Mike Carlton on Crimea

[panama hat]

Mike Carlton is an Australian journalist - used to be a top-ranking radio talkshow host and comedian . . . In recent years he has turned into a bitter man, but still writes well, though his anti-anything-right-of-centre rhetoric strains one's liking for him at times.

World leaders, as they like to be called, love a crisis. It relieves the boredom. They dash about, calling summits and UN Security Council emergency sessions. They issue proclamations, threats and dark warnings; they jawbone on hotlines and occasionally dispatch troops or aircraft carrier battle groups.
Hordes of diplomats follow in their slipstream, and behind them comes a circus train of media pundits and think-tank pontiffs. The sound of grinding axes makes the welkin ring. It is very exciting.
Ukraine and Crimea is the latest crisis, rich with dramatic imagery. There are the Ukrainian flags, translucent in the flames on the Maidan in Kiev. Bearded revolutionaries hurl defiance. Tanks roll. ''Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin!'' bellows a flunkey as the master of All Russia strides through a pair of towering doors into his lapdog parliament, the Duma. (Big doors are always a useful measure for despots. The bronze portals to Hitler's Reichskanzlei were almost six metres high).

Putin is clearly a thug in the grand tradition of the madder tsars, or Stalin and Brezhnev, but he has a point about Crimea. Historically, the place has always been Russian. It was only in 1954 that it was handed to Ukraine by Nikita Khrushchev, who presumably thought that it didn't matter very much because the entire show from Warsaw to Vladivostock was run from the Kremlin anyway.

But, oh, the outrage in the West and beyond. The worst land grab in Europe since the Nazi rape of Czechoslovakia! I cannot imagine how John Kerry kept a straight face when he fulminated against powerful states invading another country uninvited. He did vote for the Iraq War, remember.

Sanctions have been brought down, although their chief effect will be to keep a handful of Russian oligarchs and their pneumatic blonde mistresses from the tennis at Wimbledon this year.
After that Crimea will be forgotten. There'll be a new crisis to entertain us all.


Read more: No Martha defence for Arthur Sinodinos

[wasabi]

Very recently the USA was ready to force through an invasion of Syria and drag the UK into a war sanctioned by that Cameron prick.
People have short memories.
What next, awaiting the next propaganda release,
Crimea has chemical weapons.
Save The Moslems of Crimea from the Regime.
Note,the usual war talk,strong rhetoric from Washington is pretty muted at the moment.
Attack the Oligarchs.
Oligarchs can go shopping in many other parts of the world,where surprise surprise the shops are the same as any big international airport.

[Gilbert]

They have already started shooting Ukrainian soldiers - most likely the blackwater thugs that were videos running around a shopping street in Crimea in full Iraq deployment body armour and weaponry - got that bit wrong boys! They will keep doing this until someone until the puppet tool the Americans has forced upon Ukraine (not even ethnic ukrainian!) starts shooting at Ukranian Russian troops, who if they respond, will suddenly trigger full on war with the worlds sham media throwing toys from their prams at Putin.

Some believe this artificially created side show by the Kerry Crusade is a little more devious, and that they are diverting attention from Syria whilst they train and arm the rebels there ready for the US enforced coup that is bound to happen.

[Zooheekock]

Putin is clearly a thug in the grand tradition of the madder tsars, or Stalin and Brezhnev,

Oh dear.

[harrybarracuda]

As long as Putin stops at Crimea, this will go away.

[Iceman123]

^
Thanks mr chamberlain

[harrybarracuda]

^
Thanks mr chamberlain

I didn't say he would.

I do not have in my hand a piece of paper....

[MANICHAEAN]

It is generally acknowledged that Putin is in the Cold War mode, but by Harry he makes a refreshing change from the geriatrics and drunks that preceded him. By definition his KGB background is not going to make him a pushover and that is the crux of where we are today in the Crimea. The ex- USSR has been humiliated. America has gloated as if it were they that brought down the collapse of the Soviet Union. It would have collapsed of it's own accord the way it was structured. Then the three Baltic States left and became EEC orientated. Ukraine starts making the same moves and you wonder why Putin reacts.

Reference to Nazi Germany must be put in context as well. If, once beaten, Germany had not been humiliated and degraded after the First World War, it would have removed the dry tinder of dissatisfaction that Hitler used for his own ends.

As for the respective politicians; Obama has proved ineffective as usual, using Kerry (bless him) as the one riding point and, more importantly, the one to be blamed if it goes pear shaped. Cameron described as a "prick" is somewhat disturbing and reflects a lack of understanding on the qualities required from a British Prime Minister. At least he, with Merkel is up there making a stand. Have you seen anything on the likes of; Francois Holland (too busy with his paramour), or leaders from Italy, Greece, Spain (who are they anyway) ?

[leemo]

What we're witnessing is co-operation between the world's two most powerful Socialists.

Obama will do what he does best, make noises and threaten to get real peeved, but that's all.

[MANICHAEAN]

Well noted leemo on both counts.

[Gilbert]

It's just the blatant hypocrisy of it all that pisses me off. Yet again, if the US had not been meddling in Ukraine we would not have been in this situation in the first place.

Same ole same ole from the United Debt of America

[harrybarracuda]

Jesus how on earth can you be dumb enough to blame America for the rise of far right extremism in Europe? Apart from the NeoCon hawks who cause trouble everywhere they fucking go.

Plus there are plenty of Russians that still remember the collaborators from Sebastopol.

This was a powder keg waiting to go off. Be grateful it's all gone off so peacefully and hope it stays that way.

[Gilbert]

Hmmm $5b USD the US invested in Ukraine to support those Nazis find "democracy".

[panama hat]

This was a powder keg waiting to go off. Be grateful it's all gone off so peacefully and hope it stays that way.

Quite right . . . and it has F-all t do with Obama

Seriously, our neighbour has gone down with dengue - she'll sue Obama next week . . . and let's not even talk about MH370 . . . Obama.

In closing: Obama a socialist? Is this old chestnut still being bandied about? He is so far right of fairly well every European leader, it's laughable to describe him as such.
I guess when the political spectrum has shifted so dramatically to the right over the last decade then it's no surprise the undereducated see him as anything but a centrist at best/furthest to the 'left'

Possibly a result of never having had a serious socialist movement in the US - the two-party system simply wouldn't allow it

[Rainfall]

It is generally acknowledged that Putin is in the Cold War mode, but by Harry he makes a refreshing change from the geriatrics and drunks that preceded him. By definition his KGB background is not going to make him a pushover and that is the crux of where we are today in the Crimea.

Sort of history reversed, isn't it? When the former boss of a dirtier service than the KGB, G.W.Bush was president, Gorbatchev was the pushover. Not that Bush was kind of a marvellous, but Gorbatchev was the pinacle of ineptitude. Now the Russian have Putin, and you that black comedian. The next one is coming your way, Hillary. Didn't she compare Putin with Hitler this week? Blunt rethorik is probably what the seppos luv to hear, but is that's all she's got?

Unsurprisingly, one of few countries that didn't criticise Russia was Jewtopia. They probably observed the rise of Islam and antisemitism in the Ukraine, and rightfully believe that Russia can keep them in check.

[leemo]

Obama quashed the notion that Putin acted 'out of strength'. On KNSD, an NBC affiliate in San Diego, Obama replied that Putin's annexation of Crimea was an action taken "out of weakness."

Let's clarify: Putin conquers countries out of weakness, while Obama is unable to stop him out of strength.

Something I've missed, but I guess it sounds fair enough to his worshippers.

[panama hat]

Let's clarify: Putin conquers countries out of weakness, while Obama is unable to stop him out of strength.

How would you suggest Obama 'stops' him?

[leemo]

I suggest nothing of the sort, and ftr I am not the POTUS.

But instead of commenting on the shamefaced absurdity of Obama describing Putin's conquest as weakness and his own impotence as strength, you instinctively lunge at the typically moronic defense of asking a ridiculous question.

[panama hat]

How would you suggest Obama 'stops' him?

I suggest nothing of the sort

Eh?

I find a healthy dose of knee-jerk criticism without any worthwhile ideas are . . . as useful as tits on a bull


As for:

What we're witnessing is co-operation between the world's two most powerful Socialists.

I'd love to hear your explanation of how Obama is a socialist - real examples, not some right-wing nonsense on placards

Obama will do what he does best, make noises and threaten to get real peeved, but that's all.

Ok, what would you suggest he does. Go on . . .