Posted by George Michalopulos
on 9/27/2009, 8:22 am, in reply to "Re: Why Russia invaded Georgia: Payback Time from the Orthodox World to the West"
Frank's critique is not without merit. However he overdoes it by mixing the politics of Putin (punish Bush for Kosovo) with legitimate Orthodox grievances. To view Putin as a paladin avenging the (supposed) wrongs of the West against Russia by bombing Georgia is naive. As Fr David noted, the Patriarch of Russian condemned the invasion. This gives the lie that Russia was standing up to the big, bad USA and its supposed anti-Orthodox foreign policy.
Yes, Russia is right to be concerned about being encircled by NATO, but --and this is hard for me as an Orthodox Christian to say--the Catholic nations of Poland, Czeck Republic, etc. have an equal aversion to being dominated by a resurgent Russia. Of course, the point is moot now as President Lightworker has sold these two nations down the river.
It never ceases to amaze me how much hatred Frank has for George W Bush. He only half-heartedly acknowledges that it was Clinton who created this bowl of crap which was then placed on Bush's breakfast table. And I'm not talking about just Kosovo, but Clinton's complete aversion to standing up to Islamic barbarism whenever it happened. It's got nothing to do with "throwing a scrap" to the Muzzies because we "support Israel" 99% of the time.
As Frank said in his earlier life as an Orthodox right-winger, the West was engaged in a "civilizational struggle" against Islam which sees us as "an implacable enemy," one that refuses to recognize our own just grievances against them. Israel has 0.1% to do with it. Even if Israel didn't exist, the Muzzies would hate us.
The ill-faited Kosovo campaign was started by Clinton but even I don't believe he was dumb enough to do this because it would make the Muzzies happy, but because he was responding to European alarms about the first full-scale war on European soil. Blame Bush all you want, but a greater share of the blame goes to President Clinton, who unleashed these demons upon us. (If we want to get really specific, blame should go to Carter for creating the Islamo-fascist dragon in the first place.)
Moreover, Frank's blinding hatred of all things Bush has spilled over into open contempt for John McCain. I only reluctantly voted for McCain in 2008 and you can say many things about him, but one thing you cannot say is that he was no fool for looking into Putin's eyes and seeing the letters "K G and B." Don't get me wrong, I admire Putin and what he's done for Russia, but only a simpleton and a naif would believe that Putin doesn't have any blood on his hands. As an aside, I'd like to ask, since Frank despises American foreign policy and the Evangelical Protestantism that supposedly drives it, perhaps he should go live in Poland for a spell and get their perspective of Vladimir the Wonderful. Ask them whether they'd rather be allied with NATO or have to worry about the Russians.
As for McCain, knowing what we know now, I'd vote for him again. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd vote for Hillary. There is no way that either one would have done what Obama has done these past nine months. The Clintons at least were venal hypocrites; their saving grace was that Bill (at least) knew not to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Obama is not only killing it, but serving it up to ACORN and the other idiots that make up his coalition.
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