Thursday, November 6, 2008

no russian honeymoon for obama

above: nokia and lenin in novosibirsk, siberia, (taken on a nokia).

Obama's honeymoon with Russia lasted exactly no time at all. Within micro seconds of Obama election victory Russia's president was on the news wires announcing he would put short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a region wedged between Poland and Lithuania, to "neutralize" the planned U.S. missile-defense system if it went ahead.

This should not be too surprising as Obamas policy statements about Russia have been full of neo-cold war crap. For example Obama is either ignorant of the true facts about the Georgian war crime against South Ossetia, or more hopefully just taking the politically most expedient line which will now be dumped. now is the testing time. Obama should understand Russia is like Britain - Russia does not want it's empire back.

The schmoo sanity test for Obama: if Obama is really cool he will do a defence cooperation deal with Russia as suggested by ... Russia. This would include the missile defence system but unite russia with the west in defence against the likes of Iran and also save a lot of cash. Obama should also end the US trade embargo on Cuba asp. If he does these two things he will have passed the test.

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