Sep 15 2008
And Speaking of Doctrines….Is it the Putin Doctrine or the Medvedev Doctrine?
So here is a good current example of the way “doctrines” happen: Russia fighting Georgia over the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the subsequent negative reactions from the U.S. and the E.U. will no doubt influence the way Russia interacts with the West in the future. The leader of Russia will make a speech announcing his post-Caucasus crisis foreign policy and that will be dubbed a doctrine—but whose doctrine? That of the current president Dmitry Medvedev or the former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin? Typically, the president of a country handles foreign policy matters while the prime minister handles domestic relations…in countries where you have both and the president is not a just figure-head.
This BBC article may shed some light on the issue. Technically, the person who started the war, who is commander-in-chief in Medvedev. So, why are all the U.S. politicians speaking about convincing Puting of this or that? Wouldn’t a better course of action be to reach out to the new leader and start a fresh new U.S.-Russian relationship one new world leader to another?
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Tsk Tsk Tsk
Being a history teacher you should know that this isn’t new news. Haven’t the Russians always feigned sincerety, but acted in brutality? You ask why a KGB former operative wants to conquer lost lands? This man is the mastermind behind everything. Medvedev is a pawn in Putin’s plan to reconquer his heroes mighty empire for Putin realizes that the first 5 year plans failed because their economic system was a failure. Putin has already rekindled the Russian 24 hour bomber flights around the world for Russain Bears (bombers) have already been escorted out of many NATO countries including Alaska. Also, these bombers have had the gaul to fly over a thousand feet over US Carriers in the Pacific. My dear friends, this is not a start of a New Russian menace it is simply the Red Menace awakening from a deep freeze within Siberia. This New Menace will do everything to take back control such as limiting speach (aka they outlawed South Park for promoting Violence) and Putin is already trying to outlaw the possession of guns. Beware for when the Germans were defeated in WW1 they came back with a vengence, and so too will the Russians. Their next target is the Ukraine and with that a war is approaching for the UN and NATO will not stand for such tyranny.
And I end this segment with a quote from my dear old friend Kennedy
“There are many people in the world who really don’t understand, or say they don’t, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass’ sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.
Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the city of West Berlin. While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.”
Please, I welcome complexity. Do not feel intimidated to respond and criticize, students. Buell have fun with this one.
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