gfmucci wrote:As long as there is no credible force to counter lies, there is no reason not to lie as long as the lie promotes your own interests. That is the situation the inept and indifferent US foreign policy has created.
The Russian economy is imploding, but what REALLY needs to happen is to expel and ban the elite (and not so elite) Russians from the West (including their bratty children). Drop kick their children out of Harrow, Oxford, and Princeton. (They probably bought their way in anyway.) Seize the football clubs in the Europe and stop the shopping sprees at Chanel and Hermes -the beleaguered salesgirls will be grateful. Piss off the oligarch wives and girlfriends (in no particular order). Force the oligarch's to stew in Russia.
They will hate it. Rich Russians hate living in Russia. The way to bring down Putin is go after Putin's cronies. The average Russian is a miserable drunken slave who doesn't know any other way to live. No matter how bad the economy gets, I really doubt the poor will rebel. The middle class might, perhaps. But the oligarch's are the only people who matter in Russia.
Germany is the key. Get them on board and Russia is done.
Also, Russia imports a lot of its food. Only poor Russians buy Russian products. Middle class and rich Russians only buy imports-especially food and medicine. (Russian pharmacies sell counterfeit drugs like Star Bucks dispenses coffee.) Life would be come unbearable for the Russians that actually matter. Putin would fall. Eventually.
Until the West goes after Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich and the like,
nothing will really happen.[quote="gfmucci"]As long as there is no credible force to counter lies, there is no reason not to lie as long as the lie promotes your own interests. That is the situation the inept and indifferent US foreign policy has created.[/quote]
The Russian economy is imploding, but what REALLY needs to happen is to expel and ban the elite (and not so elite) Russians from the West (including their bratty children). Drop kick their children out of Harrow, Oxford, and Princeton. (They probably bought their way in anyway.) Seize the football clubs in the Europe and stop the shopping sprees at Chanel and Hermes -the beleaguered salesgirls will be grateful. Piss off the oligarch wives and girlfriends (in no particular order). Force the oligarch's to stew in Russia. [i]They will hate it.[/i] Rich Russians hate living in Russia. The way to bring down Putin is go after Putin's cronies. The average Russian is a miserable drunken slave who doesn't know any other way to live. No matter how bad the economy gets, I really doubt the poor will rebel. The middle class might, perhaps. But the oligarch's are the only people who matter in Russia.
Germany is the key. Get them on board and Russia is done.
Also, Russia imports a lot of its food. Only poor Russians buy Russian products. Middle class and rich Russians only buy imports-especially food and medicine. (Russian pharmacies sell counterfeit drugs like Star Bucks dispenses coffee.) Life would be come unbearable for the Russians that actually matter. Putin would fall. Eventually.
Until the West goes after Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich and the like,[b] nothing will really happen.[/b]