A Plea for Caution From Russia to the USA

MOSCOW — RECENT events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders. It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.

U.N. Rights Panel Cites Evidence of War Crimes by Both Sides in Syria (September 12, 2013) Opinion Twitter Logo. Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT. Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts. Post a Comment » Read All Comments (571) » Relations between us have passed through different stages. We stood against each other during the cold war. But we were also allies once, and defeated the Nazis together. The universal international organization — the United Nations — was then established to prevent such devastation from ever happening again.

The United Nations’ founders understood that decisions affecting war and peace should happen only by consensus, and with America’s consent the veto by Security Council permanent members was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The profound wisdom of this has underpinned the stability of international relations for decades.

No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is possible if influential countries bypass the United Nations and take military action without Security Council authorization.

Rest of Putins lettter here.
www.nytimes.com...

He is right. The United Nations was set up for a reason. To try and stop the atrocities that occured in the second world war from happening again. This only works if you obey the rules. Now the US is going rogue the system may break down and we will have failed to have learned the lessons from WWII.

Now it looks to me like Putin is doing more for world peace and the peace of the USA than Obama. Something is wrong and needs addressing..

reply to post by purplemer


Lets not get all messy with appreciation just yet. It wasn't 12 hours after Putin's little victory over Obama that he was announcing advanced Anti-Air systems (On hold and a point of contention for years now...with high profit to Moscow) and a second nuclear reactor to install at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Iran stands to get a full blown windfall...and again. he took less than a day to move on that front.

Putin is right, as I can see..and that's awkward to say about a retired KGB Colonel who made killing my countrymen his business for a good part of his life. After all, he didn't leave that service from being 2nd to the Station Chief in East Berlin..of ALL places...because he was a warm and giving Soul, tending to show mercy and compassion. East Germany wasn't a nice place...and his position was almost the top of the Secret Police, keeping it that way.

I love how things are turning out, so far, internationally. The love fest for another world leader that has a WHOLE lot better sense than Barry Obama for public perceptions and the way to work it, is disturbing....if not downright unnerving.

The more I see people sing his praises.....without knowing much of anything beyond what they see on news today, in the moment? The more I pull back HARD from my own softer feelings.

I also wouldn't ask Gay people...Roma...or certain punk rock bands in Russia, just how it feels to live under Putin's "nice rule". Gays are outright illegal to exist in some ways... Roma are trash to be thrown out, like they are in much of Europe and Pussy Riot? Well.... You'll have to track down the ones on the run across Russia (Still hiding and running) or visit a hard labor camp for the others in the group.

Nature abhors a vaccuum.

So does politics.

In the absence of real leadership Putin has stepped up and has stepped in.

Can't say I'm real happy about that. Then again, I didn't vote for Obama.

reply to post by beezzer


I am not a supporter of Putin either. The man leaves a lot to be desired. That being said he is at the moment the only one talking peace.

Awesome stuff here. Putin ought to get a Nobel Peace Prize for this Everything he has said is right on the money. If we are going to have an international body of law, then it must be followed. I am also sick of this American exceptionalism rhetoric. There is nothing exceptional about this country, except for the fact that we have become exceptionally deceptive and manipulative as a society. Our country has become a den for liars, cheats, and every other depraved of moral guidance wrong-doer. I'm not talking about criminals, but those who are entrusted with the public trust and those corporate powers who are in bed with those of the public trust.

If we are to change this country, we must first go back to the original intent of the law we developed some time ago. Our laws have been perverted in interpretation and they must all be remeasured with a gauge of how well they serve us. And where precedent was set by unscrupulous actors, this too must be returned to sound policy. There cannot be bombs dropped on any country without an imminent threat of attack on our own, and certainly should not ever be approached without approval of congress absent exigent circumstance.

purplemer
Now it looks to me like Putin is doing more for world peace and the peace of the USA than Obama.

Putin has saved the world from Obama's folly. For sure.
But at the same time Putin isn't exactly a peaceful guy.
Try being a homosexual in Russia .. or write a song that Putin doesn't like.
Or try writing a political piece in a Russian paper like Putin did with the NYT.
It wouldn't fly .. and you'd be in prison in Russia.

Putin is freak'n brilliant. He doesn't blink. He knows how to play the game.
He shows the world what a complete fool Obama is.
Putin has lifted the hope-ium haze from a lot of people around the world.
Reality check.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Hello FlyersFan

I agree with you the man is no role model. The banning of homosexuality in Russia has socially sent the country back years. He is x kgb and rules with an Iron fist. But as stated before on this issue he is doing his best to dissipate a war. He is doing what Obama should be doing. Keeping the US out of war. Not sending men and women to die in pointless battles in your name.