. All the predictions cheerfully forecast the demise of the United States, sort of like Khrushchev who in 1960 bellowed out that "we will bury you." This time their hero is Putin. Vladimir Putin who is but another two-bit tyrant pronouncing and scheming the looming and inevitable end of the US.

This comes from the same people who lost in the Cold War and who are shivering politically from the frozen war in Ukraine that Putin can't win. Last week on his 63rd birthday Putin played in an ice hockey game in which he scored 7 times in 5 shots on goal. Predictably Putin got no assists.

Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia form an axis alliance in which Babylon meets the werewolf and the tsars meet Xerxes atop the tomb of Lenin. Not only is this grouping bizarre, it more than deserves itself. It is incongruent and feeble. Four submerging economies of weak technology, no institutions outside of shia Islam, Iraq hopelessly fragmented on unresolvable sectarian lines, Syria with its government of mass murders of their own people, Russia and its minus 5 percent GDP as the big snowball rolling down the long slope,

The New World Order.

All it needs now is a couple of pharaohs and a room full of snakes.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Publicus

[ABCer]

The word "deserves" is suspect to me.

You, me and anybody else deserve what we've got.

No free freedom. No free lunch. No free living. You must get it, take, fight for it, work for it.

If you believe Americans are altruistically trying to help different people at different parts of the World to become free, prosperous and happy - you are a dreamer. A dangerous dreamer. The same goes for Russians.

Every person, people, Nation must come to what it wants through their own effort. Not imported help.

And don't tell me Assad is a tyrant. If he is - let Syrians get rid of him. Not Russians, British or Americans.

100% agree. But Russia's been involved with Syria for years providing weapons. All 3rd parties should leave. Including Hamas, Iran, etc. But that's not going to happen. Too much money involved.

Remember, Russia's done 1.5 billion in arms sales to Syria. That's big money.

Yes, I'm a dreamer. Like Martin Luther King. Dreams like that are a good thing, right?

Hey, craigt 3365,

I like you and many things you say, but stop playing marked cards. This is utterly unfair! Please, do not force me to defend Russians because I do not like them as a State.

But selling weapons is legal. So do US, France, GB, China, etc. 1.5 Bn in arms sales between countries is not excessive. How much is US selling to Saudis? Please, be fair.

Dreaming is good for humanity - sometimes. A good dream can bring about a good change. Or a bad change. Or no change. Or be dangerous to the dreamer. No punt meant, just saying...

One more thing. It is extremely rare for different people to see the same dreams

LOL. I'm not a card player, so wouldn't know how to use marked cards! LOL

Absolutely true about weapon sales. My point was the financial tie between Russia and Syria. Just like the US has with many countries, France/UK/etc all the same. I'm 100% against any arms being sold to dictators like this. Yet, it's BIG business and is done by many countries around the world. Unfortunately!!!

True and well said.

I might let you in on a secret.

IF, and I mean if! - there had been no interference of any outside forces -

there would have been no ISIS, no Al-Qaeda, no HAMAS, no Hezbollah, etc

there would have been no Afghanistan, no Iraq, no Libya, no Syria, etc

Arabs and Jews would have been living in Israel like the present Israeli Arabs do

... but this is not our rotten miserable World I am talking about...

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[Naam]

True and well said.

I might let you in on a secret.

IF, and I mean if! - there had been no interference of any outside forces -

there would have been no ISIS, no Al-Qaeda, no HAMAS, no Hezbollah, etc

there would have been no Afghanistan, no Iraq, no Libya, no Syria, etc

Arabs and Jews would have been living in Israel like the present Israeli Arabs do

... but this is not our rotten miserable World I am talking about...

[Publicus]

Neat, clean, antiseptic, simple minded all wrapped up with a nice bow around it.

The world only if....

In other words, how it for sure would otherwise have been, definitely positively

Golly gee everything woulda been just fine.

Or nuthin' like this. .

Thailand too for that matter. If the world had only not and never barged in.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Publicus

[SheungWan]

Neat, clean, antiseptic, simple minded all wrapped up with a nice bow around it.

The world only if....

In other words, how it for sure would otherwise have been, definitely positively

Golly gee everything woulda been just fine.

Or nuthin' like this. .

Thailand too for that matter. If the world had only not and never barged in.

Its a variation on Monday morning quarterbacking.