nhboy
Ubi bene ibi patria
The oft-controversial and colorful Ralph Peters, the retired Army lieutenant colonel who is also a New York Post columnist, has a take on Vladimiir Putin guaranteed to outrage the Russians and probably many Americans to boot. He delivered it at an American Enterprise Institute panel discussion in Washington yesterday on the Republic of Georgia situation.
The Russians, on whom I have wasted far too much of my life, are drink-sodden barbarians who occasionally puke up a genius. And we should make no mistake. Vladimir Putin is one such genius. As this brilliantly planned and executed operation illustrates, he is the most effective leader in the world today, certainly of any major country. No one else comes close.
Obviously the ruthlessness helps. He is just uninterested in international law, precedent etc. and for now, for Russia he's great. In the long run he may be very negative factor for Russia but for now he's riding very very high.
If you contrast him with President Bush who looks strikingly like Jimmy Carter when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, it's tragic. Russia invades in a calculated, unprovoked aggression and our president goes to a basketball game. Ladies and gentleman, that is not an efficient diplomatic response...
For our part, unlike Michelle Obama, I'm rarely ashamed of my country. But I will tell you, I have been ashamed of our lame response. I don't think we should be looking for a nuclear confrontation, of course."
Russia's Putin a 'genius': NYP columnist: The Swamp
The Russians, on whom I have wasted far too much of my life, are drink-sodden barbarians who occasionally puke up a genius. And we should make no mistake. Vladimir Putin is one such genius. As this brilliantly planned and executed operation illustrates, he is the most effective leader in the world today, certainly of any major country. No one else comes close.
Obviously the ruthlessness helps. He is just uninterested in international law, precedent etc. and for now, for Russia he's great. In the long run he may be very negative factor for Russia but for now he's riding very very high.
If you contrast him with President Bush who looks strikingly like Jimmy Carter when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, it's tragic. Russia invades in a calculated, unprovoked aggression and our president goes to a basketball game. Ladies and gentleman, that is not an efficient diplomatic response...
For our part, unlike Michelle Obama, I'm rarely ashamed of my country. But I will tell you, I have been ashamed of our lame response. I don't think we should be looking for a nuclear confrontation, of course."
Russia's Putin a 'genius': NYP columnist: The Swamp
