Master Judoka Putin "The Gracious" Outclasses "Lame Duck" Obama
The typical pettiness and vengefulness of the Obama administration was at full display with yesterday's expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closing of two Russian estates in New York and Maryland. Obama also sanctioned the Russian external intelligence service FSB and the military intelligence service GRU as well as some of its leaders for doing their job.
The move was ostensibly over alleged but completely unproven Russian "hacking" to influence the U.S. election. But the real reason is likely Obama's loss of face after being left out of the successful negotiations of a new ceasefire in Syria.
True to form the Russian government responded with high-class trolling and generosity.
The first move came through the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom. It tweeted about the current status of the Obama administration:
The tweet gained so far more then 17,000 retweets and 19,000+ likes - certainly a "best of the year" candidate.
In response leaks and speculations appeared in the U.S. aligned media about the bad, bad Russian responses to Obama's moves.
CNN claimed that Russia would close the American school in Moscow:
The nonprofit day school, which enrolls international students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, will be closed along with the U.S. Embassy vacation dacha in Serebryany Bor on the outskirts of Moscow, according to a CNN report.
Then BBC and others said that Russia would expel 35 U.S. diplomats and spies.
But showing real greatness is not about hitting back in kind. The Russian President Putin (again) outclassed Obama with this response:
Putin decides not to expel US diplomats from Russia
MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision not to expel any US diplomats from Russia in retaliation for Washington’s latest sanctions against Moscow.Putin also said that Russia would not prevent the families and children (of diplomats) from using the customary rest and leisure facilities and sites during the New Year holidays.
"Moreover, I am inviting all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas parties in the Kremlin," Putin said.
The Russian compounds in Maryland and New York Obama closed are used for vacations of Russian kids in the U.S.
Putin's counter is using his opponent's moment of inertia to bring him to fall. A classic judoka move by a high master of the art.
"We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures but we will not stoop to the level of the so-called kitchen diplomacy, so we will take further steps to restore Russia-US relations taking into account the Trump administration’s policy," Putin said.
Ouch. The "lame duck" tweet must have already hit Obama, but this is so far out that Obama has no chance to ever catch up.
The foreign policy of two Obama administrations has been a terrible mess. Think about his big initiatives and the results at the end of his rule:
- "Reset" with Russia: FAILED
- Negotiations with Iran: Somewhat succeeded but not institutionalized and in high danger of being reversed
- "Pivot" to Asia: FAILED
- TTP and TTIP trade pacts: FAILED:
- New Middle-East peace initiative: FAILED
- Regime change in Ukraine: Somewhat succeeded by ended in a huge fascist mess
- Regime change in Libya: Somewhat succeeded by ended in a huge terrorist haven mess
- Regime change in Syria: FAILED
About the only thing Obama achieved in foreign policy was to keep the European poodles in line. An easy task due to the lack of good European politicians. He had no chance though against the great and gracious opponent Putin can be.
Putin's high class move today set the tombstone over a presidency history will judge far worse than its contemporary media echos reflect.
Posted by b on December 30, 2016 at 14:03 UTC | Permalink
next page »Lavrov and Putin enticed the MSM into releasing news articles stating Russia would expel 35 diplomats in retaliation by merely reporting Lavrovs 'proposal' to Putin. Once a series of rabid articles had been published stating that had occurred, the decision to retaliate in kind had been made, both Moscow and St Petersburg ... well, Putin delivers this masterstroke of generosity, graciousness & statesmanship.
Oh, and the MSM has been producing evermore FakeNews re the actual positions of the agencies and some GOP senators/congressman too ...
Intelligence assessmentsThe Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which oversees the 17 agency-strong US intelligence community, has not embraced the CIA's assessment, sources have told Reuters.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose standards require it to make cases that can stand up in court, also declined to accept the CIA's analysis.
...
'Thin reed'
“[It was] a thin reed upon which to base an analytical judgment,” another official said in response to the speculation. He stressed that the “judgment based on the fact that Russian entities hacked both Democrats and Republicans and only the Democratic information was leaked.”
Republican Senator John McCain said on Monday there was "no information" that Russian hacking of US political organisations was aimed at influencing the election.
"It's obvious that the Russians hacked into our campaigns," McCain said told Reuters.
"But there is no information that they were intending to affect the outcome of our election and that's why we need a congressional investigation."
Oh and that document from Homeland Security, the supposed publicly released 'evidence' of Russian election hacking ?
It has this disclaimer:
'Disclaimer: This report is provided 'as is' for informational purposes only. The Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) does not provide any warranties of any kind regarding any information contained within. ...'
RAOTFLMFAO
Posted by: Outraged | Dec 30 2016 14:37 utc | 2
Posted this in another thread, but its directly relevant and appropriate here:
Russian embassy pokes fun at Britain for its silence over Syria ceasefire on Twitter
'Are they jealous or on holiday?' Russian embassy pokes fun at Britain for its silence over Syria ceasefire... and asks Twitter to decide why the UK has made no comment
A nationwide Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey started at midnight
But Russian embassy in London has asked why Britain had made no comment
Suggests three reasons on Twitter: 'Jealousy', 'FCO on holiday' or 'can't believe'
Twitter users asked to decide on reason and 1,000 votes have already been cast...
Posted by: Outraged | Dec 30 2016 14:57 utc | 3
Great Toon and yes once again Putin wins without a punch thrown.
Posted by: jo6pac | Dec 30 2016 15:05 utc | 4
Obama involved in quite a few Hit & Runs of late. How yellow is that belly...? Embarrassing.
Posted by: MadMax2 | Dec 30 2016 15:08 utc | 5
This has me grinning ear to ear today. After making the rounds of the social media and comment boards this is a spectacularly brilliant response by Putin says everyone.
We've never seen anything like Obama and what he is doing. The sabotage has been set up though and they certainly have false flags lined for Trump to distract him from undoing Obama's failures. Then the MSM will obediently wrap the narrative up to detract from Trump's base. Will they ever learn?
Putin flies fire fighting bombers, Obama rides bicycles.
Posted by: Gravatomic | Dec 30 2016 15:11 utc | 6
Putin, Obama Judo is so hilarious and the whole enchilada of Obama's foreign policy re: Russia.
Impotent Obama; potent Putin...
Posted by: V. Arnold | Dec 30 2016 15:16 utc | 7
Again the cartoon says it all.
Obama proves he is impotent.
I hope Trump behaves just half as well as Putin ... a serious class act by an american president for a change. When was the last class act by an american head of state?
Posted by: cabeza del toro | Dec 30 2016 15:26 utc | 8
I think Trump will ignore all the Obama traps left behind, and deal directly, man to man, with the Russian president. I think that they both want a deal rather badly for their own reasons.
And I believe that both nation's publics will be glad to hear the news.
I love that cartoon at the end.
Posted by: Morongobill | Dec 30 2016 15:46 utc | 9
Recent pettiness and lies show the US has sunk to the politics of children.
Posted by: Mick McNulty | Dec 30 2016 15:53 utc | 10
Fair enough but I wouldn't praise any capitalist country or its leaders too much. Class exploitation, mass poverty and corruption exists in Russia as much as it does in the U.S..
Posted by: Ninel | Dec 30 2016 16:12 utc | 11
I remember a couple of years ago with Ukraine such a front and center issue how we agonized over Russia's apparent trailing position in the "information war" especially as western MSM revealed itself to be more massively pervasive than we even thought.
At the time it was difficult to see how Russia had already been fighting back (for example with such things as the success of RT), and especially difficult to see how Russia could prevail against such a global web of lies. Some of us agreed that Russia was not fighting words with words in terms of equal numbers, but rather working on entire paradigm shifts, often simply through the pure demonstration of its own correct behavior. (In many ways this parallels the way Russia has armed itself against the massive arsenal of the US with more simple counters that cut through the massiveness at a stroke.)
And now here we are. Russia shows increasingly how superbly deft is its touch across the social media platforms, and how well coordinated are its official actions. The paradigm screams itself to the world: Here is a sovereign nation that has its shit together. Versus that other nation that is currently showing its ass to the world.
And the world sees. The world is tired of last year's man. And somehow we never even saw the "information war" being waged. And yet here we are.
Posted by: Grieved | Dec 30 2016 16:14 utc | 12
It gets better. Not only has Russian not expelled US diplomats, it has invited their children to see the Kremlin Christmas Tree. Putin has also sent Obomber a persoanl New Year gift - a 'hasta la vista' T shirt and the original 'reset' button (deliberately mistranslated by the US as 'overload')
http://tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201612301537-52ek.htm
Is there such a thing as chess-level trolling?
Posted by: Yonatan | Dec 30 2016 16:14 utc | 13
> Putin's counter is using his opponent's moment of inertia to bring him to fall. A classic judoka move by a high master of the art.
Well said—a Putin fan myself BTW—BUT BEWARE, not every day of the week = Sunday. Judo = honorable, principled, martial art. US exercises street-fighting instead, where the only *rule* is that there are none.
A judoka is no match for a streetfighter *normally*.
Posted by: Roy Lanek | Dec 30 2016 16:21 utc | 14
Another significant negative for Obama was his intervention in the Brexit debate. Telling the UK it would go to the back of the queue in trade talks will have riled a great many people.
Posted by: Shakesvshav | Dec 30 2016 16:24 utc | 15
Roy Lanek 13
With a KGB background, Putin may also have a little insight into street fighting?
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 16:32 utc | 16
"Now, the whole world can see what a crushing blow President Barack Obama and his unskilled team delivered to Washington’s reputation and leadership. No enemy could do worse to the United States," Zakharova wrote on Facebook.
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201612301049146543-obama-russia-sanctions/
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 16:38 utc | 17
This is spot on:
We Do Not Live in “Post Truth” World, We Live in a World of Lies and We Always Have
Posted by: rg the lg | Dec 30 2016 16:56 utc | 19
Maybe it's time to leave the nuclear football in Washington
while Barry spends his last Potus days in Hawaii.
Posted by: Perimetr | Dec 30 2016 17:03 utc | 20
Putin = master/unsurpassed in analytical thinking—which is why the KGB might have enrolled him in the 1st place.
Posted by: Roy Lanek | Dec 30 2016 17:04 utc | 21
The only thing wrong with the cartoon is that the US would not bow respectfully at the beginning of the match (preferring instead to posture and throw out insults) and while lashing out would not only hit itself but a number of innocent bystanders.
The US administration should be thoroughly embarrassed by their actions, yet somehow I doubt they will be.
Posted by: WorldBLee | Dec 30 2016 17:16 utc | 22
lol! i like the cartoon as well.. taking the energy of your opponent and redirecting it at their expense... classic martial arts soft style method..
@12 yonatan.. thanks for that! "a persoanl New Year gift - a 'hasta la vista' T shirt" !!!
Posted by: james | Dec 30 2016 17:31 utc | 24
I like this short cut.
To me it's time of revelation and the President works professionally as a role-model of a normal professional worker (in the Vineyard).
I did several musings to Vladimir Vladimirovich, this is a shorter one of them:
http://astromundanediary.blogspot.de/2016/10/to-vladimir-like-genius-workes-with-gods.html
Posted by: mundanomaniac | Dec 30 2016 17:43 utc | 26
About the only thing Obama achieved in foreign policy was to keep the European poodles in line.Except the EU seems to be falling apart. Washington have tried blaming this on Putin but Putin has always wanted a stable EU as it means he doesn't have to worry about the idiots in western and eastern Europe deciding to invade Russia. If anyone is responsible for instability in Europe it's Obama, Clinton and Kerry along with Cameron, May, Sarkozy, and Hollande and their fuck-ups in Ukraine, Libya and Syria.
Posted by: Ghostship | Dec 30 2016 17:47 utc | 27
"Putin = master/unsurpassed in analytical thinking—which is why the KGB might have enrolled him in the 1st place."
"Putin enrolled at Leningrad State University in 1970, earning his law degree five years later. At age 22 he was recruited into the KGB – and for the next 16 years worked as a self-described “specialist in human relations.” "
Apparently this either-or disease even extends to the MoA space.
Vladimir Putin is the sort of person that joins up with an outfit like KGB at the height of USSR corruption, repression, and yes, violence. You can try and whitewash this as much as you want but it is what is.
(Entirely fair to point out that someone like Bush the senior is equally scummy for his affiliation with the American counterpart of KGB.)
These people are not our heroes. They work for the man behind the curtain.
I also find it odd that Americans would sit and cheer a declared adversary that is shitting on American institutions. Sure he's a lame duck president, and my money is on his being a CIA deep asset, but he is still the American president.
Cutting off your nose to spite your face has never been a sign of intelligence.
Posted by: nobody | Dec 30 2016 18:01 utc | 28
As noted, Obama escalated chaos within several and destroyed several Latin American governments, reinstalling neoliberalcon cronies, so b's list is unfortunately biased and incomplete.
Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 30 2016 18:04 utc | 29
Posted by: nobody | Dec 30, 2016 1:01:37 PM | 26
Your age is showing, take a nap grandpa.
Posted by: Gravatomic | Dec 30 2016 18:22 utc | 30
nobody 26
A declared adversary? A declared adversary... jeez climb outa the rabbit hole.
I know that for many yanks, yankland is the center of the universe but other parts of the world may look at it a bit differently. The stench coming out of it of late makes it smell like the worlds sewer.
What was that thing at the Nuremberg trials? Following orders is no excuse ... something along those lines.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 18:22 utc | 31
PeterAU, relax:
"one's opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute: Davis beat his old adversary in the quarterfinals."
"I picked my word precisely". I did not say "enemy". Obviously there is strong disagreement about who gets to lord it over which brown people.
"What was that thing at the Nuremberg trials? Following orders is no excuse ... something along those lines."
Calm down and get a grip.
Posted by: nobody | Dec 30 2016 18:32 utc | 32
@13, Lanek
US exercises street-fighting instead
My memory is kinda fuzzy, can you remind me when was the last time US "exercised street-fighting" against near peer, let alone peer? Somehow, I can not recall any such instance, not since the end of the Pacific War in 1945.
A judoka is no match for a streetfighter *normally*.
A judoka armed with AK-74 is more than a match for any "street-fighter". Evidently you got so caught up in your own hyperbole, that you forgot that Russia, whose President is Vladimir Putin, is the only nation in the world which can annihilate the United States. I would also go out on a limb here and state that she is the only one nation in the world which can conventionally defeat any combination of adversaries in her immediate geographic vicinity.
Posted by: SmoothieX12 | Dec 30 2016 18:43 utc | 33
B
A better comparison from a strategic forecast, rather than a 20-day brief self-congratulatory one, would have been Obama and Duterte, who each kicked out ambassadors who were really intelligence asset provocateurs.
Less LRB teen spirit for 2017. Remember Pivot to Asia is very much in play, we know nothing of the future of TPP under Trump, but we do know his State Department will be under the 'day-to-day control' of ultra-rabbinical former Third UnderSecretary of the UN Teapot Exchequer, John Bolton, who today called for massive retaliation against Russia, and Trump has war hawk anti-Iran Pompeo in the CIA to plot with.
Together these two may make your final takedown of the Obama regime seem like wandering idly down into the tidelands to see where all the water drained off to.
"Wayall, whats that 10m tall wall of water in the distunce?"
"Run, Forrest, run!"
Anyway, ding, dong, the wicked hag-witch is dead!
That's the important news for MoA. Happy New Year!
Posted by: chipnik | Dec 30 2016 18:45 utc | 34
nobody 31
An adversary would be an opponent competing for the same goal. The US goal for some time seems to have been full spectrum dominance.
The goal of the current Russian leadership seems to be a multipolar world.
Russia is a declared adversary because it will not accept US full spectrum dominance and has the capability to tell the US to fuck off.
As far as I can see, the men behind the curtains that thought they could control Putin are now behind bars.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 18:48 utc | 35
If the AU of the PeterAU is Australia, then let me remind you that your nation, as USA, is part of the British-cum-AngloZionist empire and you guys are just as neck deep in this as us "Yanks".
Russia is seeking dominance in the region, what they call in typical imperialist fashion, "near abroad". That sort of mindset is not the mindset of harmless "leave us alone and we'll leave you alone" nations.
Sure, they are competing for "dominance". And why are you in Australia cheering for the other bully? Either you are anti-bully, in which case say the Good Word, otherwise (if authentic and not puppet/bot) then you are just a confused malcontent.
Posted by: nobody | Dec 30 2016 19:12 utc | 36
December 30, 2016 POP QUIz
Who has the largest penis?
A. Barry Obama
B. Mitchell Obama
C. Donald 'Little Hands' Trump
Posted by: ALberto | Dec 30 2016 19:16 utc | 37
You seem a bit confused nobody. Generally speaking, the white Australian nobody's live in permanent fear of their anglosphere being engulfed in invading yellow hordes from China rather than vodka swilling bears from Russia.
Me- I'm just a white anglo Australian with no illusions about our past or future.
Countries change, governments change. Currently the US is the worlds biggest threat. Russia is perhaps the only country with the military capability to make the US back off and currently has a responsible leadership so I am cheering for Russia this time round.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 19:39 utc | 38
Proposal by Sergey Lavrov, denied by Kremlin, president Putin ...
FM Sergey #Lavrov: Russian Foreign Ministry
presented to President #Putin suggestions to
proclaim 35 American diplomats 'persona non grata'
Nice deflection of good cop, bad cop ... excellent PR
for turnaround of Old into a New Year 2017!
Best wishes to all @MoA
Sorry to see so many new trolls here today.
Moa is the very best und informative blog nowadays!
I wish all participants here a good new year! Cheers Ejnar Ekstrom
Ouch.
Trump pissed at Obama's move to pre-sabotage his new Russia policy. Adds a kick to the ass after Putin's winning move.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrumpGreat move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!
Dear B,
I think you forgot to mention one very significant policy failure of the US under O'Bomber and that was to gain the military base in Sevastopol, in Crimea. That was the one big prize the Americans wanted to gain full dominance over the Black Sea and its resources, including control of any oil and gas pipelines going through the Black Sea from the Caspian Sea region to Europe. This would have made the Europeans even more dependent on the US and forced them into the position of lapdogs.
Instead by backing the putsch against Ukrainian President Yanukovych in February 2014 and turning a blind eye to the new regime's abuses and links to extreme nationalist groups espousing Nazi-style ideology and hero-worshipping Stepan Bandera (a known Nazi collaborator who also worked for the CIA and MI6 in the 1950s), the US enabled the Crimeans (through their ignorance of the complicated political arrangements Crimea had with Ukraine) to run back to Russia through an independence referendum and then a request for reincorporation which was accepted by Moscow.
Putin didn't even have to do anything apart from ordering Russian military personnel already stationed in Sevastopol to protect polling booths from being attacked by pro-Nazi thugs during the referendum.
Now that should have counted as a spectacular FAIL for the US.
Posted by: Jen | Dec 30 2016 20:09 utc | 42
> My memory is kinda fuzzy
Not only your memory. Collins maybe? "Violent and illegal
fighting between individuals or groups."
Posted by: Roy Lanek | Dec 30 2016 20:16 utc | 43
@Jen - in the sense of Crimea, yes a fail - Navy had even already planned some building there!
@all
Trump has pinned the above tweet to the top of his stream!
Putin's move is not only anti-Obama, who is after all about to depart, and not useful to insult, but also intended to lay down a marker for future US policy. Evidently US policy under Trump is unpredictable. Perhaps Putin is laying down definitions, in order to limit Trump's choices.
Good move though. I've always been an admirer of Putin's capacity to understand international politics.
Posted by: Laguerre | Dec 30 2016 20:24 utc | 45
b
"Navy had even already planned some building there!"
Excellent! Bookmarks and print screen below.
Agency: Department of the Navy Office: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Location: NAVFAC Europe and Southwest Asia.
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 30 2016 20:29 utc | 46
Synopsis:
Added: Sep 05, 2013 2:58 am
The purpose of this request for proposal is for the design and construction for the renovation of Sevastopol School #5 in Sevastopol, Ukraine in accordance with the attachments.
Added: Sep 12, 2013 7:58 am
Amendment 0001 is issued on September 12, 2013 to replace the original Technical Specifications with revised Attachment 1 - Technical Specifications School #5 Ver 002. As a result, CLIN 0005 - OPTION 4 Additional Roof Repair has been deleted and replaced with CLIN 0005 - OPTION 4 Additional Facade Renovation and Window Replacement.
Offerors MUST use Attachment 1 - Technical Specifications School #5 Ver 002 as the basis for their price proposal.
Added: Sep 26, 2013 9:11 am
Amendment 0002 is issued to address preproposal questions.
Added: Apr 15, 2014 5:18 am
Due to the current climate in Ukraine, the subject solicitation is hereby cancelled.
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 30 2016 20:33 utc | 47
Jack @ 45,46
Very interesting documents.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Posted by: ALberto | Dec 30 2016 20:52 utc | 48
OMG, can you believe the pettiness Of Obama and his masters ? A major coup for Russia around the globe.
Posted by: ben | Dec 30 2016 20:53 utc | 49
b,
HAPPIEST OF NEW YEARS TO YOU AND YOURS.
Thank You For Providing blog.
PEACE
Posted by: ALberto | Dec 30 2016 20:54 utc | 50
Barry may not be sane.
Repeat.
Barry may not be sane.
Nukes.
Barry may not be sane.
Posted by: pubumwei | Dec 30 2016 20:58 utc | 52
Yonatan @ 12
Here is the "Reset" Button translator:
Posted by: Enrico Malatesta | Dec 30 2016 20:59 utc | 53
Oui
"Amendment 0002 is issued to address preproposal questions.
Added: Apr 15, 2014 5:18 am"
"Due to the current climate in Ukraine, the subject solicitation is hereby cancelled."
I highlight it #46. Please go to "Department of the Navy Office: Naval Facilities Engineering Command" website and read the all PDF files.
NOTE: Bookmarked and make a print screen for future references. I kept over 6,000 bookmarked since 2012 on Ukraine. The only browser able to save, find and find it fast is Opera. :-)
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 30 2016 21:27 utc | 55
Putin is a CLASS ACT.....Definition of a genuine world leader.
Posted by: Gerry1211 | Dec 30 2016 21:30 utc | 56
@ALberto
Thanks, same to you. For me I'm not happy hard time ahead! Cheers :-)
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 30 2016 21:31 utc | 57
@ Jack Smith
Similar in Syria. In 2014 US Embassy Damascus Syria website had a tender page up calling for US only companies to supply and install oil infrastructure equipment in rebel held areas of Syria.
Most of the site seemed to have been wiped late 2014 early 2015, however I was able to dig the document up sometime later at the US Department of State site. Unable to find it again now, though someone with better computer skills may be able to dig it up.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 30 2016 21:33 utc | 58
Brilliant and classy move by Putin, I can bet Obama is even more angry now.
LMAO at Trump's tweet.
Happy New Year!
Posted by: Harry | Dec 30 2016 21:33 utc | 59
Barry is insane
http://theduran.com/obama-lost-touch-reality-concerning-russia/
Posted by: pubumwei | Dec 30 2016 21:38 utc | 60
Even better:
Churkin, the Russian UN representative has said the Trump administation can be an important participant in Syria (with the obvious implication about Obama!)
Posted by: Yonatan | Dec 30 2016 21:50 utc | 61
What bothers me is how unworthy these table scraps ought to be for a seasoned politician, let alone a mature society. Congratulations Vlad, you trolled the US! Congratulations Barrack, your administration's finest work was in public relations, and this is how it's come full circle. The pot shots across the diplomatic divide! God forbid someone does the hard work of finding a way to overcome the confluence of homegrown forces that reinforce a cold war posture to define the inevitable multi-polar world. And anyone thinking Vlad is waiting to do anything but stick a 'kick me' note on Trump's back, is not being realistic, and not foreseeing that the humiliation will backfire with some maniac taking the oval office in the next term vowing to defend our amorphous honor. The biggest disappointment of becoming an adult was realizing that adults are just older empowered kids.
Posted by: IhaveLittleToAdd | Dec 30 2016 22:00 utc | 62
Even Bloomberg stooges finally got it right that it was Putin ploy to provoke MSM to reveal their fake news prowess.
It was strange to me that Zacharova yesterday promised severe retaliation from Russia and today leak of Lavrov proposal only to be picked up UNVERIFIED by MSM.
Well one thing is for sure. Obama went berserk, hateful of Trump and Putin being fucked up by a giant gas station owner, as Obama described Putin.
I say good riddance.
Posted by: Kalen | Dec 30 2016 22:01 utc | 63
Remember the big report on the hacking that obama ordered has not been released yet, obama/cia wont leave this anytime soon, especially not after putin's response and also trump's unchanged attitude towards russia.
Obama/cia will make sure with all kinds of deception to stop trump/russia partnership.
Posted by: Lionshare | Dec 30 2016 22:47 utc | 65
This cartoon is really great, as b's post is also smart and many comments are rather informative too.
Not that I defend Obama, but let us all agree that for the last 8 or so years that this was a punny, uneducated and a rather badly put together Administration.
It was more of a rule of a good cop-bad cop. And it was mostly designed, imposed and influenced by the very Dem party rats that opened a way to have Obama up there who is/was being, in general, very smart and optimistic can-do guy.
That this adventure will end up like this and so low down it was obvious from the year one of arrogant and open meddling into not properly understood long term issues and those were prioritising mopping up W.Bush Administration's bravados.
So they missed and messed up those and even made a pile new ones.
Such construct results in devastated Ukraine, Iraq, Libya and Syria, orchestrated rise of rightwing in Europe, built a Baltic-Adriatic wall starting from support for nazi-religious conservative radicalisation of Poland, Baltic states, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and somewhat less obedient Romania and Bulgaria. And poured really huge pile of arms into the regions, to sweeten the porridge. That is just Europe and Mid-East.
They also gave (forgot?) Africa to just about everybody, Chinese leading the way there.
Now this. Fiasco with a hope for a tit-for-tat diplomacy.
Failure number 34 and counting.
Shame is that Obama is gone in this way and the most of the World had so much hope when he came about.
Do not forget that Putin was also excited in those days and stretched his arms welcoming B.Obama. Well, now Putin welcomes Trump and I am sure in a sincere hope for being close partners again.
I am also really sad to write that I cannot wait for a new setup and for this Administration to just - go.
Not that I expect that it will be better - but this old Obama's slogans "Change - Hope -(something..something)" - applies now better then ever.
It will be different and interesting.
This all resulted in the fact that nobody right now takes current USAdmin really serious.
What we are witnessing is just a revenge of the Dem-Clinton-losers, with Obama not really in charge of anything anymore.
A question remains - was he really ever?
And of course - a very happy holidays to everybody.
Posted by: laserlurk | Dec 30 2016 22:54 utc | 66
Russia should have responded in kind because Trump will likely not be allowed to restore the restoration of those 35 without receiving something in return. It's always tit for tat.
I also don't see why Putin would have scored. He only scores with people who are aware of the current state of world affairs. But the majority of people who get a daily diet of fake news by the MSM will not have noticed Putin's gesture.
Posted by: xor | Dec 30 2016 22:56 utc | 67
Mercifully, his policies were a mess and he failed to get that toxic sludge through. He did enough harm to civil rights, however, to make up for it for two generations.
Posted by: Brooklin Bridge | Dec 30 2016 23:01 utc | 68
Xor
I sense russians dont care what the fake-msm writes these days and thus take no notice of it.
I agree that trump's restore wont ever be accepted. These ppl will stop trump even if it
means force against him i am afraid.
Posted by: Lionshare | Dec 30 2016 23:09 utc | 69
As usual, an excellent piece by MofA. Breathtaking how Putin can outpoint Obama who leaves office a complete poodle-fool.
Posted by: Robert McMaster | Dec 30 2016 23:14 utc | 70
Of course Obama hates Putin -- nobody can make him look like a pissy little spoiled brat better than Putin can.
Putin is a real person, who loves his country and works hard to make it a better place for its people.
Obama is a fake person, who doesn't give a shit about his country and works hard to make it a better place only for the thieving oligarchs he hopes will make him rich.
Posted by: PhilK | Dec 30 2016 23:17 utc | 71
b: The Russian compounds in Maryland and New York Obama closed are used for vacations of Russian kids in the U.S.
Hahahahaha...yeah, if you believe that’s the purpose of the two enormous compounds, you probably keep sending cash to Nigerians and are waiting for your $30 million certified check.
For all of you great, terrific, undying Putin fans I have just two words: Anna Politkovskaya
With respect to the so-called Joint Analysis Report, I keep seeing references to an appendix. Specifically, this string keeps popping up in various cut/copy on-line “articles” about the report: "An appendix to the report lists hundreds of IP addresses"
I cannot find any such appendix, and cannot find any reference to such an appendix by DHS or FBI. Anybody got a link?
In reply to Jack Smith, 45 and 46.
A brief look at the specifications shows a school renovation similar to other school renovation projects undertaken by the US elsewhere. Nothing to indicate any intended change of use - in fact the school was to remain in use during renovations. That implies that it would continue to be a school for Crimean children after renovation.
It is often claimed that the US sought a base in the Crimea, but this is the only document I have seen that is put forward to substantiate that claim. I don't think it amounts to proof or that it even has any indicative value.
It would surely be very unlikely that the US Navy would put work out to tender that might show its intention of taking over a base in the Crimea. It would be the equivalent of sending President Putin a postcard saying "We're coming." On the face of it this seems to be a routine tender for non-military work that has no connection with any possible future US naval base.
I'd be quite happy to be proved wrong but this tender has been instanced very often as proof of sinister intention and I don't believe it's anything of the sort.
The Nuland tape, statements made on the record by both the EU and the US authorities, the arming and training of "ATO" forces, all that shows clearly enough that we were and are up to no good in the Ukraine. More will no doubt come out as time goes by. This tender, however, doesn't help to fill out the picture and I do not believe it should be taken as doing so.
Posted by: EnglishOutsider | Dec 30 2016 23:55 utc | 73
PhilK @68--
"Of course Obama hates Putin -- nobody can make him look like a pissy little spoiled brat better than Putin can.
"Putin is a real person, who loves his country and works hard to make it a better place for its people.
"Obama is a fake person, who doesn't give a shit about his country and works hard to make it a better place only for the thieving oligarchs he hopes will make him rich."
That's perhaps the most succinct summation I've read about Obama and Obama's relation to Putin. Obama failed as soon as he took his first oath of office and didn't immediately arrest the BushCo criminals and Banksters, not to mention the utter falsity of his administration's direction versus his campaign rhetoric/promises. It's been very sad that the first person of African heritage to become POTUS is such an amazing lowlife--certainly one of the most Ugliest of Americans to exist.
Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 30 2016 23:56 utc | 74
A few days ago Obama insulted Hillary by saying that he would have won the election, implying that she was not as good as him.
Realizing his arrogance, he threw the blame of Hillary's failure on Russia and insulted Trump, implying that his election was 'rigged' by Russia.
Obama got a ironical rebuff from Trump and a subtle rebuff from Putin.
He now looks totally stupid.
Yes, Obama is humiliated that his "legacy" will be wiped out but he should not add ridicule in his last days.
Posted by: virgile | Dec 30 2016 23:59 utc | 75
@69 No sign of an appendix.Perhaps it was surgically removed.
This is the Joint Analysis Report for anyone who hasn't seen it. To me it looks like technical information but nothing conclusive.
Posted by: dh | Dec 31 2016 0:08 utc | 76
The Russians like a joke. This one is on the MSM, and the industrial-grade high-fructose chutzpah of its Fake News narrative.
For chess-level trolling, though, I'd look back to Edward Snowden and the decision by Russian authorities to give him refuge. A whistleblower, hunted by the Leader of the Free World, with senior figures in the Exceptional and Indispensible Nation openly calling for Snowden's assassination ... and who takes him in? Evil freedom-hating commies (tm).
The self-proclaimed Defenders of Democracy took more than one torpedo amidships, in that news cycle.
Posted by: John Smith | Dec 31 2016 0:12 utc | 77
I don't know why people are critical of Obama. It was pretty obvious from the begining that he was not presidential material. Apart from some relatively empty rhetoric, there was no real substance. He was just lucky that he was at the right place at the right time (a time of significant shift in US demographics and the electorate's wish for a change).
Obama despite his posturing, just does not have IT.
Posted by: StoneCold | Dec 31 2016 0:24 utc | 78
@75 It certainly wasn't obvious to everybody. People invested a lot of hope in Obama. Mainly they thought a black president might change the status quo. Didn't happen.
Posted by: dh | Dec 31 2016 0:40 utc | 79
John Smith #74
Snowden had his passport cancelled while in the Moscow airport, like it was planned that way. He could go no-where.
I do appreciate the Russians taking him in as I consider him a hero.
Posted by: Bardi | Dec 31 2016 0:44 utc | 80
laserlurk @ 64: "It was more of a rule of a good cop-bad cop."
And: "What we are witnessing is just a revenge of the Dem-Clinton-losers, with Obama not really in charge of anything anymore.
A question remains - was he really ever?"
The two above quotes about sum it up. Great post, thanks.
Posted by: ben | Dec 31 2016 1:11 utc | 81
dh | Dec 30, 2016 7:08:09 PM | 73:
This is the Joint Analysis Report for anyone who hasn't seen it. To me it looks like technical information but nothing conclusive.
How right you are. The JAR is supposed to be some sort of justification for the diplomatic attack on Putin, but it is a total joke. Out of 13 pages, 10 are about how to keep a system safe from grizzly bears hacking from the steppes; 1 page is a table of alleged Russian "intelligence services" with laughable names like "SYNful knock" and "Tsar Team"; 1 page is a two-part graphic with no explanation; and the rest is goofed up, non-supported assertions of non-facts disguised as "assessments" that don't even mention DNC or John Podesta.
The Intercept, Rolling Stone and many others have already torn into this dung-pile. To those writers the JAR evokes memories of Judith Miller and the lead up to IraqFuck II. To me it smells more like the botched "intelligence assessment" that blamed the fake Ghouata "sarin attack" on Assad in 2013.
Here's the thing: If Putin and the Ruskies hacked the DNC and Podesta, and if they leaked the Emails to Wikileaks, and if they intended those acts to give DTDuck a boost, what they were doing was influencing the Americans' election by giving the Americans the truth. (And that's exactly what Comey was doing.) This was not "hacking the election" as the NYT calls it. It was hacking the deplorable, dishonest creeps and cretins who would have gotten into the WH but for the leaks.
If Putin was responsible, he deserves a Medal Of Freedom.
"Posted by: John Smith | Dec 30, 2016 7:12:24 PM | 74"
This is NOT my post - FAKE troller
b, can you check ip and banned whoever he may be? Thanks
Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 31 2016 1:17 utc | 83
@40 @43 b
i have to admit that between the 'these are the same guys who sold us WMDs in Iraq' and open sympathy with putin tee-rump has shown that he despises rather than fears the reactionary neo-con-rump.
@64 ll, 'Such construct results in devastated Ukraine, Iraq, Libya and Syria, orchestrated rise of rightwing in Europe, built a Baltic-Adriatic wall starting from support for nazi-religious conservative radicalisation of Poland, Baltic states, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and somewhat less obedient Romania and Bulgaria. And poured really huge pile of arms into the regions, to sweeten the porridge. That is just Europe and Mid-East.'
that's the truth. the nobel peace prize laureate's 'legacy' is devasted and destroyed countries and regions and hundreds of thousands of innocent dead.
and he smiles and mugs onstage ... plays the righteous one 'defending' america from the dreadful russia bear.
the usa remains upside down. i have no great hopes for tee-rump, but he's shown up the nppl for what he is.
and that's probably the real source of the war criminal's ire.
if tee-rump can reduce america's murderous record under the nppl to mere grand larceny he will have accomplished quite a lot.
Posted by: jfl | Dec 31 2016 1:32 utc | 84
@80 js
relax jack. the other is john. just some other guy using the universal - rather unoriginal and likely to collide - pseudonym.
hard to put a patent on 'john smith' - especially if your 'name' is not 'john' but 'jack'.
Posted by: jfl | Dec 31 2016 1:39 utc | 85
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman said “The people who have spent eight years in the White House are not an administration – they are a group of foreign policy losers, embittered and shortsighted. Today, Obama officially proved this.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/30/russia-plans-immediate-counter-measures-us-diplomats
I like it.
Posted by: harrylaw | Dec 31 2016 1:45 utc | 86
OK this going to be a little out there depending as it does on the brits painting themselves into a corner whereby they lose access to the European "single market" because london pols decide to kowtow to xenophobia and refuse to any deal which allows 'free movement' of humans. The corollary of course being that May doesn't replace any of the euro human rights & occupational safeguards lost on the departure from the EU, with UK based protections against corporate thugs & bullies. Englanders don't get to have to watch immigrants being treated as slaves/indentured labour - they become the slaves indentured labour themselves.
IMO the odds of that outcome are right now sitting at about 80% which is why May & co are desperate to keep parliament out of the process and why many corporate types have gone quiet in their opposition to leaving the EU.
Most MoA readers will be aware of english history that up until the end of the 1939 intermission on the war of the white fellas, england had juggled between germany & france to stay alpha.
Back in 1815 at Waterloo the englanders had managed to draw Russia & Germany (well Prussia) into the ongoing blue between england and france that had been bubbling away since about 1066. Those wars had been interminable indeed one became known as the hundred years war and had driven both england & france into famine and disease epidemics on several occasions. Lots of propaganda was pushed out which in the case of england (likely france too) became so greatly ingrained into the national consciousness that even at the height of england's brief EU love affair there was one country in europe that many englanders loathed -strangely that nation wasn't Germany it was France. Germany had bombed the bejesus outta england less than 50 years before while France had been a staunch ally, yet it was france who bigoted englanders focused their hatred upon?
A thousand years of war will do that. I suppose I should insert an aside about now concerning the people of Groote Eylandt where two clans one centered around Umbakumba and the other at Angurugu have been bluing for many thousands of years. There is an intense dislike - to say the least, when I was a junior employee of the Department of Education I made the error of organising for two students one from each clan to attend a residential secondary school on the mainland at the same time. The school principal picked up on the fuck-up at the last moment thank goodness otherwise at least one of these two decent and smart kids would have ended up deader than a mackerel to say nothing of the problems that would have incurred back on Groote.
The enmity between England and France has always seemed to me to have become almost genetic (there is some suggestion that Groote's problems are to do with the high mineral content of the island - heavy metal poisoning has caused developmental issues- not to mention the proliferation of whitefellas digging up the manganese & bauxite bringing booze etc into the mix) - the englanders and french fighting was always based on something a lot more prosaic - the usual - power.
Ever since the descendants of the Vikings (Normans = Norsemen or Northmen) who had conquered France turned their eyes to England and conquered that too, the various factions of norman families fought over who was king; this was especially aggravated when following Norman succession law the next king of france should have been an englander. There was nothing cultural or racial in any of it the english normans spoke the same sort of 'french' as the french Normans, danced the same dances had the same appalling customs concerning rape of the indigenous population etc. It was just about power, pure and simple. The french court was established and there was a great fear that the englander 'pretender' would bring his own acolytes & flatterers with him - where would that leave an impecunious french born courtier with impeccable (french) connections?
So back on point england france and germany were up until the birth of the EU anyhow, caught up in a troika of dislike, mutual fear and suspicion - indeed when the englander tabloids expressed their opposition to europe it was mostly either about France being uppity and copping the short straw as a deserved result or that germany had 'done the dirty' and sided with France agin england.
England's propensity for dissembling really came home to roost once the EU broke it's word to Russia's at that time vain & foolish leaders. They who had insisted upon the EU/Nato staying out of middle and eastern europe if the USSR was dissolved, but europe succumbed to amerikan pressure by admitting Poland, Hungary Czech Republic etc.
Ever since the 1930's the englanders, doubtless feeling secure by distance plus the plethora of borders separating England and Poland or England and Hungary made ridiculously mendacious undertakings about how they 'loved' Poles and/or Hungarians/Czechs etc.
Once those nations joined the EU lots of Poles Hungarians et al turned up in england to cash a few of the Czechs (sorry couldn't resist) written by Chamberlain, Churchill, Eden, Thatcher & Blair.
That may have been fine for the englander elites who enjoyed seeing the wages of 'bolshie' english tradespeople fall like a lead balloon but it hasn't played well among the people - hence the referendum loss.
So the little englanders get their way and england settles on a 'hard' brexit I'm willing to bet that the economic problems caused -eg loss of London's role as corporate HQ for europe, probable departure of Scotland maybe even N Ireland from the union will destroy the balance of the england, france, germany troika.
Germany and France will be bound together in their commonality making it damn near impossible for perfidious albion to sow dissension and argue with each other forgetting about england.
So where can england go for an ally when things get angsty between england & franco-germany?
There is only one other place- the 3rd partner against France at Waterloo, the other unlucky recipient of the polluted genes of Queen Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Russia of course!
Even without the foolish neolib decision to give mitteleuropa a run in the EU, it would have taken at least another generation; say around 2035 before all the death and destruction which England, France and Germany had done to each other was so far in the past that it never surfaced in the pea brains of the prejudiced.
Nothing can be done or said to reverse what happened in the english referendum. In deed a very strong case could be argued that a reneg on the decision to leave the EU will exacerbate the sour feelings between the ignorati of the 3 nations, and so will a victory by le Pen in France or Merkel's defeat and replacement with an alt-rightist. (No I don't support Merkel or for that matter Hollande, but everyone should be concerned at the propensity for the assorted clans of europe to conjure war out of the most paltry excuses, allowing themselves to be getting cranked by opportunists and greed-heads).
Whitefella power is on the wane, thank goodness and I suspect that the re-kindling of that thousand year old conflict between european mainlanders and the islanders won't draw in everyone with a sword plus an ax to grind this time, but it will be bloody and messy, so if Russia turns out to be the one nation whose involvement prevents the blue from kicking off again, I say "respect, Russia" "Kudos to you comrade".
Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 31 2016 1:46 utc | 87
Yeah... Among the many rubs against current policy is the promotion of pharmaceuticals and illicit substitutes.
Talk about judisu.
Posted by: ~f | Dec 31 2016 2:19 utc | 88
@84 "Whitefella power is on the wane".. anglo/five eyes.
Hard to pick the future as this is a turning point in history. Obama has been busy over the last 8 years nailing the lid on five eyes coffin, Europe is a shambles, Russia and China have really got their acts together.
Now poor whitefella me has to wait and see if Trump is the trump card or joker. At this point in time, the best Trump could do is take the US down gracefully.
May we live in interesting times.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 31 2016 2:33 utc | 89
@84
It beggars belief that England/UK ever thought it could enter/be part of a successful EU without a free movement of labor.
No free movement of labor, No efficient/effective common market, anywhere.
England/UK has never REALLY considered itself part of Europe. For me the puzzle wrapped inside an enigma is - why it ever bothered joining.
Maybe it thought it could control the EU and importantly, West Germany, with U.S.'s guiding hand. Germany's rising economic and political dominance put paid to that dream.
Anyway, for EU's success it's probably best that the whinging poms are on the way out.
Posted by: StoneCold | Dec 31 2016 2:38 utc | 90
@87 I suspect the pressure to join the EU came mainly from young progressives. The same people who want to remain. I don't think anybody anticipated that the free movement of labour might mean losing control of borders.
Posted by: dh | Dec 31 2016 2:45 utc | 91
@88 - "I don't think anybody anticipated that the free movement of labour might mean losing control of borders."
But they should have anticipated it, at least the economists/politicians (and most "ordinary people" are not that stupid), since it's impossible to have an effectively functioning economic common market without an accompanying free movement of labor. So, if England/UK wanted to be part of a successfully functioning common market, they should have anticipated some loss in control of its borders, when it came to member states. In any case, borders are purely artificial constructs and in a common market with common ideals, hopes and aspirations of its members, how does control of the borders add any real value.
Posted by: StoneCold | Dec 31 2016 3:12 utc | 92
@68 phil k.. i second @ 71 karlof1's comments to you.. good summation of putin/obama relationship!
@69 denis.. brilliant.. i am going to rely on you from now on to connect the dots, lol... if i need my head read... i do agree with you @79 though!
Posted by: james | Dec 31 2016 3:12 utc | 93
Denis 79
Now go back and do some more research on the journalist. Watch out for Putin's polonium though.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 31 2016 4:15 utc | 94
A simply superb roundup, b. The headline says it all.
This Obama gaffe will go down in History as Obama's Penultimate Pratfall (I'm certain he's got at least one more blunder up his sleeve).
Xymphora's perspective is deliciously perspicacious too...
"Putin: Russia will not expel anyone in response to US sanctions".
So once the US gets a grown-up President, everything can be reversed.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 31 2016 4:21 utc | 95
Putin outfoxed Obama and he's definitely the fox; but Zionists are the hounds and Trump is the decoy that Zionists will use to trap and eventually destroy Putin.
Don't crack the champagne just yet except to welcome in the New Year.
Posted by: Circe | Dec 31 2016 4:24 utc | 96
I can't resist the temptation to remind the Trump haters that one of their barbs was "Trump doesn't have the background or experience to be a proper POTUS."
Well, dimwits, Obama's got 8 years of experience at keeping the Presidential Throne warm and one could make a persuasive argument that he's still as clueless as he was on Day 1.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 31 2016 4:42 utc | 97
Circe 93
Well the zionists wont know what hit them when they go hunting a fox and corner a bear, perhaps with a dragon backing it up. I think the zionists would end up bear tucker.
Posted by: Peter AU | Dec 31 2016 4:45 utc | 98
Posted by: Circe | Dec 30, 2016 11:24:14 PM | 93
Wow! My only regret when I was typing my #94 was that it couldn't follow one Circe's pearls of wisdom. And when I refreshed the page...Serendipity.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Dec 31 2016 4:57 utc | 99
@StoneCold #84 The european open border policy probably wouldn't have been a problem in the UK if the assholes living in the South Eastern corner hadn't spent the previous 20 years abolishing wage controls and worker protections. The anti-brownfella impetus in France is more about a rejection of multiculturalism and terrorism/fear of the 'other' than it is "them coming over here and knicking our jobs" which is why le Pen is likely to struggle in the next french presidential beauty contest.
Given a choice made stark - say between preserving a flawed belief in the integrity of your culture and preserving the ability to earn sufficient pay to eat, humans nearly always go for the being able to eat option. le Pen's presence will disrupt the neat little duopoly, but now that Hollande has copped the flick, it will be possible for the pseudo-socialists to deceive many french voters into thinking that there won't be a neolib attack on wages & conditions post election if their candidate gets up.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 31 2016 5:08 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Lol read that response by Putin! Class act.
This is how i wished russia would respond, the democrats failure in the election is what is causing this provocations by dems./cia. Aim? Destroy ties between Trump and Russia.
Although, this provocations and hystyria may steer Trump the other way, so this campaign by obama/cia is too dangerous to be ignored.
Posted by: Lionshare | Dec 30 2016 14:13 utc | 1