Category Archives: Russia

Economy, Energy, Iran, Media, Politics, Russia, Venezuela

The Language Of Politics, Can We Talk?

Ever wondered why we haven’t already achieved energy independence? There is no one you can find in Washington, from any party, that won’t say they are for energy independence. Everyone is for energy independence. So what’s the problem?

The problem is the political language barrier. Probably first invented by President Clinton when his Lewinsky defense was, ‘it depends on what the definition of IS is.’ The political parties today are not speaking the same language and the media is speaking the dialect of the Left. It presumes that the other side is just stupid and there is no common ground to be found.

Energy Independence, the Right– The whole point of energy independence as far as conservatives and most Republicans are concerned is primarily a security issue. The fact that we are buying 70 percent of the oil what we currently use from foreign sources, most of which don’t like us very much, is a point not forgotten by those on the political right. Conservatives are reminded of the gas lines and rationing that went on here under the Carter administration after Iran started using their oil as a weapon against us. Like Russia, btw, is doing to its neighbors today and Chaves has threatened to do to us. To mitigate this concern, to become energy independent means to develop enough of our own resources to protect our own national security should the middle east one day shut off the valves. Or, if Iran blows them up.

There would be two other benefits to becoming energy independent. One would be a private sector, high paying, job creation project in states all over the country that wouldn’t increase our national debt one thin dime. It would also stop the annual flow of $700 billion to countries that would just as easily cut us off and sell to China or any other country, and keep that money right here in our own country, and putting it to work in our own economy.

Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find a liberal speaking to the national security aspect of oil resources in the United States.

Energy Independence, the Left– to the left it means energy replacement. That is to say, not to use fossil fuels. To be energy independent does not mean to have and use our own resources as opposed to someone else’s. It means to not use our own resources in favor of some technology of the future that has yet to be developed. The ‘green’ lobby, high on the list of political allies to Democrats, is leading the agenda to this definition of energy independence. This is fine and dandy in a perfect world. But it totally ignores the security aspect of not having enough of our own resources if, say tomorrow, OPEC or an oil producing State decides to cut production or worse, cut us off, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

A fact that can’t be ignored is the fact that fossil fuels are the fuel for the worlds’ economic engine and will stay that way unless and until some other source can be brought to market. To not exploit our own resources, as a bridge to some technology of the future and our own national security, is just as irresponsible as forcing us to limit the use of fossil fuels, no matter where they come from, to the detriment of our economy.

While developing this post, other terms and words have come to light that play a major role in inhibiting economic, social, and political progress. Here is a list of some that came out of the news in just the last 3 days. It is what we, as conservatives, are up against.

  • Spending / Investing
  • Bipartisan / the political right ignoring their principles and voting with Democrats.
  • Shovel Ready / Shovel ready in a few years
  • Economic Stimulus/ big government stimulus
  • Opening up the airways / Restricting the airways
  • Tax Cuts / Income redistribution
  • Tax Incentives / Tax Increase ($18b on Oil Companies)
  • Employee Free Choice Act / Employee No Choice Act
Media, Russia

Putin's Russia Beats Down Freedom

Starting with an AP report of civil unrest and peaceful protests, and Russian riot police reacting by beating and kicking protesters and journalists, and ending with no mention of or comment from either Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, or Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, the story of what looks like Russia’s biggest problem, freedom, is being minimized while Russia’s Navy in the Western hemisphere takes center stage.

Riot police clubbed, kicked and detained dozens of people who gathered at a holiday celebration in Russia’s Far East Sunday as hundreds protested across the country over a hike in car import tariffs.

Rising unemployment and a sharp slide in the ruble have driven discontent across Russia and the Kremlin fears the deteriorating economic situation could lead to public unrest.

With domestic car production suffering, the government this month announced higher import tariffs on automobiles, prompting several protests. The demonstrations have been most vehement in Vladivostok, Russia’s largest Pacific port, where nearly all private cars are imported from Japan.

Hundreds rallied in the city Saturday for the second weekend in a row and demonstrators hoped to rally again on Sunday.

But authorities refused to authorize the demonstration and hundreds of riot police blocked off the city square where it was planned.

Soon after, some 500 people gathered around a traditional Russian New Year’s tree on Vladivostok’s main square, singing songs and dancing. It was unclear how many were thwarted demonstrators, and there were no placards or signs of political protest, but riot police demanded that people disperse.

Putin’s idea of progress is to return to the 20th century Soviet Union. Raising protectionist tariffs, squelching public dissent, silencing political opponents, and controlling the press, hallmarks of Khrushchev and Gorbachev, is the direction that the ‘new’ Russia is headed.

An Associated Press reporter watched as several people who resisted were beaten with truncheons, thrown to the ground and kicked. Several parents were detained as their children watched.

“Riot police encircled the group … even those just passing by, and they started taking people away without any sort of comment,” said Olga Nikolaevna, a 62-year-old pensioner who witnessed the incident.

An AP reporter saw at least 10 journalists detained by police, who demanded several turn over videotapes and photo memory chips and wrecked a Japanese TV crew’s video camera. Some journalists were beaten and kicked, including an AP photographer. National TV channels, which are state-controlled, ignored the demonstrations.

The Kremlin has sidelined political opponents and put tight controls over civil society and the media, rolling back many post-Soviet freedoms.

For Putin, this is a case of history repeating itself. He seems hell-bent on resisting freedom, like Gorbachev did, instead of embracing it. Boris Yeltsin embraced it, and won.  Putin and his puppet president fear freedom and the power and prosperity that freedom and a free-market economy can deliver to the Russian people. Rather than being a champion of freedom, they are proving to be an enemy of it.

link: ap_logo

2008 Election, Russia, Uncategorized, United Nations

aSide Order

Stop Obama, Pelosi in Georgia

The 2008 Election isn’t quite over. A few senate seats are still out there. Al Franken is trying very hard, and succeeding, to steal his election win in Minnesota over Norm Coleman. And the Georgia runoff election is another one. I think Republicans have already lost a filibuster proof senate, even if Saxby Chambliss and Norm Coleman end up winning their seats because of the several RINOs in the Senate already. Nevertheless, here is what is at stake and what we can expect in the next four years. This ad is being run in Georgia. December 2 is the runoff election date.

Want to help? You can by going to the National Republican Trust PAC to help get this ad out in Georgia.

United Nations Lowers To The Occasion

Why is it no surprise that the IAEA, the supposed nuclear watchdog of the United Nations (aka Useless Nations) is taking the side of two countries China and Russia, over the United States, its allies, and most of Europe, when it comes to providing nuclear technology to Syria before an IAEA investigation into Syria’s nuclear arms ambitions is complete?

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief clashed with some Western nations on Monday over their bid to block aid for a planned Syrian nuclear power plant, saying U.S. intelligence pointing to secret Syrian atomic work was unproven.

Diplomats at a 35-nation meeting of International Atomic Energy Agency governors said Washington, major European Union nations and other Western allies favored shelving the project while Syria was under IAEA investigation over the U.S. reports.

New testicle eating champion crowned

And for the ‘you gotta be kidding’ category, try this.

Yes it's what you think they are. And yes they're biting them. And, yes again, they're from New Zealand.
2008 Election, Energy, Politics, Russia

Obama's Energy Plan For Independence Runs On Hope

In the last few days, Democrat candidate for President Sen. Barack Obama gave us the benefit of two one-on-one interviews to get to know some of what he has planned for an Obama administration. One was with Bill O’Reilly last week and the other was at Columbia University in New York tonight called the ServiceNation Summit Forum. In both settings, Obama addressed his plan for energy independence. And where energy independence is concerned, he has no plan, and here’s why.

With Bill O’Reilly on the subject of energy independence, Obama said he has a plan. It is to spend $150 billion (coming from oil companies) over ten years to develop solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. To be realistic about it, $150 billion over ten years is not all that much considering the task at hand. He didn’t say anything about nuclear power until O’Reilly asked him about that specifically. He then said ‘oh yeah, sure we’ll expand nuclear power.’ He did not mention drilling for more oil and gas. Instead, he rested his case on the hope that we will be able to actually become energy independent with scientific breakthroughs that he hopes will come. And he justified this position by saying ‘Kennedy didn’t know how we were going to get to the moon.’ I’m beginning to see what he means by hope and change. The change is we’re going to govern on hope.

Obama addresses energy one more time near the end of the interview when discussing the problem with Putin invading Georgia and threatening the United States if we put a defensive missile system in Poland, and what he would do about Putin. Obama’s said short of a military response, there are two levers we can use. One is economic which would require help from Europe. Because Russia is economically tied to Europe and to a lesser extent the United States. The other he said, was to ‘get our energy policy straight.’

Fast forward to tonight at Columbia University. The sum of his statement on energy was this one sentence. From the transcript . . .

We’re going to have a bold energy plan that says that we are going to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 20 or 30 percent over the course of a decade or two.

Twenty or thirty percent over a decade or two? In a matter of a week, his plan went from 10 years to 20 years. And he is not sure by how much he can do it. 20% OR 30%? Is that even a goal? And even at that, there is no independence. Right now, we import 70 percent of our oil. Do the math with me here. If Obama can cut that by 20 or 30 percent then his definition of energy independence is to import 40 to 50 percent from foreign sources instead of 70 percent.

If this is what Barack Obama calls energy independence, and getting our energy policy straight, then he isn’t the one to get us there.

links: O’Reilly interview video | ServiceNation Summit Forum transcript

Pensacola, Politics, Russia, War On Terror

goLeftTV Says The U.S. Is Like Old Communist Russia

I’d say that this video would qualify Mike Papantonio’s1 way-out-there ‘progressive news’ outlet called goLeftTV for the Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day award. But it would diminish the value of the award because they would probably win it every day.

There are a few topics in this video, but the most outrageous is the take that Farron Cousins has concerning the Bush administration (probably the National Security Agency) and Google.

According to Cousins, at the request of the administration, Google has agreed to block images of military installations, war zones, The White House, and other potential sensitive areas. To that, the progressive news source accuses the Bush administration of being like the old communist Russia. Which, by the way, is the place where Vladimir Putin is trying to return.

If you need one, here’s a quick credibility test for goLeftTV. Look up The White House on Google Earth. Is it blocked out on your screen?

video link

1Bio: Mike Papantonio hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, the Ring of Fire, on Air America Radio and is the founder of GoLeft.tv. He is a partner in the Levin Papantonio law firm in Pensacola.

Russia

Putin Accuses U.S. Of Starting Georgian Conflict

That is the most asinine accusation I’ve ever heard. What’s worse, is his explanation for it.

“If my guesses are confirmed, then that raises the suspicion that somebody in the United States purposefully created this conflict with the aim of aggravating the situation and creating an advantage … for one of the candidates in the battle for the post of U.S. president.”

As stretched as our military is right now in Iraq and Afghanistan, how in the world can anybody see an ‘advantage’ to knocking heads with Russia in Georgia? He better put the vodka down because he isn’t making any sense. The trouble with this is that Putin controls Russia’s media. Any media outlet that doesn’t tow the party line gets taken over or shut down. So you have to assume that the Russian people are believing this crap.

I’m reminded of a quote from Kathleen Miller that fits Vladimir Putin perfectly. ‘Are you nuts or just crazy?’

link: Putin: US orchestrated conflict in Georgia

Russia

Russia's Actions In Georgia Rebuffed In The East

Much to the disappointment of Vladimir Putin, his puppet president was rebuffed by the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Putin finds himself to be the monkey in the middle.

China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia’s hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for the respect of every country’s territorial integrity.

A joint declaration from the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia’s “active role in promoting peace” following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow’s international isolation.

link: Asian alliance rebuffs Russian plea for support

Politics, Russia, United Nations

Russia Is OK With Missile Defense System, For Syria

But certainly not for Poland. No! Missile defense systems for western aligned nations are not on Vladimir Putin’s approved list. Key phrase is ‘missile defense.’ Considering Russia’s history, and Putin’s history, and Putin’s current invasion and occupation of the sovereign state of Georgia, is it any surprise that they like the idea of selling offensive and defensive weapons systems to Syria?

Officials said Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has approved the sale of rockets, missiles, aircraft and air defense systems to Syria. They said Medvedev, in consultation with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, decided to enable Damascus to select from a range of Russian weapons and systems.

And it doesn’t stop there . . .

Assad, who ended a two-day visit on Aug. 21, has also pledged to consider a Russian request to station the Iskander-E long-range, solid-fuel rocket in Syria. Moscow has asserted that the Iskankder could penetrate Israeli or U.S. missile defense systems.

Putin is really enjoying his opportunity to bully Georgia, Poland, and Europe. And with a seat on the United Nations Security Council, he is almost guaranteed to get what he wants regarding the Georgian invasion. Which is, annexing the disputed areas into Russia, if not just washing away Georgia’s border and occupying those territories permanently. Well, that is, presuming the West will just sit by and watch, and let it happen.

link:Putin, Medvedev offer Syria expanded options for weapons systems

Russia

Putin’s Russia Is Raping And Molesting Georgia

It is time to take stock in the reality of modern-day Russia. It is a throwback to the old-day Russia.russia_taking_georgians_prisoners

Russia, still being run by Vladimir Putin, the KGB communist, thinks his country is lacking in stature and respect around the world, presumably because they haven’t invaded any countries lately. Seeking to improve Russia’s image, Russia used its huge military power to invade and conquer the small, and young, state of Georgia, with its small military. Clearly no match for the Russians, the task was done in one day.

In response to the world community to get out, Russia signed an agreement to end their occupation and re-position their military to positions that they held prior to the invasion. Not only have they not ‘pulled out,’ they are digging in. They have blocked Georgia’s main port city, Poti, and are taking Georgian military personnel as prisoners.

Have we learned yet that Vladimir Putin can not be trusted? He is KGB. He is a communist. He doesn’t care a wit what the world thinks of him. The only way to deal effectively with Russia is the way we dealt with them before. Not to trust them based on their word, which is worthless. But to ‘trust but verify.’

The analogy of Vladimir Putin behaving like a rapist, by literally raping the sovereign state of Georgia, is not only accurate but, the fact that Georgia is a young democratic country makes him a child molester too!

related links: Russia blocks Georgia’s main port city | Rape, Kremlin Resists Pulling Out | War shows that Putin is running things in Russia

Russia, United Nations

Rape, Kremlin Resists Pulling Out

By anyone’s standard, when she says stop, and he doesn’t, its rape. Well, I should amend that a little. ‘Anyone’ apparently does not apply to Russia. They have experience in raping neighboring countries, just like they are doing right now in Georgia. Russia forcibly entered Georgia with their air force and ground forces, knocked out infrastructure, ransacked Georgian military complexes along with civilian property and civilians themselves, sank its navy and took control of its only oil port.

Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, on Saturday signed a revised framework for a deal to halt the fighting in neighboring Georgia, which has stirred some of the deepest divisions between world powers since the cold war. But the Kremlin then indicated that despite the accord’s approval, it would not immediately pull its troops from the country.

Now, a so-called agreement to end the invasion and leave has been signed by Russia and Georgia. And Russia’s response is one that says that the agreement isn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

If you’re wondering what’s the big deal, and why is it any of our business who an imperialist Russia plows under? This video will answer that question.

related links: Kremlin Signs Truce but Resists Quick Pullout | Germany offers support for Georgia’s NATO bid | Bush tells Russia to get out of Georgia