Obama's Russia Policies Are Based On Ignorance, Illusions
Obama's Russia policies are based on ignorance and driven by illusions:
President Barack Obama dismissed Russia as a nation that "doesn't make anything" and said in an interview with the Economist magazine that the West needs to be "pretty firm" with China as Beijing pushes to expand its role in the world economy.
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"Immigrants aren't rushing to Moscow in search of opportunity. The life expectancy of the Russian male is around 60 years old. The population is shrinking," he said.
Fact: Russia is making and exporting not only raw materials but also lots of industrial goods, machinery (65% increase over 5 years) and weapons:
Russia has cemented its place as the world's second largest suppliers of arms. In 2012, the country shipped $15.13 billion worth of weapons, up $2 billion from the year before.
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Although Russian arms manufacturers still sell only a third of what their American counterparts achieve, the yearly rate of growth in exports and the over-fulfillment of annual plans cannot fail to please the authorities and defense industry chiefs.
Fact: Russia has strong, net positive migration:
Russia experiences a constant flow of immigration. On average, close to 300,000 legal immigrants enter the country every year; about half are ethnic Russians from the other republics of the former Soviet Union. There is a significant inflow of ethnic Armenians, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz and Tajiks into big Russian cities, something that is viewed unfavorably by some citizens. In addition, there are an estimated 4 million illegal immigrants from the ex-Soviet states in Russia.
Fact: Over the last decade life expectancy in Russia has significantly increased:
Russia - Life expectancy at birth
Date Life expectancy Life expectancy - Men Life expectancy - Women 2012 70.46 64.90 76.30 2011 69.66 64.00 75.60 2010 68.86 63.10 74.90 2009 68.70 62.80 74.70 2008 67.90 61.80 74.20 2007 67.50 61.40 73.90 2006 66.60 60.40 73.20 2005 65.47 58.87 72.40 2004 65.42 58.87 72.30 2003 65.01 58.51 71.83 2002 65.09 58.50 72.00 2001 65.49 59.00 72.30 2000 65.34 59.00 72.00
Fact: Russia has genuine population growth:
[L]last year [..] Russia recorded its first year of natural population growth since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, with the number of births exceeding the number of deaths by 24,013. The trend continued through the beginning of this year, according to data released by the State Statistics Service at the end of May.
All four claims Obama made in the Economist interview quoted above are demonstrably false. They are mere illusions. How qualified then is he to decide on policy issues with regard to Russia?
Posted by b on August 4, 2014 at 1:27 UTC | Permalink
« previous pageGreat, just great.
Pentagon Confirms Arrival of US European Command Team in Kiev | World | RIA Novosti
MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - A team from the US European Command arrived in Kiev, Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby confirmed during Department of Defense press briefing.
"At the request of the State Department, a small survey and assessment team from US European Command did arrive today at the embassy in Kiev to assess, advise, and provide recommendations to the US embassy and their staff there about possible US support to the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, and other partners that are conducting the Malaysia Air recovery operations,” Kirby said.
Posted by: Fran | Aug 6 2014 13:26 utc | 102
Considering motive is hazardous, better to go from the bottom up with the facts, imho.
But the MH17 shoot down is really quite mysterious viewed from that angle.
First, one can exclude Russia as a perpetrator (collaborator, etc.), if one party had a lot to lose, it was Putin.
As for the separatists, they are in a Putinesque position. How does shooting down an airliner filled with civilians further their cause in any way? Presumably they themselves would view it as a despicable, horrific act, not in their ‘military’ code, and even if uncaring, it is clearly contrary to their interests. In fact blaming them from the outside seems a huge stretch and a hard sell. (As it has proved to be.)
The Ukr. Govmt / main actors. They are about to sign agreements with the EU, the IMF etc. and they shoot down a plane filled with European / Western tourists (as most of the planes would have been, and a 10-15 grieving families vs. 300 has the same effect) to… blame the separatists? I don’t think so.
I wrote before that this kind of action didn’t seem to me to be “Ukrainian,” just an impression.
A major problem with a separatist plot is that the distance, conceptual and material, between presumed separatist actions and what happened (motive, means e.g. BUK missiles) is too great. Far better something on the ground, burning babies is good to go, better in fact, much more flashy for presenting separatists as barbarians with blood lust and encompassing hate for all things not ‘on their side.’
Looking at the statements and some vid. of the Ukr. official reaction I felt they were puzzled, and were blaming the only possible (in their eyes) culprits. Out of the loop!
Imho the Ukr. authorities at the front of the scene are not competent, experienced, hardened politicians, strategists, military, they are, for some, close to nuts, for others, gangsters who have been given a free hand, all used to their own little mafia microcosm and support systems. Nobody experienced would trust them even with plans for a secret birthday party. The counter argument is plain: some key figures are under US (or US-EU) control and they manage that position in public.
We can’t know what the intended effects were. (Accepting that the plane was shot down, cause was not an internal electric failure, etc.) What were the real effects? On the ground, in the Donbass? None or nothing new. In the Ukr. parliament or the like? Nothing important happened.
World-wide, though, hate of Russia and the separatists was notched up, under false or flimsy pretexts, trumpeted by media. It is likely that the new round of sanctions against Russia were spurred by this disaster, even though all SS services in the EU know with certainty or suspect that the separatists (or Russians) were not responsible. The EU bows down to a fake script that is forcibly imposed.
The culprits were some flavor of ‘rogues.’
The US has even gone so far as to say that separatists were to blame, but it was a ‘mistake’ in an attempt to downscale.
for ex, al jazz. http://tinyurl.com/p5eyba8
ha, nothing to see here, a dumb mistake!
Posted by: Noirette | Aug 6 2014 14:36 utc | 103
Shades of Shanksville(we never saw any pictures ,but I read they found sections at least half a mile away,which fits with this);I wonder why I keep going to that in my mind.Has there been a comparable time of a history of lies by a nation on its people?Serial lie after lie,from 9-11 to Iraq to OBL to Libya to Ukraine to the Ziomonsters assault on civilization.Oy.
Posted by: dahoit | Aug 6 2014 15:20 utc | 104
@101
"...The Ukr. Govmt / main actors. They are about to sign agreements with the EU, the IMF etc. and they shoot down a plane filled with European / Western tourists (as most of the planes would have been, and a 10-15 grieving families vs. 300 has the same effect to… blame the separatists? I don’t think so I wrote before that this kind of action didn’t seem to me to be“Ukrainian,” just an impression A major problem with a separatist plot is that the distance conceptual and material, between presumed separatist actions and what happened (motive, means e.g. BUK missiles) is too great.
Far better something on the ground, burning babies is good to go, better in fact, much more flashy for presenting separatists as barbarians with blood lust and encompassing hate for all things not ‘on their side...."
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I agree with your entire post. Especially with this second paragraph of a segment I copied here. I was wondering when the "barbarians at the gate and desparate rebel" narrative was going to ramp up in the msm and it appears to be starting.
http://www.manilatimes.net/ukraine-rebels-attack-medics-casualties-rise/116721/
"...Pro-Russian insurgents’ attacks on medical units and personnel are putting sick and vulnerable people and those who care for them at risk,” Yulia Gorbunova, Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. “This appalling disregard of people who are sick or wounded can be deadly and needs to stop immediately,” she said.
The New York City-based rights group said it had documented insurgents hijacking ambulances to transport fighters, coercing medics, and expropriating equipment in what could constitute war crimes in Ukraine’s civil conflict..."
Posted by: really | Aug 6 2014 15:55 utc | 105
Obama, et al, no longer make any pretense of honesty or accuracy.
Posted by: sleepy | Aug 6 2014 16:05 utc | 106
This article (from Kiev) is getting buried under new of "heightened chance of Russian intervention" pap ... they also have an editorial deploring Kiev's use of heavy weapons, civilian population, although that stuff is at the end and likely unread by most.
Is this all just business as usual or will the "Europeans' at some point wake with a start to realize that they've now simply a subservient part of the American Empire. Having their very own "air space" -- like having the trains not-run-on-time -- is sometimes what it takes for people to wonder "what's this all about really?" and the 40% hike in heating bills hasn't even kicked in ....
Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Aug 6 2014 18:06 utc | 107
Posted by: @ bullshit-bot | Aug 6, 2014 7:32:49 AM | 100
Your name applies. the underdog in this fight - the sick, old and poor who cannot leave the war zone are definitively unarmed.
Ukrainians are given guns instead of jobs and a decent life.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 6 2014 23:24 utc | 108
Continuing…
Opinion: A former head of an Israeli liaison organization (“Nativ”) about situation in Ukraine and possible developments.
Yaakov Kedmi:
The other thing Russia planned - to secure the non-block status - was influencing the internal organization of Ukraine by federalizing of the country. There was not lack in that. Additionally, Russia has rejected, what was probably discussed on operational level, the incursion in Ukraine and helping it to reestablish the normal governance as Russia sees it. Other plan to annex Malorossia (Smaller Russia) by upholding independence movement in Malorossia, all regions included, was rejected as well.By today, the only thing that is left and expected by some parts of Russia’s society that certain help will be provided that at least in two regions the movement for independence would not get crushed by the Ukrainian army…
It is possible that Russia has considered Ukraine to go to the hell. Let it go where it wants to go. Because, given avalanche of sanctions, Russia would incur a liability to carry Ukraine on its back. May be, Russia has decided like pull, guys, Ukraine from the mire yourself. We are going to overcome the sanctions, yet you guys deal with Ukraine as a revenge. Go on, spend tens billions of dollars, just to see how this affects your economics as well as Ukraine’s.
By all other indicators, Russia has begun economic and political breakup with Ukraine. This, in the first place, is the military-industrial complex and also other industries. Secondly, which depends on Russia’s ability as the state, it could admit a part of population of Malorossia and absorb it as economically as purely humane. Provided that Russia can do that well, It would have compensated the Ukrainian debacle by creating a natural flow of immigration from Ukraine of the most interesting and efficient workforce.
Being most reasonable to be done in place of Russia, the issue of absorption of native Russians from other regions of former Soviet Union appears, say mildly, unsuccessful. In contemporary world, if Russia rejects expansion through annexing territories, it must vie for the other most valuable recourse - the population. That is, the population whether local or visiting needs the humane treatment. So far, Russia has not done this at the due level. Possibly, the Ukrainian debacle would prompt changes. The human potential is priceless for a state.
Although the human factor was no always revered, Yosif Issarionovich (Stalin) used to say a brilliant phrase “the cadres define it all”.To summarize, the future of Russia, as any other state, is defined by the quantity and quality of the population, be it political, technical or military elite. Emphasizing attention to people would compensate the sanctions, lost of Ukraine, even hostility of the Ukrainian state…
Posted by: Fete | Aug 7 2014 5:09 utc | 109
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http://acloserlookonsyria.shoutwiki.com/wiki/List_of_MH17_airframe_parts
[Petri Krohn's] analysis of the physical evidence results in the following preliminary conclusion:
Posted by: info | Aug 6 2014 12:15 utc | 101