haxxiy said:
Unlike as late as ten years ago, the US can be challenged by both Russia and China on the international scenario, thus ending its status as the world's sole leading hard power it had since 1991. You might think the US dropping democracy is funny, and Russia or China doing the same is scary, but back 30 or 40 years ago many countries actually messed with international politics like that. It's no different this time around, we just aren't used to it. In time, the Crimean question will be no more of a "terrible precedent" than Indonesia annexing West New Guinea, or Turkey invading Cyprus, or North Vietnam annexing South Vietnam, or the PRC becoming the real China and Taiwan being sidelined by almost everyone. Again, the illusion who arose after the end of the cold war that things on the 21st century are going to be any different politically, or better...
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well said. What really irritates me about Obama's stance though, it is all about international law and respecting borders, something the US absolutely does not do. It never seems to be about what is best for the Crimean people or what the Crimean people want (as obviously that goes against his interests). I am certain Russia's main interests are protection of its miltary ports rather than the people but at least they are actively supporting the Crimean people as there interests align. I very much doubt the view and more importantly the polital motivations in saying this is Russia leading up to be an agressor. Simple facts are Ukraine is a basket case, they had an uprising, Russia has critical military interests in Crimea and the Ukraine was turning to an anti Russian stance. Russia did about the only option they really had open to them and did it with the support of the Crimean's.
