Crisis in the Ukraine

Let's review the bidding.
1956: After years of U.S. bleating about the oppressed peoples of Eastern Europe (all true), Russia invades Hungary after a revolt we encouraged through Radio Free Europe. President is Eisenhower, leader of the largest military operation in our history. US response: Nothing.
1968: Russia invades Czechoslovakia: President is Johnson, who is presiding over a major war in Asia at the time. US response: The goose.
2008: Russia annexes, kind of, part of Georgia through an invasion. President is G.W. Bush, who started a war (first President to do so in history) as part of his belief in democracy and such. US response: Again, zero.
Whatever the ideology or foreign policy beliefs of Presidents, when Russia has intervened in Eastern Europe or the Caucasus, they have done nothing. Moreover, the American people have tacitly or explicitly supported doing nothing. Ike won re-election in a landslide while the bodies were still warm in Budapest.
Was Ike naive and inexperienced? LBJ and Bush insufficiently dedicated to the use of force? Or perhaps its not about who's President and more about underlying geopolitical realities?

 

Please point out the posts in this thread where people suggested they wanted Obama to use force.

 

Nah, he's acting more like Brezhnev. Other former Soviet vassal states need to be very worried, starting with the Baltics. They may be part of NATO but would the alliance really do anything if the tanks started rolling across the borders?

 

Adolph and Russia had an "understanding" about the Baltics at one point. Like I said, this is bizarre. Let's hope for a different outcome.

 

You can't. Of course, those criticizing how Obama has reacted haven't offered up any suggestions on what else he could/should do.

That said, if the West wants to really hit Russia hard it would freeze the assets of the oligarchs who have moved most of their wealth out of Russia. Get them pissed at Putin and maybe he backs off. Probably not. But maybe.

 

There are plenty of posts on here about how Obama is weak for wanting to talk, or weak because he's criticizing and nothing more.

Besides words and sanctions, what is the other alternative?

 

" ... never fuck with another man's livelihood."

http://youtu.be/I5cS0_op1IE?t=23s

I would love to hear the conversations between those oligarchs and Putin if it did happen.

 

This is not really an American problem to deal with. It's just another case of America sticking its nose in places where it should not. Let the Russians and Ukrainians sort this one out themselves.

How would Americans feel about the Russians intervening when Texas attacks Mexico?

 

It's a geopolitical crisis, massively complex and multi-layered.
Their guy is playing 3-D chess, our idiot is still learning to play Tic Tac Toe.

 

What, exactly, is critical about protecting Russian-speaking Crimea from Russia? And don't spout 20th Century ideology.

 

Do a little reading of the tea leaves here.
I am not going to build an argument, to which the lemurs will fling their poo and get what's been a decent thread shut down.
If you don't understand the ramifications of this- look at the world markets today.