[K. Dackson]

Well during the campaing, good old, "Slow" Joe "Hairplug" Biden (he was my Senator when I lived in DE) said that Obama was going to be tested by world leader within 6 months of taking office.

News on Saturday http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/cuba/story/950627.html that Russia may base long range bombers in Cuba and Venezulea. Great. Joe got that one right.

Kennedy found out about the missiles in Cuba by accident and almost triggered WWIII. Here the Russians are not only provoking Obama, but they are stating it publically. They must figure this guy as a newbie and someone who can be played.

I hope the Russians are wrong, but I doubt that they are.

[wakeyboy]

Maybe the Russians have become tired of being 'played' too.

The US has missiles based in europe, a threat to the Russian Federation. Its not surprising that the Kremlin wants to redress the balance.

[K. Dackson]

Maybe the Russians have become tired of being 'played' too.

The US has missiles based in europe, a threat to the Russian Federation. Its not surprising that the Kremlin wants to redress the balance.

Why didn't thy try it with Clinton or GWB? Bet thay wouldn't have tested McCain this way.

They know President Jughead is a lightweight and will push him around like the fool that he is.

So much for "smarter" diplomacy.

[wakeyboy]

Maybe the Russians have become tired of being 'played' too.

The US has missiles based in europe, a threat to the Russian Federation. Its not surprising that the Kremlin wants to redress the balance.

Why didn't thy try it with Clinton or GWB? Bet thay wouldn't have tested McCain this way.

They know President Jughead is a lightweight and will push him around like the fool that he is.

So much for "smarter" diplomacy.

Maybe they misinterpreted the meaning behind the 'overload' button.

[Gaia]

I always wondered what Ronald Reagan meant by this statement at the UN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag44dRO8LEA&NR=1

[mr dragon]

I don't think you can quite compare this to the Cuban missile crises. The bottom line is Russia is going through a massive re structuring of it's military forces and their deployment at the moment. They're streamlining their military structure, taking away half their senior military levels, getting rid of conscription, junking a lot of their old out of date hardware, buying new technology and changing their overall military strategy. This would have happened whoever was in power in the US. The question is- it it a direct threat to the US? Right now I'd probably say no. The Russians can't return to the Cold war because it would ruin their economy- it's too inexorably linked to Europe and the US now. If Europe and the US stopped buying their energy and other products their economy (which is already suffering) would go right down the plug hole. Even with their new up dated military plans they can't take on NATO in Europe, they just don't have the capacity to. I'd say this is part sabre rattling in return to NATO expansion on their borders and part an attempt to improve their military deployment globally.