re: Russians on the move...

I don't subscribe to the concept of moral high ground when it comes to geopolitics.

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obama was hamstrung with two wars when he went into office, and a general distaste for war. This really hampered his options for putting boots on the ground anywhere.

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6 yrs. Obama owns the fruits of his foreign policies now. Enough with blaming Bush.

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I don't subscribe to the concept of moral high ground when it comes to geopolitics.

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Yea but its the soap box the eastern world uses. That and their propaganda machine has been in full force during all of this.

Just look at what happened in Odessa. The locals had enough and fought back then took the fight to the "peaceful" protesters who attacked them, then shite got real.

The pro Russian peaceful protest literally attacked two groups of soccer ultras who put their differences aside to support a unified Ukraine.

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Putin is a bully and the only way to stop a bully is to punch him square in the fricking nose.

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Or you can convince him that you will if he does not stop.

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In this case, that means American troops killing Russian troops and vice versa.

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Maybe.

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I don't think anyone here wants to see that

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I certainly don't. But, at what point do we have to be willing to do something? Poland? Germany? Alaska?

I agree with all of your post.

If I were President, I'd have troops and armor sitting in Poland.

Putin is feeling himself right now, but I think he knows NATO is a line he does not cross.

A large American contingent on the other side of a NATO border would help remind him, though.

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I certainly don't. But, at what point do we have to be willing to do something? Poland? Germany? Alaska?

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If it got to Poland and Germany we would already be in it.

Poland would probably welcome some shite with Russia. The thought of the German war machine cranking back up would something Russia might not want to see.

In the comments caught by the mic, Obama urged Medvedev to tell incoming Russian president Vladimir Putin to give him time: "On all these issues, but particularly missile defence, this, this can be solved – but it's important for him to give me space."

Medvedev replied: "Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you."

Obama then elaborated: "This is my last election. ""After my election I have more flexibility."

Medvedev responded: "I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir."

It is the second time in six months that Obama has been caught unawares on microphone. In November, he was caught with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, criticising the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu."

Now STFU.

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Look to be close to an invasion of Ukraine.

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Dude, that was an internet video..

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Or you can convince him that you will if he does not stop.

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How would the US convince Russia that we were about to "punch them in the fricking nose?"

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I certainly don't. But, at what point do we have to be willing to do something? Poland? Germany? Alaska?

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Poland and Germany are NATO and Alaska is kind of a US state. I'm pretty sure that would do it.

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So, no changes in our foreign policy in the last 6 yrs could have influenced things to have kept this from happening in Russia, or in Syria?

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There's no way to say with any certainty that a different administration with different priorities and messaging would not have produced some different results--be they better or worse. But US foreign policy doesn't make 180 degree turns every time an admin changes hands. Could Obama have done more to influence Russian behavior in our interests? I don't know, man. Maybe the missile defense shield or further additions to NATO would have made Putin feel more boxed in and more likely to do something foolish. Maybe it would have given him pause. There's no way to know.