The Obama Years- A GOP love story

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Giantone

I ,like the two of you don't like it but I will ask you what it is you want him to do ? Do we go to war with Russia ,do we go to war with Cuba , the US has been reducing it's military for years B.R.A.C has been going on for years (Bush and Obama ) , my question is what is it he should do ?

asking what he should do on a football internet forum is going to solve the world problems. Clearly, he should simply say welcome as Russia opens the mission in Cuba. There are no past experienced politicians from either side that have ever managed to keep an aggressive Russian policy in check, and we are obviously doomed to the clever Putin and his happy Bear policy.

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You don't stop it by allowing a Russian takeover of a sovereign nation's port and ignoring standing bilateral agreements. I actually like the targeted sanctions, but they should have been stronger at the point of taking over Crimea. You make a daily UN Security Council proposal condemning Russian occupation of Crimea. You send non-lethal military aid from day one, and position a force in international waters of the Black Sea. Yes it's teetering, much like JFK teetered at the cuban missile crisis, but fact is Russia will not win a war right now, and they know that, but if they get what they want with minimal costs then you only encourage bolder actions.
Some knock Pres Obama's Syrian redline, but fact is it worked to get the chemical weapons cleared out. That same resolve should have been used to back up the agreements on Ukranian sovereignty. When Iraq invaded Kuwait the world rallied around the US and the air war was like 3 weeks. An immediate response at the time of the Crimean takeover would have had similar backing for tough actions, but the US would have had to lead. I am not saying an air war, but again, there were options for quick decisive responses and "red lines" instead, Pres Obama didn't even attend specific meetings, that sends a signal to a realpolitik ex KGB leader like Putin.

BRAC and military reductions are red herrings. The US military still outspends the rest of the world combined, and could put enough air and fire power into any active hotspot so as to stare down a threat from any serious opponent.