Ukraine: Obama’s Failures Endanger America

I wondered if Obama finally woke up?  Yesterday he spent 90 minutes in a conversation with Putin. He had to listen to Putin’s Soviet era lies about the Russians in Ukraine being under some sort of threat but from what we are told he told him in no uncertain terms there were going to be serious, long-term consequences for any military actions he takes in Ukraine. Do the facts support it or is Obama considered a mere wind bag, all bluff and no tough?

I wrote earlier about Obama’s hour long conversation with Putin. I had the feeling that Obama gave Putin the OK on Ukraine as long as he gave him something back on Syria which he did the next day withdrawing his long-standing objection to the UN resolution concerning Syria. That resolution required certain actions by the Syrian government. It had all the teeth of a normal UN resolution. If Syria did not comply, there would be another UN Security Council meeting to consider the issue.

Even though National Security Adviser Susan Rice said that if Russia used military force in Ukraine there would be grave reactions, Putin’s actions that came about after that first call gave every evidence that he had the OK to go in. Russia commenced military exercises on the Ukrainian border and Russian forces in Crimea, and from elsewhere, suddenly started to move against parts of the capital of that section of Ukraine.

While that was going on Obama remained quiet as he has for most of the time the Ukrainians were seeking to remain a free country. Crimea had pretty much fallen under Russian military control. Its airports were seized and Russian troop planes were landing there. How could all this have happened within a week of his hour-long discussion with Putin unless he either gave the OK or there was a misunderstanding in the conversation? Certainly whatever was said was followed up by this take-over.

As this was going on, there must have been some voices in the White House who tried to awake Obama from his long foreign policy slumber. I wonder if an advisor did not tell him that being president of the United States, a super power, required more than just talk. There is a time for action against bullies. We could not only be going after the paper tigers of the world like the Grenadas, Panamas, Iraqs and Afghanistans, we had to sometimes face up to real challenges by more powerful nations. Maybe he was told that his actions in Egypt and Syria showed weakness and that failure to do more than sit back and tut-tut loudly while watching Russia devour Ukraine would only lead to more like-minded nations as Russia, such as China, to also become more venturous.

Recall how I wrote that there have only been two Olympic games that have been named after the leaders of the host nation, the Hitler games and the Putin games. Maybe someone suggested to Obama that the failure to put up a stop sign to the Führer after he started taking nations caused many millions of deaths in a war in which his grandfather fought. Under Putin’s 16 year rule Russia had already seized parts of Georgia and was now doing the same to Ukraine.

Whatever happened, this motivated Obama to action, or at least what he thinks is action. He made another speech. This was late on Friday when he told Putin not to do what he had already done which was put troops into Crimea.

Putin responded within 24 hours of Obama’s warning. He called upon his rubber stamp parliament to authorize him to use military action not only in Crimea but in all of Ukraine. Had Putin taken the measure of Obama and figured he was all talk and no walk? Remember how I wrote that people inside and outside of Russia have been saying that Vladimir is now “the man.” Well apparently he believed he could stick his finger in President Obama’s eye without any consequences and while doing it send his forces into an independent country. I can see the members of the Politburo patting him on his back for his boldness telling him how Obama must be shaking in his boots.

You couldn’t blame them. What great daring Putin showed when in the face of a direct warning from the US president he not only didn’t heed it but openly showed his utter contempt for him. When ever has such open defiance happened before in our country’s recent history? What message does it send to every other country?

Surely, Putin, the man of the Olympics has shown the world how easy it is to defy Obama. He wants everyone to know that like the Soviet leaders of the past who in 1956 invaded Hungary and in 1968 Czechoslovakia, he too would take whatever steps he deemed necessary to prove Russia is back.

What would you do if you told someone there would be serious consequences if he did something and he went ahead and did it anyway? Would you call him and again discuss it? Or, would you go ahead and follow-up on your threat and take action. Obama for some reason decided to again talk about it.

Red-faced after Putin openly spit in his eye, Obama called Putin. I’ve seen a photograph of him dressed in jeans holding the telephone. I’m not sure what that photograph intended to convey but it wasn’t one of a person engaged in a seriousness undertaking. It was more the photograph of someone trying to line up a pick-up basketball game.

Obama had a 90 minute discussion with Putin. Self-serving statements about the content of the conversation were put out by both governments. It is difficult to understand how Obama haven’t already been defied expected more words will change the situation?

They haven’t. Putin continues to play Obama for the weakling. Russia is in the process of taking over the part of the Ukraine called Crimea with covetous eyes on its east.

The greatest tragedy in this as far as America is concerned is that Obama was caught by surprises. We had in place no plans what to do in the face of this obvious happening which I predicted weeks ago. Why no contingency plans? Why are we always reacting?  More than terrorism, the failure of our president to be prepared for likely events puts America in danger.