Obama to go hat in hand to the Russians to beg forgiveness.

[Berkut]

Heard on NPR this morning that Obama is going to meet with Medvedev to request that "reset" on US-Russian relations.

The Russian foreign minister, of course, said that Russia would be happy to see a change in US-Russian relations, but of course all of that change would need to come from the US side, seeing as it is the US who fucked it all up to begin with of course.

Starting with getting rid of this missile defense system, and of course no more NATO expansion.

Of course, it is all bullshit - Russia has nothing to gain from getting chummy with the US and plenty to lose, so they are just playing him for the fool.

This is going to be embarrassing.

[Faeelin]

Why would he possibly want to do this?

This sounds sufficiently awful that I kind of want to hear more, since I didn't think Obama was that stupid.

[Caliga]

Campaign promises.  He doesn't seem to realize he isn't running for President anymore, but is supposed to actually... you know... *be* President at this juncture.

[derspiess]

Well Hillary went & told Mexico that their crime problems were our fault, so this would kind of mesh with what appears to be our foreign policy.  Maybe Obama should apologize to Putinvedev for us winning the Cold War?

[Valmy]

Well Hillary went & told Mexico that their crime problems were our fault

Well we certainly have a large responsibility for Mexico's crime problems but that does tend to overstate it a bit.

But then did she really say that they were our fault?

[Valmy]

Campaign promises.  He doesn't seem to realize he isn't running for President anymore, but is supposed to actually... you know... *be* President at this juncture.

And he is trying a different tack with the Russians, our past policies were not exactly a smashing success we should be falling over ourselves to emulate.  Might as well try something different and see how it turns out I guess.

[Ed Anger]

I hope he sells out the Poles.

[Neil]

I hope he sells out the Poles.

You beat me to the punch.  Nothing would be finer than watching footage of the Red Army rolling back into Warsaw.

[DGuller]

And he is trying a different tack with the Russians, our past policies were not exactly a smashing success we should be falling over ourselves to emulate.  Might as well try something different and see how it turns out I guess.

I'm afraid that Russia as it is right now is incompatible with US, so good relations will not be possible no matter what.  That said, I don't think Obama is being super-naive either, he has a long history of proving to be more ruthless and calculating than he lets on.

[derspiess]

But then did she really say that they were our fault?

That's the way it came across to me.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52O5RF20090325?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the death of police officers, soldiers and civilians," Clinton told reporters during her flight to Mexico City.

"I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility."

So much for the tough-talking hard-nosed SoS we were supposed to have gotten.  It's one thing to make casual mention certain U.S. factors that contribute to the problem-- this amounts to a mea culpa IMO.

One thing Dems are awfully good at is apologizing to foreigners 

[derspiess]

That said, I don't think Obama is being super-naive either, he has a long history of proving to be more ruthless and calculating than he lets on.

No shit.  Look what he did to our British allies.

[Berkut]

Campaign promises.  He doesn't seem to realize he isn't running for President anymore, but is supposed to actually... you know... *be* President at this juncture.

And he is trying a different tack with the Russians, our past policies were not exactly a smashing success we should be falling over ourselves to emulate.  Might as well try something different and see how it turns out I guess.

This is making the same error that Obama is making - assuming that the result of "past policies" are completely based on what the US has done.

Why do you say our past policies in regards to Russia where not a smashing success, such that radical change to this kissing ass mode is needed?

I am not sure I would argue that they were a smashing success, but at the same time I would argue that US-Russian relations are mostly based on Russian actions and incredible inconsistency. These latest attempts from our side, IMO, are mostly driven by domestic politics, as are previous Russian aggression and intransigence.

So now we are going to combine a US policy largely driven by domestic concerns with a Russian policy largely driven by their domestic concerns. I don't think that can possibly end well.

[Berkut]

And he is trying a different tack with the Russians, our past policies were not exactly a smashing success we should be falling over ourselves to emulate.  Might as well try something different and see how it turns out I guess.

I'm afraid that Russia as it is right now is incompatible with US, so good relations will not be possible no matter what.  That said, I don't think Obama is being super-naive either, he has a long history of proving to be more ruthless and calculating than he lets on.

I hope you are right.

But I got burned by hoping for the best with The Shrubbery, and assuming eh cannot possibly be as naive a he is letting on. I am hesitant to go down that road again.

[Valmy]

I am not sure I would argue that they were a smashing success, but at the same time I would argue that US-Russian relations are mostly based on Russian actions and incredible inconsistency. These latest attempts from our side, IMO, are mostly driven by domestic politics, as are previous Russian aggression and intransigence.

So now we are going to combine a US policy largely driven by domestic concerns with a Russian policy largely driven by their domestic concerns. I don't think that can possibly end well.

You could be right about that one.  I frankly do not see what difference it will make unless we start making real concessions but I do not see that happening.  So I am rather apathetic.  But anyway why not say nice things to the Russians?  He is traveling around distributing warm fuzzies anyway, might as well pass out some warm fuzzies to Moscow.

[Valmy]

That's the way it came across to me.

Well she is fucking spot on.  We are absolutely co-reponsible for how fucked up the border area is and anybody who says otherwise is an idiot or a liar or both.  Do you think differently and why?  We have been ignoring the border forever and I have no idea why.  Bush was supposed to work on the actually giving a shit about Mexico part in DC but he got distracted by the, IMO, far smaller problem of our Middle Eastern issues.

One thing Dems are awfully good at is apologizing to foreigners

Far better than what both parties are great at: ignoring huge problems close to home to chase insane dreams in the old world.  You talk like this is some sort of problem in Cambodia or some shit instead of something that has a dramatic effect on tens of millions on both sides of the border.