Stand with Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan -- with democracy and civilization against tyranny and barbarism
08 June 2007
The Russian radar proposal
It's too soon to know what to make of this, but maybe, just maybe, it's a good sign. Maybe, just maybe, the Russian regime has figured out that if it can't even intimidate Latvia, its aggresive strategy isn't working and it's time for a new approach. (Background here.)
While Russia's initial response may have seemed unreasonable, I can't blame them for being leery about US motives. It's scary that Bush, who comes across as a bully, is the face of the US in this. It was quite a surprise to see the news about Russia's proposal and willingness to compromise on this, and I hope Bush will have the same willingness to compromise.
Unfortunately, based on what I've seen since writing this posting, it seems that the Russian proposal is for the US and Russia to share the radar station instead of placing anti-missile defenses in eastern Europe. I can't see how that would be acceptable, though it might serve as a basis for negotiation.
As for Bush, he would certainly not be my own first choice to represent the US in this confrontation either, but one needs to keep things in perspective and remember that there are bullies and bullies. If Bush operated the way Putin does, people like Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan would be getting gunned down in apartment-building lobbies, while more serious opponents would be ending up like this guy.
Individualist, pro-technology, pro-democracy, anti-religion. I speak only for myself and not for any ideology, movement, or party. It has been my great good fortune to live my whole life free of "spirituality" of any kind. I believe that evidence and reason are the keys to understanding reality; that technology rather than ideology or politics has been the great liberator of humanity; and that in the long run, human intelligence is the most powerful force in the universe.
2 Comments:
While Russia's initial response may have seemed unreasonable, I can't blame them for being leery about US motives. It's scary that Bush, who comes across as a bully, is the face of the US in this. It was quite a surprise to see the news about Russia's proposal and willingness to compromise on this, and I hope Bush will have the same willingness to compromise.
Unfortunately, based on what I've seen since writing this posting, it seems that the Russian proposal is for the US and Russia to share the radar station instead of placing anti-missile defenses in eastern Europe. I can't see how that would be acceptable, though it might serve as a basis for negotiation.
As for Bush, he would certainly not be my own first choice to represent the US in this confrontation either, but one needs to keep things in perspective and remember that there are bullies and bullies. If Bush operated the way Putin does, people like Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan would be getting gunned down in apartment-building lobbies, while more serious opponents would be ending up like this guy.
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