WHAT ARE OUR UKRAINIAN OPTIONS? In a message dated 3/13/2014 12:30:51 A.M. Central Daylight Time, update+kjdp5-vpmw1i@facebookmail writes: Somewhere I must have missed your response to what would be a proper response to this situation. There really are IMO only two options. Play disciplinary diplomacy with the entire Group of Seven as is being done or use the Cheney/McCain military assistance force. Do you have yet another option? ============================================================================================== I reply: Putin appears to me to be a no-nonsense realist who wishes to avoid push and shove and thus maintain as much room as possible between Russia and whatever power(s) seek to destroy it. Such a person, I believe, will take as much advantage of the situation as he can and Putin clearly has the upper hand in enabling the Crimeans to do by the ballot what some of the occupants of Kiev did with the gun. Putin knows that by isolating Russia the Group of Seven will isolate itself as much as it will Russia and also knows the group probably needs Russia more than Russia needs the group. And all know that the present pipelines for oil and gas can be made to flow east as well as west and that the Russian-Chinese connection is not only a strong one but is also an old one. As for military force, a war against Russia would require a draft in this country, and a draft, and our present economic situation, would soon produce a revolutionary movement in this country. We have no political or moral means of playing disciplinary diplomacy and we have no viable military force. SHOCKLEY
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:51:36 +0000