President Putin of Russia has recently made an address to the American people.
Yes, that’s right. Not the Russian people, the American people. Going right over Obama’s head to tell the American people the truth about Syria.
Let’s look at the relationship between Obama and Putin.
In this context, the power relationship is that of Putin shaking Obama’s hand at the G20 with his hand above Obama’s, palm facing down and with his left arm grasping Obama’s right arm in a firm grip on his bicep. This is the handshake used to demonstrate dominance.
- Putin is telling the US (and the rest of the world) the pecking order.
- Lowest is Syria who are not even dealt with in the same group as the US; the Syrians are not partners.
- Next comes the Americans as the junior partners
- Top comes Putin and the Russians.
As with all well executed insults it is very hard for the recipient of the insult to complain about what has been said. The right people around the world will understand exactly the message.
Here are some key parts from Putin’s speech to the American people. With helpful translations.
RECENT events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people
Translation: Obama, hush – the adults are talking.
The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism.
Translation: Why are you inviting more attacks on your country? Why do you want continual war everywhere?
From the outset, Russia has advocated peaceful dialogue enabling Syrians to develop a compromise plan for their own future. We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law. We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos.
Translation: Obama is trying to break international law by wanting to invade a sovereign state.
It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it.
Translation: Stop warmongering.
But force has proved ineffective and pointless. Afghanistan is reeling, and no one can say what will happen after international forces withdraw. Libya is divided into tribes and clans. In Iraq the civil war continues, with dozens killed each day. In the United States, many draw an analogy between Iraq and Syria, and ask why their government would want to repeat recent mistakes.
Translation: You lost the last three wars. In fact, you didn’t finish them. Why start a fourth?
I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too.
Translation: Your president talks crap.
There is now a Whitehouse petition that says this:
Give to President Putin the Nobel Peace Prize Mr. Obama was given in 2009.
Where as Mr. Obama made a sincere commitment to starting a war with Syria, engaging our military in unwanted conflict, and doing so without the support of his people we resolve that Mr. Obama should deliver the Nobel Peace prize given to him in 2009 to a man of Peace, the President of Russia, Mr. Putin. Where as Mr. Putin enabled the United States to avoid an unwanted and unwarranted military action he has brought us to the “brink” of peace.
You can sign it >>here<<.
I understand European mentality and I have a pretty good grasp of Russian mentality. As they are in Europe too.
Think of it like this: If Obama decided to “address the Russian people” and tell them their presidents last speech was full of exceptionalist bollox, do you imagine it would make the front page of the nationals there? 
Syria has come out today and said they wont deal with the Americans at all with their chemical weapons because they cannot trust them. They also want the intervention by funding rebels stopped. A Putinesque stab in the tail just as Obama thought he had a get-out-of-jail-free card.
The facts are that Obama, his puppet Cameron and the Socialist clown from France wanted to bomb Syria and effect regime change ultimately. Due to Obama and Kerry’s warmongering, bumbling and incompetence, Putin has stole the show as peacemaker, shown himself to be a proper politician, staved off illegal American intervention and got Syria to give up its weapons. Without firing a single bullet.
Given their own way, Obama, Cameron and Hollande would have been dropping bombs and killing innocents by now. Fact. Ergo, Putin has saved lives. Don’t imagine the media will miss that.
Is some of it contrived and stage managed? Probably. Point being Putin’s street cred in Europe has gone through the roof overnight. Cameron, Hollande and Obama will lose their next elections on the back of it and have all lost credibility across the world. Rightly so.
And then just to rub salt in the wound, Putin addresses the American people on the front page of the NYT and tells them their presidents speech was full of shite.
However you spin it, Putin has come out smelling of roses and the rest of them look like the clowns they are.
An American recently said this about the current mood in the USA:
We (American populace) want nothing to do with the Obama-led warmongers and terrorist sympathizers in Washington.
That is the only reason the big ‘O’ did not instigate a cruise missile campaign against Assad. It wasn’t Putin’s or Iran’s opposition. Putin’s military presence in the Mediterranean is laughable. It was the American people’s opposition! Prior to last Monday, most polling showed opposition among US citizens ranging from 80% anti, 20% pro amongst Republicans and Independents to 60% anti, 40% pro amongst Obama Democratic supporters. Even amongst the elitist political leaders in Congress, he was predicted to resoundedly lose in the House of Representatives, and possibly even lose in the Democrat Party controlled Senate.
Obie realized that he was marching to the beat of a different drummer and that America was not marching with him. If he had attacked Syria, against the fervently held feelings of the whole country, he would probably have been impeached within three months.
You should be here to experience the mood in the USA now. There is a rebellious spirit throughout the nation. Possibly the transgressions of the looming Obie dictatorship have finally awakened us.
We knew Bush was a bastard so we voted for Obie thinking peace and adult-inspired national leadership would be installed. Wow! Were we so totally wrong. I think that there is an addictive reason-depriving element in the air of Washington, DC that transforms all of our elected officials and federal bureaucrats into beings who believe that they are omniscient and omnipotent and that the rest of US citizens exist to pay taxes and to be abused by them. I never thought that the Libertarian Party would have any chance at leadership in this country. Now I think that this country will have no chance without installing it and its principles to our leadership positions.
It’s no secret, the Russians do not want a larger war in the Middle East. The US were gunning for just that.
Now the threat of the US bumbling in again is reduced and at the behest of the President of The Russian Federation.
So, yes, the Russians got what they wanted and the US got pushed back.
Brave new world. One where the President of Russia comes out of it as peacemaker, and only the American government seem to support the Orwellian mantra written as fiction: “WAR IS PEACE,” “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,” “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.”
Comments are welcome below, or you can join a forum debate here: US and Arab intervention in Syria.