SO LONG, UKRAINE …
It wasn’t even close …
With more than three-fourths of the ballots counted, a whopping 96 percent of Crimean voters said they wanted to rejoin Russia – according to referendum results released by the Crimean Electoral Commission.
Russian troops annexed Crimea – located in Southern Ukraine – late last month in response to the unconstitutional overthrow of Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Moscow. Russia is also poised to annex several industrialized territories in Eastern Ukraine – home to large Russian populations that overwhelmingly supported Yanukovych’s 2010 election.
Not surprisingly the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama – which is banging the war drum in response to what it terms Russian “aggression” in Ukraine – condemned the vote.
In fact Obama called Putin to voice his displeasure …
“President Obama emphasized that the Crimean ‘referendum,’ which violates the Ukrainian constitution and occurred under duress of Russian military intervention, would never be recognized by the United States and the international community,” the White House said of the phone call. “He emphasized that Russia’s actions were in violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that, in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions.”
Yeah … we’re sure Putin is shaking in his boots.
Previously, Obama’s administration blasted the referendum as having been “administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”
Mmmmm-kay …
Here’s Obama’s problem … well, one of his problems: How is the U.S.-supported overthrow of a democratically elected Ukrainian president “constitutional” whereas a referendum of the Crimean people is “unconstitutional?”
Riddle us that …
In the meantime, in what universe is bailing out Ukraine’s government or amassing American military assets in the region in an effort to deter Russian “aggression” remotely consistent with our national interests?
And seeing as America is $17.4 trillion in debt … in what universe can our leaders afford to intervene?
Sing it with us, everybody …
26 comments
95.5% favourable, 79% turnout. At least when Republicans steal an election, its by reasonable margin. Putin is almost as popular as Kim Jong un.
Why do tyrants have these over-the-top sham elections results? They don’t want voters to believe they actually have a say. That is too dangerous to a tyrant. Sham elections also give the spinless liberals an excuse not to act. Sanctions and aid. No war.
Maybe – just maybe – it’s about being a Russian, not about Putin. If you gave every Russian the chance to vote, would they vote on being American?
I’m a very red blooded American, but if my house were violently over taken by Russian troops and surrounded by the Russian military – I’d have to say the wife and I and the dogs would all likely vote for Putin too during the next “election”…wouldn’t you?
If I was in Massachussetts, and Americans came to save me from Southern Rednex, I would vote for them.
Ifs buts candy and nuts.
mostly nuts
Euwe – are you very geographically savvy? Mass is filled with Americans, and very few ‘southern rednex’ this is a very odd hypothetical.
this is a very odd hypothetical.
——–
Congratulations, you take home the gold in the Odd Analogy Recognition Special Olympics for recognizing the difference in geography, but not getting the point of identification with “the south” vs “the north” parallel in the hypothetical.
Euwe, think you just typed too quickly on the first one and did think it through – presumably ur stuck here with southern rednex hoping to be saved. Good luck. No worries, I got what you meant.
No, actually.. I went to a map to see if there was a state that was connected to both kinds of states that it might want to be saved by and from.. it was too hard, so I chose the most liberal state (irony) to be the state wanting to be free… I wasn’t satisfied with the analogy either, but I wanted to capture the “north vs south” to show that even in America, geographic regions want to separate themselves to be with those more like them, that share the same history, and have relatives and so forth.
I’m not sure the people who want to intervene have thought out what it would have meant to us during the civil war if someone had stepped in to say “hey! you guys can’t do that!”
Since when has the blood of our fighting men and women been conscripted to arbitrate between parties whose difference is a purely geographical desire to be associated with a different country?
Crimea river . . . .
Yeah! I’m still crying over vaginal probes.
vaginal probes have always been a positive experience for me.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BixfAcbCQAArpzv.jpg
Let’s remember that the secession vote was from Crimea, even though Russia forced its way in there to facilitate it.
But, it’s what Russia does next that matters.
If it’s smart, it would do nothing — and for a long time.
And if we’re smart, we should take no drastic action just yet — though we should continue to get ready for anything.
The days ahead should give us all a chance to absorb what went on, and to figure out the best course to take.
No direction is obvious; and everybody’s been losing thus far — especially Russia.
The only sure thing: The US is lost under the current administration. Obama has no clue about who or how to help. And even if he did, he’s not competent enough to enact any plan that has any chance of success.
We KNOW that from his abysmal track record and penchant for failure.
Oh wise sir, please tell us what you would do.
Tap the VAST reserves in the US. When democrats got in, in 06, they began the NO DRILL policy, and gas prices immediately began to increase. That’s a fact. Bush loosened reserves in the summer of 08, and prices dropped soon after. Until Obama took over and F*#ked that up (like he has everything else)….
My question: WHY DO YOU LIE ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE? If you hate gas as an energy source, why do you play Stupid when you are called out for supporting higher prices as a conservation measure.
I think if you lying pieces of $#!* were honest about what you really want for America, you’d NEVER get elected. It’s why you lied about Obamacare, and why the people are P!$$#d as H#!! as they found out your lord-savior Obama is a F*$king LIAR….
If you just told the truth about yourselves…you would not be as repulsive.
Tango – please fill me in here – I’m a little lost – so your response to Putin to help solve the issue with Ukraine is to start drilling for more oil? How is that going to help Ukraine?
Most Crimeans are ethnically Russian anyway – this result is no huge surprise. Good luck with all that boys and girls…
“We should absolutely not go to war with Russia over this. Obama’s banging his war drums!!!”
“Ha ha, look at Obama making a phone call! Like that’s going to do anything!”
As far as I’m concerned, if this is all Obama is going to do, I’m more than happy. We voiced our displeasure, we altered our fairly open relationship with Russia in response to them doing something quite shitty, and we didn’t go to war. We aren’t doing nothing, and we aren’t going too far.
And for those of you who think we haven’t gone far enough, there is no “far enough” to dissuade Russia from doing what it wants, not unless you’re prepared to send an untold number of soldiers six feet under and untold amount of money to the trash heap. Certainly such an action would remove all doubt that Obama would indeed be Dubya the Second.
Obama needs to be somewhere between Jimmy Carter and Dubya.
Speak softly and carry a big stick…works well for Putin.
Hey Barry! Where your community organizing skills?
How is Obama beating a damn war drum when you say in the damn article that he just gave Putin a call. Make up your mind
The vote was totally flawed because the ballot had 2 choices-neither of which was keep Crimea in the Ukraine as it currently is. Furthermore, it was overwhelmingly approved because the pro-Ukraine segment of the population stayed home, Russian forces were in the area making sure everyone voted a certain way, and Russian biker gangs were showing up to the polling places with the specific intent of influencing the election.
That said, that’s Ukraine’s problem.