Syria

[Masbee]

By the way, speaking of Syria, this is pretty damn funny:

Thursday’s New York Times carried an op-ed on Syria by Vladimir Putin. Below we run what we imagine was the original draft before the Times’ editing:

MOSCOW — Recent events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and your leaders. After the president’s speech Tuesday night, let me say what you all know to be true:

Barack, I own you. Or as we say in Russia, the wolf felt pity for the lamb, so he left the skin and bones.

Mr. President, we have much in common. People fear what we might do. We each have a media eating out of our hands. We both hate George W. Bush.

I also share with you the outrage at President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons on women and children. And I have made Russia’s displeasure clear to him. Bashar, I said, if you have to murder women and children, conventional arms like the ones I used at Grozny or the rescue at Beslan are just as deadly. Lord knows I have supplied Syria with more than enough weaponry.....

Ha ha ha.

http://nypost.com/2013/09/12/the-real-version-of-putins-times-op-ed/

 

[Nikolokolus]

By the way, speaking of Syria, this is pretty damn funny:


Ha ha ha.

http://nypost.com/2013/09/12/the-real-version-of-putins-times-op-ed/

It's good for sound bites, but wittingly or not Obama has just made Syria Putin's problem. It may have been a good imitation of Mr. Magoo, but we could end up with the last laugh.

 

[Masbee]

It's good for sound bites, but wittingly or not Obama has just made Syria Putin's problem. It may have been a good imitation of Mr. Magoo, but we could end up with the last laugh.

No way.

Putin wins and wins big.

If Syria calms down or gets ignored, he get a huge boost in international credibility and power.

If Syria blows up - he may or may not be blamed, but so fucking what? Will he loose power in Russia? No. Will he have a lower opinion than he currently does in the West? Hardly possible.

And anyway, the Post piece was a Joke.

 

[Nikolokolus]

No way.

Putin wins and wins big.

If Syria calms down or gets ignored, he get a huge boost in international credibility and power.

If Syria blows up - he may or may not be blamed, but so fucking what? Will he loose power in Russia? No. Will he have a lower opinion than he currently does in the West? Hardly possible.

And anyway, the Post piece was a Joke.

Wins what exactly? the privilege of trying to corral a bloody civil war with no end in sight? And if history is any teacher then anybody who gets involved will get blamed if they succeed or if they fail, it makes no difference.

In any case of course I knew it was a joke by the Post.

 

[Denny Crane]

Wins what exactly? the privilege of trying to corral a bloody civil war with no end in sight? And if history is any teacher then anybody who gets involved will get blamed if they succeed or if they fail, it makes no difference.

In any case of course I knew it was a joke by the Post.

What he wins is stature in the eyes of the world community. He doesn't have to get involved in Syria. NOT getting involved is his notion of what to do. The stature means other nations will agree with him that getting involved is not a good idea.

$.02

 

[Nikolokolus]

But now he is involved as the presumptive arbiter between Obama and Assad. Putin is going to have to keep his client Assad on his best behavior and he's going to be expected to produce "something" he can show to the international community as proof of Assad's compliance.

 

[e_blazer]

I wonder if the Nobel committee will ask Obama to return his prize so they can award it to Putin.

 

[PapaG]

I wonder if the Nobel committee will ask Obama to return his prize so they can award it to Putin.

Nah, Obama and the media will just credit any diplomatic gains to Obama.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I wonder if the Nobel committee will ask Obama to return his prize so they can award it to Putin.

That's one way to discredit Putin...

 

[Denny Crane]

But now he is involved as the presumptive arbiter between Obama and Assad. Putin is going to have to keep his client Assad on his best behavior and he's going to be expected to produce "something" he can show to the international community as proof of Assad's compliance.

When?

Obama took the vote for use of force off the table in congress. I don't think they're going to be any more willing to support bombing Syria than before.

IF Syria disarms, Russia will supply it with all the arms it needs to maintain the government, no?

 

[PapaG]

Can somebody tell me what his speech on the networks was supposed to be about this week, other than blaming Bush, yet again?

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-syria-talks-20130914,0,2171685.story

Obama loosens demands on U.N. resolution on Syria

WASHINGTON — In a sign of its weak hand in the Syria crisis, the Obama administration has abandoned for now its hope of winning U.N. authorization for the use of force against President Bashar Assad's government if it fails to surrender its chemical weapons.

Facing steadfast Russian resistance, officials said Friday that they would accept a United Nations resolution that imposed weaker penalties such as economic sanctions and allowed for the Security Council to reconsider the use of force if Assad did not live up to his promises.

The shift, described by administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, appeared to be an acknowledgment of the likelihood that Security Council members Russia and China would veto the use of force, and of the overall lack of international support for military strikes to punish Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons.

 

[Denny Crane]

Putin looks like the Nobel Peace Prize kind of guy. Barak looks like the warmonger.

FWIW

 

[MARIS61]

We're going to war for Monsanto again.

http://www.dailypaul.com/297901/syrias-real-disciplinarian

Sarin Gas was originally conceived as a pesticide, developed by Nazi scientists in 1938. Sarin was adopted as a standard chemical weapon by NATO in the early 1950’s. The United States was instrumental alongside the USSR in the production of Sarin for military purposes until 1956 when regular production ceased. Even though Sarin has been banned from production and stockpiling since 1993 with the UN Chemical Weapons Convention signing by 162 member countries, it officially went into effect April 29, 1997.

The Globe and Mail of Canada published that on October 12, 2012 President Bashar al-Assad issued a law on GM foods in order to preserve human life, a state-run SANA news agency reported. Assad “has approved a law on health security of genetically modified organisms…to regulate their use and production” SANA reported. The law is meant, “to preserve the health of human beings, animals, vegetables and the environment,” the agency added.

On March 26, 2013 President Obama signed the “Monsanto Protection Act”, which effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified or genetically engineered seeds, no matter what health issues may arise concerning them in the future. Monsanto has manufactured Agent Orange, PCB’s, rBHG, Aspartame, pesticides, polystyrene, DDT and Roundup (Glyphosate) herbicide, which they conveniently own patent to its paramount crop of application: Soy.

Approximately 180-185 million pounds of Glyphosate are applied each year and most notably so to Roundup Ready soybeans, owned and patented by Monsanto.

California Proposition 37 was defeated November 6, 2012. It would have required the labeling of genetically engineered/modified foods, with some exceptions. Monsanto spent over $8,000,000.00 to see that this proposition was stifled.