Putin Blinked

[carlfense]

Lets add it up: Putins seizure of Crimea has weakened the Russian economy, led to China getting a bargain gas deal, revived NATO, spurred Europe to start ending its addiction to Russian gas and begun a debate across Europe about increasing defense spending. Nice work, Vladimir. Thats why I say the country Putin threatens most today is Russia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/opinion/friedman-putin-blinked.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

[Creighton Duke]

Did you just come upon this (May 24) or were you waiting until the EU deal was signed to feel more confident about posting it?

[carlfense]

Did you just come upon this (May 24) or were you waiting until the EU deal was signed to feel more confident about posting it?

Just came upon it. It does look even better in retrospect, eh?

 

I don't normally read the NYT.

[Creighton Duke]

 

Did you just come upon this (May 24) or were you waiting until the EU deal was signed to feel more confident about posting it?

Just came upon it. It does look even better in retrospect, eh?

 

I don't normally read the NYT.

 

Better for whom? Ukraine in 50 years? Probably EU now? Maybe? Ukraine now? No, no , no

[carlfense]

 

 

Did you just come upon this (May 24) or were you waiting until the EU deal was signed to feel more confident about posting it?

Just came upon it. It does look even better in retrospect, eh?

 

I don't normally read the NYT.

 

Better for whom? Ukraine in 50 years? Probably EU now? Maybe? Ukraine now? No, no , no

 

Better for Friedman's position.

 

(Although it's quite possible that few care about media or political accuracy at this point.)

[TGHusker]

Good OP Ed. I didn't realize all of this was happening behind the scenes. I'll give Obama credit for not over reacting. (ok Carl, pick yourself off the floor.)

[LukeinNE]

Typically the best way to get no one to notice that the (imagined) intellectual masterstroke of your career has been shot to hell is to take a victory lap.

 

 

So I've had this thesis for a long time and came here to Hamburger University at McDonald's headquarters to finally test it out. The thesis is this: No two countries that both have a McDonald's have ever fought a war against each other.

 

Ahem.

[Creighton Duke]

Good OP Ed. I didn't realize all of this was happening behind the scenes. I'll give Obama credit for not over reacting. (ok Carl, pick yourself off the floor.)

"not over reacting (sic)"? Please explain

[Creighton Duke]

 

 

 

Did you just come upon this (May 24) or were you waiting until the EU deal was signed to feel more confident about posting it?

Just came upon it. It does look even better in retrospect, eh?

 

I don't normally read the NYT.

 

Better for whom? Ukraine in 50 years? Probably EU now? Maybe? Ukraine now? No, no , no

 

Better for Friedman's position.

 

(Although it's quite possible that few care about media or political accuracy at this point.)

 

I agree with this and, to be fair, most readers are only going to think in the short-term. For one, Vlad is the world's greatest chess player. I can't imagine that there wasn't some kind of reason to this rhyme. Second, it ignores the oncoming plight of the Ukrainian people (but you're right; it is all about pushing his POSITION as opposed to exposing the REAL concerns of the situation).

[carlfense]

(but you're right; it is all about pushing his POSITION as opposed to exposing the REAL concerns of the situation).

What is all about pushing his position? That it looks even more accurate with hindsight? If so, I agree.

 

Regarding the real concerns of the situation . . . is there something in particular that you'd like to add beyond the scope of the OpEd?

[carlfense]

Typically the best way to get no one to notice that the (imagined) intellectual masterstroke of your career has been shot to hell is to take a victory lap.

 

 

 

So I've had this thesis for a long time and came here to Hamburger University at McDonald's headquarters to finally test it out. The thesis is this: No two countries that both have a McDonald's have ever fought a war against each other.

Ahem.

 

From your first link:

Obviously, I say all this tongue in cheek.

Not to mention the whole nearly twenty years later bit . . .

[Creighton Duke]

 

(but you're right; it is all about pushing his POSITION as opposed to exposing the REAL concerns of the situation).

What is all about pushing his position? That it looks even more accurate with hindsight? If so, I agree.

 

Regarding the real concerns of the situation . . . is there something in particular that you'd like to add beyond the scope of the OpEd?

 

It may look more accurate on June 27, 2014, but I doubt it will even by December 27, 2014.

 

In regards to you second point:

 

 

Better for whom? Ukraine in 50 years? Probably EU now? Maybe? Ukraine now? No, no , no

[carlfense]

In regards to you second point:

Better for whom? Ukraine in 50 years? Probably EU now? Maybe? Ukraine now? No, no , no[/size]

 

Ukraine in 50 years? Who knows? Absolutely impossible to say.

 

Ukraine now? If you're asking whether they are better off with Putin standing down I'd say yes. Yes they are.

 

The EU now? Eh. The EU is and was a pretty terrible idea.

[LukeinNE]

 

Not to mention the whole nearly twenty years later bit . . .

 

 

FWIW, he makes the same claim in The World is Flat (published 9 years ago), that's how I knew to look for it. In any case, Friedman's entire career is made up of taking complex situations and reducing them to trite oversimplifications.

 

In fact, I’d like to say more: Putin got pretty much everything wrong in Ukraine.

 

 

Except of course for the tiny matter of getting exactly what he wanted. Unless the West maintains economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia until they return Crimea to the Ukraine, Putin's play was absolutely worth it.

[ShawnWatson]

Everybody blinks you guys, this isn't a big deal IMO.