Does Putin think America is weak?

Travis

Misanthrope of the Mountains
Travis
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
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A lot has been made in recent days about how this terrible stuff Putin is doing wouldn't have happened if Putin just feared the USA they way he should.

Some of the reasoning behind this is.....odd.

If Putin doesn’t take us seriously, is it any wonder? The headline in the March 2 Stars and Stripes beams: “Gay, lesbian troops perform in drag at Kadena Air Base” in Okinawa. The publication disclosed that the drag show was “in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered troops.” Doubtless, this will do much for the morale of the non-LGBT troops. But as then-Army Chief of Staff George W. Casey, Jr. said at the time of the Ft. Hood massacre (which the administration still refuses to call a terrorist incident), diversity is the New Action Army’s most important product. Perhaps we could deploy an elite unit, armed with vibrators, to the Crimea to counter Spetsnaz commandos.
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Do developments like this have anything to do with making our military leaders look less impressive in the eyes of the world? For instance, does Mr. Putin sit there and go, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to do anything Obama says because number one, he can’t keep his word, and number two, your military is now having drag shows on its bases.’
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So....Putin doesn't fear America because Putin thinks gay people are all sissies who, strangely, only bring sex toys into a battle because I guess gay people don't mind being slaughtered by an enemy with actual guns. If Putin really is that stupid wouldn't it be a great way to goad him into a trap?

And can anyone actually point to something Obama did that would have in any way made Putin think America is somehow a weakling that can be pushed around?
 
I'd say that if Putin thinks America is weak, certainly that view comes from the many conservatives bemoaning how America is weak, rather than any actual facts on the matter.
 
I really wish conservatives would make up their minds. Is Obama weak and ineffectual or is he a ruthless socialist dictator?
 
Putin's managed to rehabilitate America's standing after we took a hit with that Iraq war. Right now if there were an actual war we'd be the popular, progressive side. All it took was for an actually real expansionist evil empire to act up for our good friends in Europe to suddenly realize that hey, America really ain't so bad after all.

It's like complaining to your friends about your current love interest's annoying habits, only to see your ex on "COPS" being pulled screaming from a double-wide. Perspective restored.
 
Cleon said:
I really wish conservatives would make up their minds. Is Obama weak and ineffectual or is he a ruthless socialist dictator?
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Those aren't exactly exclusive attributes.

Obama isn't a ruthless socialist dictator, he's a community organizer who can't organize anything seemingly other than a fawning media.

Maybe liberals should get off their knees and question why his agenda imploding around him.

ETA: I guess that will take a Republican president directing the IRS not to enforce the capital gains tax.
 
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Cylinder said:
Those aren't exactly exclusive attributes.

Obama isn't a ruthless socialist dictator, he's a community organizer who can't organize anything seemingly other than a fawning media.

Maybe liberals should get off their knees and question why his agenda imploding around him.

ETA: I guess that will take a Republican president directing the IRS not to enforce the capital gains tax.
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Wut? Is Obama's agenda imploding around him? The only thing I see imploding is the Republican party.
 
Someone needs to tell Obama that 2014 is calling and it wants to assert geopolitical reality.
 
Cylinder said:
Those aren't exactly exclusive attributes.

Obama isn't a ruthless socialist dictator, he's a community organizer who can't organize anything seemingly other than a fawning media.

Maybe liberals should get off their knees and question why his agenda imploding around him.

ETA: I guess that will take a Republican president directing the IRS not to enforce the capital gains tax.
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What agenda is it that is imploding?
 
Cleon said:
I really wish conservatives would make up their minds. Is Obama weak and ineffectual or is he a ruthless socialist dictator?
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QFT. Two of my facebook 'friends', both right wingers, have taken each of these positions. One says Obama is weak and won't do anything about the situation and the other says of course he'll go into the Ukrane like gangbusters because he is an Imperial Monarch.

He can't win.
 
I would have to think putin would have to be an idiot to think we aren't the biggest dog in the yard, and while most of the country is hesitant to get involved in another conflict this soon he should know not to antagonize us.

Anytime I see someone claiming that other world leaders look down at us because of x my opinion of their intelligence goes down significantly. Of course many political commentators and even politicians may say it just to rile their base, but it still makes them look like idiots.
 
This is what the fuss is all about?

Gay, lesbian troops perform in drag at Kadena Air Base fundraiser

As a veteran myself, I don't mind a bit! Sounds like the troops there don't either. Sold-out show, more than twice what they anticipated. Only positive comments in the Stars & Stripes article. The negative comments mostly seem to be coming from old, right-wing civilians (some vets among them to be sure).

I wonder what sort of result you would get now from a poll of service members on the issue. I tried to find something from this year or last year, but my Google fu failed. Lots of polls of the general public, but none of service members on this issue. I guess once DADT was repealed, everyone sort of forgot about it and it was on to the marriage issue.
 
Cleon said:
I really wish conservatives would make up their minds. Is Obama weak and ineffectual or is he a ruthless socialist dictator?
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I don't think he is either but they are not mutually exclusive. Someone could be weak on foreign policy and yet have a tight grip on their own country.
 
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