June 4, 2014

"It’s better not to argue with women. But Ms Clinton has never been too graceful in her statements."

Said Vladimir Putin (asked about her comparing him to Hitler):
Still, we always met afterwards and had cordial conversations at various international events. I think even in this case we could reach an agreement. When people push boundaries too far, it’s not because they are strong but because they are weak. But maybe weakness is not the worst quality for a woman.
Was he angry? Did he want "to get back at her or laugh"?, the interviewer asked, adding "We have never seen you laugh." He said:
Someday I will indulge myself and we will laugh together at some good joke. But when I hear such extreme statements, to me it only means that they don’t have any valid arguments. Speaking of US policy, it’s clear that the United States is pursuing the most aggressive and toughest policy to defend their own interests – at least, this is how the American leaders see it – and they do it persistently. There are basically no Russian troops abroad while US troops are everywhere. There are US military bases everywhere around the world and they are always involved in the fates of other countries even though they are thousands of kilometres away from US borders. So it is ironic that our US partners accuse us of breaching some of these rules.
IN THE COMMENTS: Barry Dauphin said:
Vlad mocking Hillary is good politically for Hillary. She should send him flowers or a shirt.

55 comments:

iqvoice said...

Does Putin make a good point?

Trivia Question: How many military bases and how many troops does Russia have stationed around the world?

Do the Russians have a military base on Cuba, for example?

Kirby Olson said...

He's not bad in this argument. I agree with him. But we do not have troops in Canada or in contiguous countries to ourselves. We have troops in Europe, basically to protect Europe from Russia.

YoungHegelian said...

@iqvoice,

The old USSR used to have bases, or at least docking rights, in lots of places.

At the USSR's height, they had bases/docks in (North) Vietnam, Cuba, Ethiopia, Iraq, Namibia, Egypt (before the Egyptians switched sides). They also had a naval base in Syria, which I believe they still have. They also had LOTS of forward stationed troops in the Warsaw Pact countries, not just to keep an eye on NATO, but to keep an eye on the locals as well (Hungary in 1956 & Czechoslovakia in 1968 come to mind as examples).

The reason the Russians have no overseas bases now are because 1) the post-USSR armed forces fell apart & they couldn't afford them & 2) their overseas allies soon learned to loath the Soviets troops amongst them. The Russians are simply not welcome, unlike the Americans who actually have some clue as to how to treat the locals. For example, even though we bombed the shit out of the North Vietnamese, Americans are greeted with smiles in NV now. Russians, their erstwhile allies in the struggle, are shown the door as quickly as possible.

madAsHell said...

That's a thumb in the eye.
Damn, Vlad!! You are more than bombast.

We are sooooo screwed.

William said...

The police are stationed everywhere and spend more on weapons than the Bloods & Crips combined.

Carnifex said...

Putin is the man Hillary wants to be. I actually don't blame Bill for screwing around on her. Just the thought of that harridan makes my dick want to fall off.

William said...

The sexism is kind of blatant. Could it be possible that there is someone more sexist than Mitt Romney on the face of the earth? This is very troubling. I'm sure the quote was taken out of context.

Seeing Red said...

Russkies are either in Cuba or soon to be. Keep on top of that stuff via Rantburg.

Remember Hilly's Russian failure almost right out of her SOS box with the reset button.

The Crack Emcee said...

Did he or did he not have his shirt on?

Was he or was he not speaking from atop a horse?

I've seen Vlad laugh and he makes me laugh.

To pretend he has substance, beyond lies of omission, is to miss Russian comedy gold,...

Gahrie said...

Man is putin going to get killed in the next election. I can see the "war on women" commercials against him already!

rcocean said...

First, Russia is not the USSR.

Second, Putin is right. Who made the USA the world's policeman?

And if Putin keeps insulting Hilary this way, he may win the Republican Nomination.

Barry Dauphin said...

Vlad mocking Hillary is good politically for Hillary. She should send him flowers or a shirt.

Anonymous said...

Commenting on the Wrong Post Drunk Guy says:

Sure, I'm a little drunk, but that doesn't mean I don't have a point to make. In my castration dreams I am surrounded by beautiful women and I have no genitals and there is now a rubber penis in my ass and I wake up, but when I wake up I am a woman wearing a blue-haired wig, my legs are slender and hairless and I find I am comfortable this way. I caress my thighs and -- for a moment -- I don't even realize my genitals are missing, I am a man dressing as a woman having anal sex with a rubber penis and my wig is blue. I think it is wrong for you to comment on things you really don't know about.

Cedarford said...

Putin does have a point - Russia has not engaged in "adventurism" since the fall of the Soviet Union, while the US has done a new war or intervention every 4 years or so.
Russia has one foreign military base left - Tarsus Naval station in Syria, which helps guard Russia's critical southern supply/export route from the Black Sea to the Med and Suez..

The Russians were generally right that Kosovo, Iraq, and a long protracted war in Afghanistan by "The Heroes" to nation-build the hateful stone age "freedom lovers" of Afghanistan....
Were all blunders by the US.

Russia points out the US is the only nation that could take war-thirsty Neopcons and John McCain calling for 8-9 new wars, seriously. A nation pissing away it's credibility and wealth on eternal warfare and military expenditures that exceed the Top dozen other nations combined.

Putin is also sending a signal that he considers Hillary a lightweight, intemperate, and an idiot.
Noted, Vlad. Noted.

Carl said...

So what do you suppose Putin thinks you should do with a woman in this kind of situation?

traditionalguy said...

Putin seems serious because he is playing chess with that Clinton Woman whose chess move called Putin's Russia is Adolph Hitler...which is not funny in this world or the next.

But he lets us know that he understands the Clintons are only playing for international money. But Putin must also play for Mother Russia.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

The case is strong that Vladimir Putin won the Cold War, or at least the peace that followed, even if he is not worth the full $70 billion that sources claim.

David R. Graham said...

The grand national strategic goal -- national interest -- of statecraft is statecraft. Recall in "Patton" the toast with the Soviet General, "One son-of-a-bitch to another." With a big laugh, but no bow. The Crack Emcee is right: enjoy Russian humor -- it's manly -- and don't let them meanwhile front and flank you, which always they are trying to do. Accept that about them and play with them. And now bows.

Smilin' Jack said...

There are US military bases everywhere around the world and they are always involved in the fates of other countries even though they are thousands of kilometres away from US borders. So it is ironic that our US partners accuse us of breaching some of these rules.

Out of the mouths of ruthless dictators....

Terry said...

I saw the interview in French and the translator put a different version forward: "Mrs Clinton has never been very subtle".

I think I heard Putin say "subtil" but I'm not sure.

The French variant has different possible implications

Kirk Parker said...

rcocean,

"Who made the USA the world's policeman?"

We did.

Duh.

iqvoice said...

So just off the top of my head, here are some U.S. military bases in foreign countries:

Germany
South Korea
Kuwait
Japan
Cuba

Then I went to google and found:

Afghanistan (oops! duh!)
Australia
Bulgaria
Israel
Italy
Kosovo
Guam
Greece
Djibouti
Brazil
Diego Garcia
Greenland
Honduras
Kyrgyzstan
Netherlands
Oman
Turkey
Spain
Portugal

Shit! Putin was right. We have military stuff everywhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases




RMc said...

Who made the USA the world's policeman?

The world did.

When there's a problem, who ya gonna call? China and Japan are dying, Russia is already dead, Europe is beneath contempt, and the rest of the world barely exists.

No, it's just us. As usual.

Paco Wové said...

"Vlad mocking Hillary is good politically for Hillary"

And probably good for Vlad too. Win - win!

I realize that in this modern age everyone will be Hitler for 15 minutes, but a "Hitler" comparison seems a bit – hysterical in this context, though. "You're Hitler!" "No, you're Hitler!" "Well, you're Hitlery McHitler!"

Curious George said...

Wait, Hillary is a woman? I say we hike up that skirt. And by "we", I mean "you".

Freeman Hunt said...

Next time we hear about a national Republican politician who is so very sexist because a liberal Democrat can read as much in the tea leaves of innocuous comments, let this stand as an example of actual sexism one can measure by.

Freeman Hunt said...

Crack, he was wearing a shirt, but he was flexing so hard. And then he crouched back underwater to finish wrestling a crocodile.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Putin delivers the mockery that phony chumps like Hillary and Obama richly deserve. Not to mention democrat party laughingstocks like Kerry and Rice. Embarrassed that America has these lying losers representing us.

Illuninati said...

Putin is practicing psychological warfare. What better way to mock your enemy than to mock her in the place she is most sensitive?
He knows Americans have turned sexism/gender identity into a fetish and is trying to discredit her because of that fetish.

Tank said...

There are basically no Russian troops abroad while US troops are everywhere. There are US military bases everywhere around the world and they are always involved in the fates of other countries even though they are thousands of kilometres away from US borders. So it is ironic that our US partners accuse us of breaching some of these rules.

Putin is fun. Well, from a distance. Not good, but fun. And right. On this.

It is ironic. They didn't do something different, they did it better than us. Out maneuvered again.

tim in vermont said...

Although the last thing this country needs is a lawless strongman with a rubber stamp legislature to run it, despite what Obama supporters seem to think, every once in a while Putin gets off a good one.

tim in vermont said...

"But when I hear such extreme statements, to me it only means that they don’t have any valid arguments."

He called Godwin on her.

Larry J said...

Barry Dauphin said...

Vlad mocking Hillary is good politically for Hillary. She should send him flowers or a shirt.


Maybe he wants to help Hillary win. He knows her number and would roll her as easily as he has rolled Obama. The last thing a guy like Putin wants is a strong American president. "Reset", my ass.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

But maybe weakness is not the worst quality for a woman.

You could make an entire movie about Hillary's worst qualities.

At least, until the Democrats succeed in amending the Constitution to prohibit such movie-making. ( I assume that they will fail with an Article V amendment, and will instead have to settle for an Article III amendment. )

I'm Full of Soup said...

Sounds to me like Putin is mocking Hillary to try and boost her support from American voters. IOW, Putin prefers that Hillary become the next president...perhaps she also signaled she would be more flexible after an election.

LilyBart said...


I agree that Hillary is none to graceful in her statements.

The only reason she is at the front of the race is her name. She has no talent for leadership.

We'll all suffer if the democrats push another no-talent political hack on us. (Ann, I'm talking to YOU)

LilyBart said...

"He knows her number and would roll her as easily as he has rolled Obama."

Its good for Russia is America is weak.

George M. Spencer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jupiter said...

Who made the USA the world's policeman?

I would say that Joe Stalin did.

Anonymous said...

Putin is a smart guy and has a clear world view with a consistent foreign policy.

He works hard at making his dreams into plans into reality

Obama?

Ignorance is Bliss said...

The Drill SGT said...

Putin is a smart guy and has a clear world view with a consistent foreign policy.

He works hard at making his dreams into plans into reality

Obama?


Obama seems to be working pretty hard to make Putin's dreams into plans into reality too.

Just sayin'.

viator said...

"Putin is thinking internationally as well, positioning Russia to lead an anti-Western coalition along moral as well as geopolitical lines. In a speech last December, he pledged to defend “family values” and reject moral relativism, pointedly observing that this message appeals to “more and more people across the world who support our position.”

The message resonates. When it comes to culture, America and Western NGOs are global aggressors. For a long time, we’ve been promoting contraception and abortion throughout the world. More recently, we’ve promoted gay rights as well. The U.S. Department of State’s Global Equality Fund, dedicated to advancing LGBT rights, is one among many initiatives, some government sponsored, others carried forward by international organizations. In these and in other ways, progressives in the West are carrying the war on traditional culture to the rest of the world."

First Things

One wonders how Russian Orthodox, Mandarin, African, Hindu, and Muslim cultures will react to our attempt to force them to conform to the new western norms.

richard mcenroe said...

Yes, the world will be a safer place when Hillary2016 puts Vladimir Putin in his place.

Unfortunately, that place will be at the top of Europe.

richard mcenroe said...

"Putin does have a point - Russia has not engaged in "adventurism" since the fall of the Soviet Union, while the US has done a new war or intervention every 4 years or so."

???

Georgia?
Ukraine?

That's as dumb as saying "Germany hasn't adventured since 1919"... in 1936.

Russia hasn't 'adventured' because it couldn't. Now Putin has decided it can.

richard mcenroe said...

"Who made the USA the world's policeman?"

Austro-Hungarian Empire
France
England
Germany
USSR
Japan
Italy

All the players in the Great Game who couldn't be bothered to clean up the playroom when they were done.

Not to mention every Third World peasant who cries "Where is America?" when his hut falls over in the latest typhoon, earthquake or tsunami.

cubanbob said...

Its impossible to speak about Hillary in any manner that isn't mockery. The fact the she is considered a serious candidate for president in of itself is a mockery of the office and of the nation.

damikesc said...

I wonder if it does help her. Americans have seen Putin, to be gentle, bitch slap Obama for years now.

We don't want ANOTHER limp noodle for him to smack around.

Big Mike said...

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Lizzy Warren...

Is there any chance that the Democrats will offer up a candidate that has useful experience running things and BTW is not a far left-wing kook?

Anonymous said...

He meant that diplomats are supposed to be diplomatic in their dealings with foreign countries. Evidently; she was not.

mtrobertsattorney said...

Putin is a serious person. He thinks both Obama and Hillary are unserious persons. That's all you need to know.

gerry said...

...Obama is SO Metro.

Thorley Winston said...

Who made the USA the world's policeman?

The survivors of the last World War who desired not to be repeat the experience (again).

Anonymous said...

Say what you will about Vlad, the man can troll.

Drago said...

Ignorance is Bliss: "Obama seems to be working pretty hard to make Putin's dreams into plans into reality too."

Obama did promise to be super-flexible for his KGB boyfriend right after the election.

And obama has certainly kept his word to his Russian superiors.

traditionalguy said...

Lost in translation problem, but Putin said Mrs Clinton has never been subtle, not graceful.