Does Russian President Dmitry Medvedev worries that John McCain is too impulsive and a little nutty for US President-elect Donald Trump? Does he fear that some day after Obama leaves the White House, there will be a new president that’s even more radical right? One thing’s for sure. Russia’s Putin thinks that John McCain is one step away from leading the US into war with Russia. He has told his officials to keep a good eye out for any US attempts to influence China on the way their nuclear weapons are headed – and he is personally watching to see if Obama attempts to smooth things over with Iran anytime soon.
Yes, I’m sure the Chinese didn’t care for Obama’s “one-way ticket” to the UN, or how he used chemical weapons in Syria. But, you know, it was all Iran that got caught red-handed, not Syria. And, one wonders if Obama plans to visit Russia this coming spring – or for any of the other upcoming world affairs he’s attending. Because, one can’t help but wonder what the Chinese might say if Obama tried to soft peddle an anti-missile defense system to them during a G20 meeting in China.
Indeed, it appears the Chinese aren’t pleased at all – and they’ve made it clear. “The Chinese leadership has conveyed its deep concern to the administration and the US side regarding the issue on Iran’s nuclear program,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei. “This is a serious issue that deals with the security of China and its people.” Hmm…so it sounds like Russia’s Putin wants Obama less impulsive than Trump – but what’s really going on here? The “reset” button was pushed by Obama – yet, Russia doesn’t seem too pleased with it.
But, then again, so what? Russia is no stranger to “deterring” carrots – they’ve been doing that since the beginning of the Cold War. In fact, when I was a kid, we used to play these games in our neighborhood. We’d play “I Spy” with our neighbors; each one would give the other a “spy” report – and we had to get it in writing before sharing it. Then, of course, when our mutual friends decided they needed some “relaying” information, well…you know the rest.
Thus, Russia has many reasons to be “pitchy” about the Iran issue, since the Chinese seem to be pulling their weight in there with their neighbor. It makes sense – and also seems like good old fashion good sense to push for diplomacy, but not to start World War III. Why should Russia “determine” anything in this process? Why is the Obama Administration pushing this so hard? Why is the Iranian threat to the entire world such a big deal?
One reason that I think that the Obama Administration needs to play it safe is because – as a former businessman, I can tell you this – if you’re not in a very competitive business and someone comes along who is a little bit better than you are – you tend to go with the flow. You may call me a salesman, but you’d be surprised how often people go along with something just because they feel more comfortable with the guy who’s selling. And who knows if that person turns out to be a little bit better than you?
Another reason that I think that the Obama Administration needs to back off and not push too hard is because – if the Russians have something that the US doesn’t, the US probably does as well – in this case, pushing too hard would cause the US to take sides in that internal battle and start an unfortunate war. Russia is trying to protect its interests, and that’s not a good thing. But, if the US makes a move to appease Russian demands, which could put our own nation in an unwise war, then it’s not going to look good for America. That’s why Russia’s Putin keeps calling for Obama to give him more time; he doesn’t want to start a fight with the United States right now, because if he does, it could turn out to be even uglier.
So, given all this, why is the President of the United States pushing for more time? He’s afraid that if he does, it might spark another hot war. It’s a fear that all leaders have, and that’s why they don’t push hard enough to start a confrontation. The fact is, if Obama had pushed harder, it might have been even harder for Russia to sell nuclear weapons to Iran – and for them to get them. Therefore, if Obama wants to appease Russia, he needs to give them some breathing room – because if he does anything too aggressive, it will only make things worse.
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