Plausible Hilarity
Point, Ivan. Medvedev is happy to talk about dismantling the missile defense system, but won’t “haggle” with Obama over Iran. Deutsche Welle.
Sounds like that’s one bad idea blowing up in the new guy’s face before it gets off the ground. I believe Ivan is dissing 44. To put it in more diplomatic terms, Ivan is signalling that from his perspective, 44 has diplomatically signalled a desire to be his bitch.
There are a number of important lessons for Obama in this rookie misstep.
1. Don’t trust Russians.
2. Don’t write when you can speak.
3. Don’t speak when you can nod.
4. Don’t nod when you can wink.
5. Don’t wink if you don’t have to.
6. Don’t trust Russians.
7. Don’t try to haggle in matters of vital national security.
8. Consider how far you can throw your Russian counterpart. Don’t trust him that far.
9. Never offer everything as your opening position. Also:
9.A. Don’t trust Russians.
9.B. Never offer anything that is worth more than whatever it is they don’t intend to give you anyway.
9.C. Don’t trust Russians.
10. And finally, don’t trust Russians.
AP actually thinks Obama has moved U.S.-Russian relations forward. No doubt Putin agrees.
I probably shouldn’t be so dismissive of Obama’s stab at diplomacy. In fact, some kind of deal with the neo-Stalinist ex-commies now running the Kremlin probably is viable. That observation about Obama being Medvedev’s bitch was hurtful and unnecessary, and I sincerely regret it. What Medvedev actually seems to be signalling is that the Russians will require a lot of money in addition to the abandonment of missile defenses, and will retain the right to continue to defy the United States in the Security Council, in Iran, in any upstart former Soviet state, and probably in any bid to move supplies or support for Afghanistan through Russian-controlled territory as well, for good measure. The details can be worked on. But what is most important is that in the end, it is a deal that has plausible hilarity next time Putin or his guy meet with the mullahs.
You’d think, as Becks suggested in comments, a Chicago pol would already know all that. Though Blago clearly didn’t. Damn, they don’t make Chicago pols like they used to.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:27 pm on Tuesday, March 3, 2009
9 Responses to “Plausible Hilarity”
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March 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am
“Don’t trust Russians” sums it all up, methinks.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Man, Obama is certainly a slow learner. He needs a minder, but then Biden and Mrs. Clinton do too. It’s amateur time and no one has a hook.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:22 am
[...] Foreign Policy Advice For Obama [Funny] #1 Don’t trust the Russians. [...]
March 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
[...] Another reminder that Obama’s intelligence, which is real, is neither informed, nor deep, nor thoughtful. It’s the feral, manipulative intelligence of the sociopath. Clearly, in dealing with the Russians, he’s been out-sociopathed. [...]
March 4th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I wrote almost the same thing yesterday. http://thevirtuousrepublic.com/?p=2930
Came to the same conclusions. The Russians aren’t going to give anything for the dismantling of missile defense when they know damn well that Obama will give it to them for free.
Too bad no one in this administration has read about the Soviet Peace Offensive in the early 80’s how Reagan shoved the Pershing IIs down Europe’s throat and saved them from themselves and the Soviets.
March 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
[...] give you anyway. 9.C. Don’t trust Russians. 10. And finally, don’t trust Russians. Jules Crittenden Plausible Hilarity __________________ Support a "diversity" of opinion "in the public interest [...]
March 4th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
[...] 2009 Posted by taoist in Obama. Tags: Democrats, Foreign Policy, n00b, Politics, Russia trackback As he makes rookie foreign policy mistakes. Maybe he should have sat in on some of those foreign policy meetings as a senator, don’t you [...]
March 4th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
What’s 7 blocks long and eats cabbage?
A Russian meat line.
March 10th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
[...] Via Jules Crittenden: Medvedev is happy to talk about dismantling the missile defense system, but won’t “haggle” with Obama over Iran. Deutsche Welle. [...]