Stephen Harper thinks he is a world leader. He has been prominent in criticizing Russia over Ukraine and promised Ukraine some military help. Putin primarily told him to go and 'screw yourself'.
A toast to Stevie
"The Conservative government's tough rhetoric over Russia’s actions in Ukraine may play well to some voters domestically, but analysts doubt it will have any impact on curtailing Moscow's policies in the region.
"I think the only people Putin’s going to pay any attention to, if he pays any attention at all, are going to be the United States and the European Union, above all Germany," said Randall Hansen, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies."
Is there a new Cold War? The situation in Ukraine is escalating with Russian troops invading the Crimea, and with concerns about Russian soldiers potentially advancing further. There has been a dip in world markets in response to this news. The United States has halted trade and investment talks with Russia and the planned G8 summit in Sochi looks to be in trouble.
In the 21st century, an era of globalization and trade, a post-Cold War era, this talk is shocking, and really does sound like another Cold War could be upon us. Hopefully not, hopefully this situation will de-escalate soon and Putin will come to his senses. Though Putin seems mad with power - with Czarist delusions - and seems determined to recreate the Russian Empire. Thankfully the United States is more cautious, and does not have a desire for military confrontation.
The timing is ironic, soon after the over-priced $50+billion Sochi Olympics, an overpriced Olympics rife with corruption and mismanagement. Many in Sochi were displaced as Putin embarked on the absurd project of hosting a Winter Olympics in a subtropical climate.
Though not everyone in the West is off the hook, John Baird used shockingly provocative language - in a situation that should call for diplomacy - by saying Putin's invasion of Ukraine was like Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia. Over-using the Hitler analogy - as Baird did - marginalizes the suffering of the Holocaust, the brutality of WWII.
In all this, de-escalation is needed. Let's hope this situation calms down soon, that we are not pulled into another Cold War.
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He is thinking how to deal with Obama.;) He is upset that his buddy Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovich has been toppled by the Ukrainian Parliament. Putin thinks that that is what Obama wanted.
Open and free-floating debate. Maybe Canada can use some of that. Discussion is so flat and boring in our Parliament. If nothing else but to promote the egg-farming. Imagine that guy in the white shirt in the above video being Harper or Iggy. Looks like a lot fun.
