now, provoked by senile rapturists, russia is reverting to cold war methods of gaining international respect, and domestic rallying of nationalist sentiments.

i wouldn't put it past putin to 'get tougher', and if it stymies our efforts to keep afghanistan rubble and poppy fields, tant pis.

putin cannot be seen as weak, and now we're waving red rags at him, all bets are off, until or unless someone gets a major clue.

milliband, merkel, bushcain and condi are like fuel on the fire.

this is appalling diplomacy, rotten statesmanship, and moronic in its recycling of the 50's.

cui bono? as per, the death merchants who hold our western governments in hock, and electorates in a state of well-mediated shock, fear and disbelief.

~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~