Crimea

Agree with everything you said.  Plus, I don't see how it affects us at all.  Even if Russia tried to take back all breakaway countries, I'm not sure that I care one little bit.  If the people of the country are not mobilizing and fighting for freedom, we should not care.  (And I don't mean some rather small (by percentage of population) protests.

When you have a civil war (Syria) or millions of people protesting (Egypt), then I think it is fair to say they want change.  That is when we can consider helping.

Just my $.02.

I'm with you.

Just curious.  what would those sanctions be?

I'm not sure why, but this bothers me.  Taking money from supporters of the Russian President?  really?  I hate to say it, but it sounds kind of thugish.  "Do what we want or we're gonna hurt your friends and family"

Ya gotta laugh when Obama says he won't recognize the vote by the people of Crimea to rejoin Russia. 

Lets see... We spend billions of dollars and sacrifice 1,000's of troops to force democracy on Iraq and Afghanistan where they didn't ask for it in the first place. The whole time we say we just want to support democracy there and let the people rule themselves.

Then the people of Crimea hold a vote of the people and 85% of the people want to rejoin Russia. Oh that sort of democracy? No, we won't recognize that. Absolutely ridiculous.

And just so I don't rustle the jimmies of the O-crowd, it is not just him, McCain, Kerry, all the other idiots in the Senate. All ridiculous. I can just see Putin laugh out loud every time we issue a statement.

I could care less if Crimea is with Ukraine or with Russia, appears the people want to be with Russia so what in the heck is the problem? 

President Obama just needs to shut up........it's over.  Crimea is part of the Russian Federation.  Once Ukrain became unstable I don't know how anyone could possibly figure that Russia would do anything else but protect their strategic interests there. 

It's the "law of the land", he just needs to accept it.  ;-)

You think that 85% of the population of New Mexico and Souther Cali want to be part of Mexico? I'm gonna say I highly doubt that. 

I think you missed my poke at the ACA in there.  

Anyways, it doesn't matter what century this is.  Whatever country has the bigger guns gets to do whatever they want.  period.  Just because it's the 21st century doesn't change that.

Now obviously if Russia came in guns a blazing and took over eastern Europe the "world" would have to fight back to stop it, but if the world doesn't have bigger guns then Russia gets to keep it.  The only reason Germany and Japan were stopped was because they didn't ultimately have the biggest guns.

Try again......Mexico doesn't have their entire Black Sea navy stationed in New Mexico.  (OK, both jon boats and the surfboard, but still)

Crimea is an autonomous Republic with it's own consitution but under the laws of Ukrain......there is nothing to keep the poeple there from voting exactly how they did.  Ukrain became unstable (yes, with Russian influence) and Russia moved to protect their strategic assets....the same as we would.  If Obama and his administration wanted to stop this, there was plenty of time as the Ukrain started to become unraveled.......but the U.S. and the E#U wasn't even in the game.

You have to have your head in the sand or have no knowledge of that region at all to think this is a surprise.

On that note, I believe that the Supreme court (Texas v. White) even ruled that a state in the US can secede legally "through revolution, or through consent of the States".

There is no doubt that Russia manipulated Yanukovych so that he went back on his promise of closer agreements with the EU, which he was elected to do.  At some point he became compromised by Russia/Putin.  When he moved to closer ties to Russia he was ousted and Russia/Putin moved in to secure their assets on the Crimean peninsula, and ultimately wrest control of Crimea from Ukrain.  It doesn't matter what you or I think about it, but yeah, I agree the whole thing was calculated by Putin.  So what?  I don't see much coming out of Crimea regarding a backlash there.  It is what it is.  There may have been a time for the EU and the US to put some pressure on Yanukovych, but they were asleep at the wheel and Putin was not.  Not surprising wen you look at our foreign policy under Obama.

I said from day one tat if Putin stopped at Crimea the whole thing would end up being much adu about nothing......Russia already keeps it's Black Sea fleet there so technically nothing changes.

Crimea is now part of Russia.  Who cares?

If Russia moves on Ukrain proper I will likely feel different.  But as it stands, it's a wash.