Sarah Palin: I told you so!

Newtons Bit said:
A non-inclusive list:

Add tariffs to Russian goods.
Block Russian goods from being sold in US markets.
Block Russia from using US networks.
Block Russians from entering the US.
Seize Russian assets in the US.Give large numbers of advanced US military hardware to countries like Poland.
Support insurgencies places like Chechnya.Use the considerable influence of the US to encourage countries like Japan, Australia and South Korea to impose similar economic sanctions.

And of course, the EU is going to do some combination of the above as well, however they also have the option of blocking Russian oil/gas pipelines.
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I would strongly avoid the two options I've highlighted. The last thing we should ever do is support terrorists, particularly the Chechens. That would likely cause the Russians to dig their heels in. Seizing Russian assets may well be illegal and could invite the Russians to seize our assets in Russia, should we have any.

I think Obama is caught in a no win situation. If he doesn't make warlike noises, he'll be blamed for being weak in the face of Russian aggression. However, there is really little we can do on the military level. So, a response of upping tariffs might seem weak, while getting into a war with Russia over Ukraine might be disastrous.

As to the Russian invasion. So far, it's limited to Crimea, which has a Russian population that isn't happy being part of Ukraine.
 
I agree that military aid to the checans rebels is a bad move, but see nothing wrong with freezing Russian GOvernment assets in the US. ANd Kerry just said this is on the table.
Russia needs to be isolated diplomatically and economically. It needs to be made to pay a high price. Not to do so would just encourage Putin to further adventures.
Appeasement does not work. Never had, never will.
 
TimCallahan said:
I would strongly avoid the two options I've highlighted. The last thing we should ever do is support terrorists, particularly the Chechens. That would likely cause the Russians to dig their heels in. Seizing Russian assets may well be illegal and could invite the Russians to seize our assets in Russia, should we have any.

I think Obama is caught in a no win situation. If he doesn't make warlike noises, he'll be blamed for being weak in the face of Russian aggression. However, there is really little we can do on the military level. So, a response of upping tariffs might seem weak, while getting into a war with Russia over Ukraine might be disastrous.

As to the Russian invasion. So far, it's limited to Crimea, which has a Russian population that isn't happy being part of Ukraine.
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Oh, I wasn't saying that we should do any of those things (though if pressed, I would state which ones I support doing). I'm just saying there's a lot of things between "nothing" and "war" including some very distasteful things.
 
I'll give her credit for being right. But given her previous history, I'd have to file it under "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then."
 
Newtons Bit said:
A non-inclusive list:

And of course, the EU is going to do some combination of the above as well, however they also have the option of blocking Russian oil/gas pipelines.
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There's a word for that: suicide.

Newtons Bit said:
Oh, I wasn't saying that we should do any of those things (though if pressed, I would state which ones I support doing).
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Press. Press. :)
 
thaiboxerken said:
Nothing short of war will satisfy the GOP.
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To some, I'm sure. 'We can't reduce our military, we have to be able to defend Ukraine from Russian aggressors! Even if it means a long, protracted war that no one wants to fight.'
 
Look, if we're going to virtually save Ukraine (the Ukraine) and defeat the evil Russians, shouldn't someone notify the rest of the JREF Virtual Pentagon. I mean, we can't have a make believe war without our best make believe generals. But I have to admit, we're pretty impressive. I think the JREF Virtual Armed Forces JVAF are about 8 and 0, aren't they? Since I've been on board, we've successfully invaded and pacified:

North Korea, Myanmar, Somalia, the Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan... in less than a decade. How hard can it be to beat the ill-equipped Russians, after all? I mean, so many other conquerors have done so in the past.
 
Foolmewunz said:
Look, if we're going to virtually save Ukraine (the Ukraine) and defeat the evil Russians, shouldn't someone notify the rest of the JREF Virtual Pentagon. I mean, we can't have a make believe war without our best make believe generals. But I have to admit, we're pretty impressive. I think the JREF Virtual Armed Forces JVAF are about 8 and 0, aren't they? Since I've been on board, we've successfully invaded and pacified:

North Korea, Myanmar, Somalia, the Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan... in less than a decade. How hard can it be to beat the ill-equipped Russians, after all? I mean, so many other conquerors have done so in the past.
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Can we fire ze missiles?
 
TimCallahan said:
I would strongly avoid the two options I've highlighted. The last thing we should ever do is support terrorists, particularly the Chechens. That would likely cause the Russians to dig their heels in. Seizing Russian assets may well be illegal and could invite the Russians to seize our assets in Russia, should we have any.

I think Obama is caught in a no win situation. If he doesn't make warlike noises, he'll be blamed for being weak in the face of Russian aggression. However, there is really little we can do on the military level. So, a response of upping tariffs might seem weak, while getting into a war with Russia over Ukraine might be disastrous.

As to the Russian invasion. So far, it's limited to Crimea, which has a Russian population that isn't happy being part of Ukraine.
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The highlighted part is the crux - Obama CANNOT avoid being blamed for everything, no matter what he does.

On the other hand, that gives him a unique degree of freedom, in that no matter how controversial his actions, his enemies cannot take advantage of them because there is no way for them to escalate their condemnation of him.
 
Do NOT give any aid to anyone from Chechnya.

FFS wasn't even a year ago two of them blew up the Boston Marathon, killing 3 and a cop a few days later and injuring hundreds. Including personal friends of mine.

Saint Regan provided aid a while back to Russia's enemies and now the NYC skyline is forever altered. NO AID.
 
elbe said:
To some, I'm sure. 'We can't reduce our military, we have to be able to defend Ukraine from Russian aggressors! Even if it means a long, protracted war that no one wants to fight.'
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Maybe they can use the tanks and aircraft that we have that nobody wanted to build....
 
NoahFence said:
Do NOT give any aid to anyone from Chechnya.

FFS wasn't even a year ago two of them blew up the Boston Marathon, killing 3 and a cop a few days later and injuring hundreds. Including personal friends of mine.

Saint Regan provided aid a while back to Russia's enemies and now the NYC skyline is forever altered. NO AID.
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So can we finally end aid to Israel under this no aid policy?
 
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