Dayuhan ---this goes a little to what JMA is alluding to even though I do not necessarily blame it only this WH---it goes back to a large degree the Bush years "who looked Putin in the eyes"........
What worries me and it goes to this WH is a distinct lack of clarity in fully explaining the current Russia issue and it is just not the Crimea to the American population as a whole regardless of political views.
For way to long we as a country ignored Russian and Putin since 2000 as we literally chased the "bad guys" around the world and in the end it was a failure and a 4T USD loss.
For example--this WH dallied on calling out Russia for being in violation of the INF, for not being in compliance with the agreements they signed under the OCSE since 2001, they have not "leaked" to the US population that the Russian troop movements and supply operations on the Ukraine border are far more serious than they have stated just in the last four days (they only started leaking to the NYT today) and that it takes German intelligence leaks to indicate that the Russian AF was flying simulated air attack runs against the Koenigsberg area of Lithuania SINCE this last autumn on an almost daily basis, that Russian activities in the southern hemisphere has drastically picked up to a point of matching them from 30 years ago and the list goes on.
The same WH and the previous WH have failed to indicate to the American population that Russia is currently being managed by four separate organizations ie the Russian Security Services FSB/GRU/MoI, the oligarchs, the Army and especially the Russian Mob.
To understand the use of the Russian Mob ---here is a great link on Mob activities in the Ukraine;
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...n-ukraine.html
Also our own think tankers and pundits keep stating it is all about Russia needing a "sphere of influence" WHEN in fact it is about two things 1) keeping the Ukrainian street from igniting a similar trend in Moscow AND 2) more importantly is really is about reestablishing the former Soviet Union.
Take a map and draw in the Russian Federation then draw in the "Stans" that are under direct Russian influence, draw in Belarus which is under a former Communist who is a dictator and proRussian, then draw in the enclaves Russia has taken since 2008 in Georgia and Moldovia and Crimea and look at the pressure they are applying to the remaining Ukraine and the Baltics.
In order to exert military pressure from the breakaway enclave in and on Moldavia the Russian military needs a land route and it is only through the Ukraine that it is possible--BUT from the Crimea it is an easy run into Moldavia.
One is looking at the former Soviet Union all over again and this in the 21st century when the Cold War was suppose to be over.
So in formulating foreign policy just how does one go about it if in fact the American public is totally in the dark?
Do we have a strategy that reflects a clear end goal and what is to be achieved and or we just going to muddle through this over and over.
Putin does have a strategy and it is long term.
This I think is where JMA is coming from.
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