Dealing With Russia and China

It is about time that Socialist President Pinocchio Obama put on his big boy pants in his dealings with Russia and China.  Both of these countries are being run by quasi dictators in tailored business suits.  Vladamir Putin used to run the KGB, the secret police in the old Soviet Union. Putin has stated that one of the worst days in Russian history was the break up of the Soviet Union.  The Russians refer to the countries that surround them as the near abroad.   Czars and Communist Commissars for centuries and now Putin have all been determined to control these countries.  What we see happening in the Crimea and the Ukraine is old news.   The fact that Obama slapped sanctions on a few rich Russians, in response to Putin's invasion of the Crimea, is seen as weak and feeble by the Russians and all our enemies around the world.

Most importantly, the Iranians Mullahs in Tehran that have no intention of ending their nuclear program must be laughing hysterically.   The Russians have now said that because of our opposition to what they are doing in the Ukraine that they may change their position on Iran.  The fact is that the Russians support both the dictators in Iran, the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the world and Syria.   Obama needs to wake up and smell the vodka in his dealings with Russia.  Putin is not our friend.  Russia is not our friend.  Putin seeks to rebuild the old Soviet Union, including its military and nuclear capabilities.  If Obama can't see this by now, he must be deaf, dumb and blind. 

Obama should immediately authorize placement of the missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic that he canceled, getting nothing in return from Putin, when Obama was first elected to "reset" the relationship with Russia.  At the same time, we should supply Ukraine with whatever weapons they need to defend themselves from a Russian invasion that is otherwise coming.  We also need to become energy independent to blunt both Russia's and Iran's influence in the world.  Obama should then take out the Syrian air force because Syrian Dictator Assad has failed to turn over their chemical weapons as part of the deal negotiated with them.  

Finally, if Iran does not move to end its nuclear program, Obama should either work with Israel and Saudi Arabia to take out their program, using military force, or provide nuclear capability to both these countries to maintain the balance of power in the region.  I know this all sounds very hawkish; but as a student and teacher of history, I am sensing the appeasement in Munich with Hitler that caused World War II.  Most important, if Obama, the President of the United States, draws lines in the sand, he must act definitively when they are crossed, or otherwise keep his big mouth shut. 

Finally, what is happening in the Ukraine could have implications in Asia Pacific, as both Russia and China want to take over islands that belong to Japan.  In this case, the Japanese have to re militarize to protect themselves and maintain the balance of power in the region, which also means the development of nuclear weapons.   We can't do it all for Japan.  They will have to step up to the plate to protect themselves.