Philosophy Now Forum

henry quirk wrote:Why should the U.S. gives a rat's ass about Crimea (or the Ukraine)?

Is there some military or resource advantage to be had (for America)?

Or: is American interest in the region (and the power shift happening there) just another example of Amercian *‘idealism/interventionism’ in the name of **‘human rights’?

NOTA.

It's about geopolitics and perceived national strength.

There's also the problem that this was how Hitler justified his annexations. So maybe America is concerned about history for once. Although they didn't do much about Georgia?

Anyhoo…again: Why should the U.S. gives a rat's ass about Crimea (or the Ukraine)?

Depends if they wish the East to look to the West or not. But I do agree, there's fuck all they can morally do about it given their own behaviour around the world and even less practically as they won't be going to war over this. Ironic really as in a way the west did cause this as we gave Ukraine the impression that if they gave-up their nukes they might be able to join Europe and NATO and be safe from the Russians, so much for that hot air.

About the only practical thing left for us to do now would be to sign Ukraine up to the EU and its market, spend money to ensure it becomes economically successful and link it to a clean-up of corruption and rule of law. Make it the envy of Crimea and its neighbours, e.g. like South Korea, Taiwan, etc. Of course this would mean condemning the fascist elements currently making hay in the Ukraine.

"It's about geopolitics and perceived national strength."

In other words: dick wavin'.

##

"Maybe Obama is doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do..."

Why is American interest/intercession in Ukraine/Crimea "the right thing to do"?

Today's headline from Yahoo News story:

Defiant Putin Blasts West as Hypocrites for Ignoring 'Free Will' of Crimeans

I wonder what response Obama and his spin masters will come up with.

There's a hell of a lot of Swedes in Norway

bobevenson wrote:Today's headline from Yahoo News story:

Defiant Putin Blasts West as Hypocrites for Ignoring 'Free Will' of Crimeans

I wonder what response Obama and his spin masters will come up with.

There's a hell of a lot of more sensible people that wont resort to newspaper polemics, that would of gotten to be Russian without some semi bald headed spazmoid with a an ego the size of well: Russia, rushing in like a bull in a china shop and basically talking arse, when the same ass could of sat back and had Crimea without this stupid penis fencing. Putin is not an astute politician, he thinks with his balls not his head. This is no way to run a country. And he is not well loved even in Russia. The support for a bull headed idiot who will just rush in against the peoples will is fading fast, he has mass protests in his own country against his leadership, his policies and his ignorance for democracy ie what people actually want; he needs for some reason to show he is entitled to it, but the way he goes about it is so remedial and 5 year old, you'd think he never grew up.

Blaggard wrote:

bobevenson wrote:Today's headline from Yahoo News story:

Defiant Putin Blasts West as Hypocrites for Ignoring 'Free Will' of Crimeans

I wonder what response Obama and his spin masters will come up with.

Putin is not an astute politician.

WHAT??? He just bamboozled the entire world!

bobevenson wrote:

Blaggard wrote:

bobevenson wrote:Today's headline from Yahoo News story:

Defiant Putin Blasts West as Hypocrites for Ignoring 'Free Will' of Crimeans

I wonder what response Obama and his spin masters will come up with.

Putin is not an astute politician.

WHAT??? He just bamboozled the entire world!

Yes of course he did bob, he just made enemies of the whole Western world, when he could of gotten the same result by waiting, what a genius. Bob you seem to think politics is a very simple game of checkers, it is not. Putin is a very stupid player of the political game, if he knows chess he plays it with boxing gloves on.

Did Putin get what he wanted, and did he get what he wanted without firing a single shot? Has any recent American or European president ever gotten what he wanted, even after killing and maiming thousands upon thousands of his own troops, enemy troops, and innocent civilians, year after year? In comparison, Putin is a master politician.

I tend to agree with bob here. Putin gives a rats arse about the West as they pretty much shafted his country after Gorbachev. I think the West is conveniently ignoring that fascists did the killing of the demonstrators and police in the recent occupations and any hint of fascism in Ukraine is taken pretty seriously by Russians given Ukraines history with the Nazis. That the West also tried to pretend that they'd let Ukraine into NATO and defend them against any Russian aggression has been shown to be the hot-air that it was. We've not come out of all this very well.