Russia Is Not a Lost Cause
Pat Buchanan
July 14, 2006

Asked by the "Today" show's Matt Lauer about the recent caning Vice President Cheney gave him and Russia, President Vladimir Putin gave this cocky and cutting reply:

"I think these kinds of comments from your vice president amount to the same thing as an unfortunate shot while hunting."

In Rostock, Germany, Bush declined to defend Cheney or rebut Putin, though the veep's tough words in Lithuania May 4, accusing Russia of backsliding on democracy and using its oil as a weapon to blackmail neighbors, had to have been approved by the White House.

Putin, a black belt in karate and the man into whose soul Bush famously saw five years ago, as he gazed into the eyes of that ex-KGB officer, takes no guff from these Americans.

That is among the reasons Putin's approval rating in Russia is twice that of Bush in America and four times that of the veep. On the eastern shore of Delaware, where college girls from Eastern Europe come to work in the summer, Putin is a rock star among the Russians.

Why is Putin popular in Russia? Why is America no longer so? As one of the achievements of the Reagan-Bush administration was to convert Russia from the hostile global power headed by Brezhnev into the friendly nation headed by Boris Yeltsin, these issues should concern us. For the relationship between the two greatest nuclear powers on earth has been going steadily downhill.

Americans give these reasons for the estrangement: Putin's reversion to authoritarianism, his support for repressive regimes in Belarus and Uzbekistan, his closeness to Beijing (including joint military exercises), his sale of fighter jets to Hugo Chavez and anti-aircraft missiles to Tehran, his support for Iran's nuclear plant, his recognition of Hamas' election victory, his oil blackmail of Ukraine, his unplugging of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, and his crackdown on U.S. NGOs promoting democracy in Russia. All seemed designed to show Russia's independence of – and, indeed, defiance of – the world leadership of the United States.

And that is not an unfair conclusion. But Americans need to ask themselves whether we have had it coming. For consider how we have dealt with Russia's interests and sensitivities.

Listening to U.S. advisers on how to privatize the wealth of the Soviet state, Russians saw their national assets looted by thieves, hustlers and "oligarchs" welcomed in the West, as their per capita income sank and their social security vanished.

They saw the United States bomb into submission a Serb nation Russia had always seen as her Balkan godchild, for Serbia's crime of trying to hold on to her cradle province, Kosovo.

They watched America go back on her word – given when the Red Army withdrew from Europe – and push NATO into Poland, the Baltic States, the Balkans and, now, Ukraine and Georgia. This is the political equivalent of Great Britain – had the United States come apart in the Civil War – making Virginia, South Carolina and Texas dominions of the British Empire.

They saw U.S. agents, under cover of Bush's "democracy crusade," effect the defeat of pro-Russian governments in Kiev and Tiblisi – though the project failed in Minsk – and the election of regimes pledged to reorient their policies toward the EU, NATO and the United States.

They saw Americans colluding with former provinces of the Soviet Union to develop pipelines that would bypass not only Iranian territory, but also Russian territory.

They saw the U.S. bases in Central Asia they had approved for the Afghan war taking on a permanent character.

They listened as U.S. neoconservatives cheered for Chechen rebels and officials from Cheney to McCain bashed Putin and Russia, with some calling for her expulsion from the G-8.

Putin concluded, not incorrectly, that these Americans do not want partners, they want poodles. But Putin is not Blair. A patriot and nationalist, he has set about restoring Moscow's independence and self-respect, and started looking out for Russia first. He was determined to stand up for Russia, even if it meant standing up to the United States, which is why so many Russians respect him.

He imposed a flat tax, stripped the oligarchs of their assets and jailed them or ran them out of the country, liquidated the Chechen murderers of Beslan, started using his oil wealth the way great powers always do, and began to reorient his foreign policy without consulting Washington, as Washington never consulted him.

Though the West is losing Russia, Russia is not lost. But the minimal price of regaining Russian goodwill is to start treating her like a great nation. That means getting out of her face, getting our alliance off her front porch, and getting our bases and our Cold War agitprop agencies and pests out of her back yard.

Russia today threatens no vital interest of the United States. Is it too much to ask that we treat Russia and her "space" the way we want Russia and Russians to treat ours?

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I saw Bush and Putin on stage together last night on the tube. Bush was saying, "It's time for Hez-bowl-a to put down their weapons and negotiate peace," or some such nonsense and sounding like a hayseed to boot. Like anyone is going to pay a second's worth of heed to such remarks. It would help his image in the world if he could pronounce things in such a way that might indicate that he had acutally participated in some discussions -- in person or just observing on the tube even -- concerning the situation.

Meanwhile, Putin, a black belt in one of the martial arts, comes across as a way stronger and sharper character. We're in trouble when the head of Russia looks like he could kick our president's heine in any one of about 7 mental or physical contests.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I'm not trying to be difficult, but really, what emphasis do you place on a leader's physical prowess? What recent presidents would you argue are/were in better physical shape than GW? Those lines just struck me as odd and, frankly, irrelevant.

BTW, interesting article.

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

It doesn't have a lot of practical value but it can have enormous psychological effect. Look at the time Bush spends on working out. He's our exercise-buff-in-chief. Meanwhile, the heavy lifting in running the country is done by Cheney, Rummy, and their minions. The robust presence Bush is often able to project is a lot of what gets him elected.

I've met some martial arts champions who have amazing chi, or life force. Many scoff at the notion but I've experienced it. A true martial arts master never goes looking for a fight, unlike many two bit, slightly learned practitioners, instead they can usually forestall a fight with the strength of their presence. The Obi-Wan Kinobi scene where he bends the troopers to his will is not entirely sci-fi.

Putin projects a clearer sort of thinking than Bush, IMO, in the category of who would you want to have your back in a fight. The average person picks up on this. Main reason why Mondale didn't have a prayer of a chance against Reagan.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

But he graduated from Yale.................right?

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Aw hell, anybody can do that. I mean, even Kerry got through that school. I don't think anybdoy should be president unless they graduate cum laude in mechanical engineering from MIT or Cal Tech. That's what we need to run gov, not some airhead from a sleazy-ass, second-rate school like Yale.

Where did Lincoln go to school?

B

Wuz being fuh-see-shush as I suspect you know.

GW couldn't pass a 5th grade spelling test. Dad(former alma mater I believe) wrote a handsome check to the school.

Ya reckon?

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

I'm so confused.

I think I'm going to go look for that Sapphire, vermouth and some olives. That should help.

B

That routine must have been hard on poor George. I mean just how long did he have to look for a mesquite tree in New Haven?

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Lincoln, as well as myself, went to the school of hard knocks, it's quite the place.

__________________
_____________________________________________

2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

_____________________________________________

May or may not mean $h!t. A high school buddy of mine graduated from Harvard with a high GPA. Don't know why, but the guy is a strange and flaky character. We parted ways years ago.

Also, Bush got in as a legacy baby. Who's to say such characters don't get the kid glove treatment?

**EDIT** Oh wait, I get it. That was sort of your point to begin with.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Let's just say GDub's "presence" or attention in the current moment is somewhat lacking. Not unlike a belligerent drunk at a bar.

__________________
'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

I watch the McLaughlin Group weekly, and Pat Bucannan frequently amazes me with his insight and lucidity of current affairs and foreign policy. But then get him going on immigration or any other social/economic issue, and he goes completely out to lunch.

__________________
'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

Yup, experience is the key. Without it, you have absolutely no idea.

__________________
'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

I worked with a guy who was a Tae-Kwan-Do champ at the hot springs resort I used to live/work at. He was half British, half Malaysian and had studied extensively in Korea and Japan. He was about middle weight class. I don't doubt his creds. because I saw the guy at our weekly dances. Very hot dancer and he would get some room to himself now and then and show off these round-house head kicks that I would hate to have to fend off.

He was quite mellow, never pushed his skills or prowess in any way. There were times, I swear, I could see a sort of light around him. The ladies must have seen it too. He reminded me of a description of Marlon Brando given by an ex-wife of his, the one from Tahiti or thereabouts:

"Women are attracted to him like flies to $h!t." I think there might have been a bit of ill will involved in that one.

I've experienced heightened chi myself a few times from yoga and clean living, but unfortunately, I'm a bit of a lazy backslider.

Time to turn over a new leaf.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K