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Friday, April 16, 2010

Excellent editorial on Putin

The best piece I've ever read on Vladimir Putin, by Ralph Peters in this morning's NY Post:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/putin_wins_again_GY3mIe53sPyPnmxkpPWsnJ

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was an informative article on Putin. In the early 1980's it used to frustrate me that many people didn’t realize we were in a geopolitical chess game with the Russians. Coincidentally Slavic people love chess and most can play a strong game.

Putin is up against a US president that is working to benefit people from his Chicago Community Organizer days, to the detriment of everyone else - and the weakening of the US. Putin's up against a duffer.

If current polls hold there will be a big change in Congress in November, a new wave of Republicans. The Tea Party movement is encouraging - offering HOPE that the US could reign in its out of control spending and ever expanding government sector.

However, historically government continues to expand under both parties. Republicans and Democrats are both in the business of big government, just different flavors. Historically Republicans can 'talk the talk' as a minority party but don't 'walk the walk' when they're in power. Why? Because each Republican in office is a human being who - first and foremost - is going to look after himself (herself) and family. Slashing government doesn't translate into campaign contributions or bright prospects post-Congress jobs. So once the Republicans get in there, they get down to the business of promoting their own versions of big government.

It is interesting that the one plank of Gingrich's Contract with America that was never voted on is Term Limits. That would be especially damaging to the Republican's future prospects.

This is why I think there is essentially no hope for the US.... Sad but true. Why does anyone think we're going to get a wave of true Conservative / Libertarian / Tea Party endorsing members of Congress who would do the right thing per their constituents wishes?

- Ed

John Craig said...

Ed --
Your characterization of Republicans is true. But I still think the country wold be better off with Republicans getting voted in this November simply because they'll at least put a halt to Obama's agenda. Yes, they have a tendency to cut taxes too much to seriously cut deficits, and they spend too much on military adventures, and they have all the congenital weaknesses of career politicians. But at least they won't be trying to do a huge government power grab.

I'm a little worried that some of the Tea Partiers will try to form third party candidacies and thus throw elections to the democrats. I think the Tea Party-types generally are "purer" than the Republican leadership, and while this is to their credit, it may not win elections for them.

Thanks for your comment.