Obama, "Russia sucks." McCain, "I agree."
Russia was a topic at the second Presidential debate after an absence at last week’s Veep debate. Both candidates pretty much repeated what they said two weeks ago with little variation. McCain repeated is famous quip, ” I said I looked into [Putin] eyes and saw three letters, a K, a G and a B.” Both wagged their finger at Russia’s bad, aggressive behavior. Both pledged moral support for Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia. Both denied a new Cold War was in the making at the same time both agreed that Russia was a challenge for the next US President. Obama even dared to say that holding Russia back was about “keeping all of [us] safe.”
Then Tom Brokaw threw this one out: “This requires only a yes or a no. Ronald Reagan famously said that the Soviet Union was the evil empire. Do you think that Russia under Vladimir Putin is an evil empire?“
Oh no. Brokaw went old school. Bringing out the big E-word. Of course neither Obama or McCain answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” though latter did give a terse “Maybe” before explaining himself. McCain even suggested that confronting Russia was part of the global resource wars. I appreciate his candor that the US interest is in energy and not some democracy gobbledygook.
Here’s what they said:
OBAMA: I think they’ve engaged in an evil behavior and I think that it is important that we understand they’re not the old Soviet Union but they still have nationalist impulses that I think are very dangerous.
BROKAW: Sen. McCain?
MCCAIN: Maybe.
BROKAW: Maybe.
MCCAIN: Depends on how we respond to Russia and it depends on a lot of things. If I say yes, then that means that we’re reigniting the old Cold War. If I say no, it ignores their behavior.
Obviously energy is going to be a big, big factor. And Georgia and Ukraine are both major gateways of energy into Europe. And that’s one of the reasons why it’s in our interest.
But the Russians, I think we can deal with them but they’ve got to understand that they’re facing a very firm and determined United States of America that will defend our interests and that of other countries in the world.
Evil behavior without being evil in essence. Sounds like Cold War rhetoric without the Cold War. All the fun without the calories! Does this mean we are in some kind of Diet Cold War?
Were you poaching British cod fish again? Shame on you!
It is the Brits who are encroaching on the sacred Icelandic cod!
Icelandic is such a cool language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6hGc7S8d88
(That is MUCH better than the English version of one of my favorite songs.)
”Bunch of elitist snobs.”
This from a guy who has taken the name of a character penned by a French philosopher of the Enlightenment period.
Should Dragon Lady Palin ever descend on SRB to hunt down and shoot the elitists, with that name, you, Candide, would be the first one she’d aim for. I don’t think she bothers to read stuff…so she wouldn’t figure out what a fan you really are from your posts. You’d be like a dead wolf left to rot in the shadow of her departing airplane. Oh whoops, she sold the airplane, but not on Craig’s list.
Il faut cultiver son jardin.
Voltaire was also an enemy of religion and the state — clearly a leftist and Marxist!
PS. the show with the puppets is still on in France.
”That is MUCH better than the English version of one of my favorite songs.)”
Thats a brilliant song alright sounds cool in Icelandic! She was a superstar here in Ireland when I was a student, everyone loved her.
”You’d be like a dead wolf left to rot in the shadow of her departing airplane.”
Just saw on tv that she officially abused her power in Alaska. Naughty girl. I’d forgive that bit of nepotism were it not for how thick she is. Her ridiculous comments about Russia being near Alaska and Putin ‘rearing his head’ were just cringe-inducing, I was embarrassed for her!
sorry, meant to say ‘reverse nepotism’.
Heads up! Dimitri Rogozin interviewed by Lyse Doucet of the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/the_interview.shtml
Download mp3:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/interview/interview_20081010-2332a.mp3
All in all, quite interesting, though I share Roga’s disappointment about some of the questions and how they were framed.
1. I’d die for Sarah in a heartbeat and nothing you say can change that.
2. Voltaire was much closer to modern Libertarians than anything else.
3. Where is ‘ivanov’, fishing for cod?
Thanks Aleks. I’ll make a post of it sometime today.
“I’d die for Sarah in a heartbeat and nothing you say can change that.”
Feel free!
She won’t notice your death anyway. Better stay with us.
As to cod – I’m buying it at a store. But it’s Gordon Brown that used Terrorist Act to threaten Iceland over money lost by British idiots.
Could you imagine that NYPD keeps its budget fund in “internet bank” because “bank” promises to pay 15%? But that what many government agencies in UK did (google IceSave).
And now big old superpower threatening small democratic country!!! Iceland should borrow Kilo U-boats to sink a couple of British aircontainer carriers. And not allow British plane to enter Iceland airspace (need to borrow a wing of SU-27). If they want the war – they’ll get it. You know that vikings and Russians are same? And what could be more dangerous than drunk viking? Right – drunk Russian…
So if you hear in the news that British embassy burnt to the ground in Iceland – don’t be surprised.
Afram Island!!!
PS.
“In Cod we trust” (c) – as I read in Seattle.
1. I’d die for Sarah in a heartbeat and nothing you say can change that.
She won’t notice your death anyway. Better stay with us.
Totally agree with Ivanov here. I never took the time to say, Candide, that I too really appreciated the poetry in your rant about Chris. Your presence ensures that SRB is not Poemless.
If you want to change your SRB Name to something less elitist and that Sarah would like, but still French, might I suggest Jacques Brel. (Well he was actually Belgian.)Because that whole bit about the puddle in front of Putin’s toilet, or whatever, reminded me of the Brel song “Ne me quitter pas.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKMqCqjixyo
The part where he is willing to be “l’ombre de l’ombre de ton chien.” (the shadow in the shadow of your dog). Right there he captures how you feel about Sarah Palin. So I think the name would really fit.
“Reikyavikskaya Oblast”
I was going to call you out on stealing my “Cuba of the North” line, but you’ve redeemed yourself with this. LOL.
I never liked Brel very much for some reason.
Well you probably didn’t like being called a “drop in the splash next to Putin’s WC” either, or something close. But, like Brel, it was poetic/pathetic.
No, I don’t care what people say on the Internet.
Ne me quitte pas is OK, but Brel never really interested me.