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If we seek to understand American foreign policy in terms of a rational engagement with international problems, or even as an effective means of projecting power, we are looking in the wrong place. The government's interests have always been provincial. It seeks to appease lobbyists, shift public opinion at crucial stages of the political cycle, accommodate crazy Christian fantasies and pander to television companies run by eccentric billionaires. The US does not really have a foreign policy. It has a series of domestic policies which it projects beyond its borders. That they threaten the world with 57 varieties of destruction is of no concern to the current administration. The only question of interest is who gets paid and what the political kickbacks will be.

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[ 19 August 2008: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]

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The Americans were the first to announce preemptive nuclear attack as their permissible war doctrine. Now the Russians have announced the tactical use of nuclear weapons as their response to American smart weapons.

It is obvious that American foreign policy, with is goal of ringing Russia with US military bases, is leading directly to nuclear war. Every American needs to realize this fact. The US government’s insane hegemonic foreign policy is a direct threat to life on the planet.

Russia has made no threats against America. The post-Soviet Russian government has sought to cooperate with the US and Europe. Russia has made it clear over and over that it is prepared to obey international law and treaties. It is the Americans who have thrown international law and treaties into the trash can, not the Russians.

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The humiliated Bush is sending some US troops to Georgia to deliver "humanitarian" aid. Equally worrisome, the US rushed to sign a pact with Warsaw to station anti-missile missiles and anti-aircraft batteries, manned by US troops, in Poland. This response is dangerous, highly provocative, and immature. The next president will have to deal with the Bush administrations reckless and foolish acts in the Mideast, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan and now, the Caucasus.

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Russia has made it clear over and over that it is prepared to obey international law and treaties.

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Russia's present belligerent nationalism, presided over by dictator-for-life Putin,is a hollow threat.

The Kremlin is a vast kleptocracy that starves the Russian economy of advancements in productivity for the sake of private gain. Russia's disrespect for the conventions of commerce starve it for technology and investment while its low birthrates,early mortality and chronic alcoholism doom the 140 million odd Russians to ignominy in less than a generation.

I prefer to think of Russia as a vast nation that has been poked and prodded into a fight. If it wanted the fight is immaterial in that it was given one by a state, the United States, not worth the word or the dry ink of dead or living presidents. They broke, violated, dishonoured every agreement they have made with Russia and have a long history of doing so including with "ethnically cleansed" First Nations.

Surely even Russia is more honourable.

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Originally posted by jester:

The Kremlin is a vast kleptocracy that starves the Russian economy of advancements in productivity for the sake of private gain.

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If Russia is only a kleptocracy, then why do they have $145 billion dollars put away in oil stabilization fund since just 2004? That's more than CPP investment fund and Alberta's Heritage Fund combined. And we won't mention Norway's Petroleum Fund.