Never before has Ukraine been as frequently mentioned in a U.S. presidential race as it is mentioned these days.
Speaking at a rally in Reno, Nevada, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said this about Ukraine:
After the Russian army invaded the nation of Georgia, Senator Obama’s reaction was one of indecision and moral equivalence — the kind of response that would only encourage Russia’s Putin to invade Ukraine next.
Note: The remark comes 1:45 into the video.
Shushannah Walshe at Fox News did a blog posting on Palin’s speech, drawing more than a hundred comments, one which I would like to quote, partially:
Comment by BradKT
October 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
People…think this through. Do you actually think that the United States should go to war with Russia over its invasion of Georgia…or if it invades the Ukraine? I don’t think so…and neither does the Bush Administration.
This comment made me want to trot out the same old lines:
Dear BradKT,
Just think about it: If Russia invades Ukraine, oil will be trading at above $300 a barrel.
Of course, you won’t have to go to war with Russia. But you will be spending more on defense and humanitarian aid. Besides, the war will create a huge black market supply of conventional weapons plus, quite possibly, radioactive material. Do you actually think it will benefit your country?
You and I will be better off if you elect a president who will spare no foreign policy effort to make Russia’s invasion cost-prohibitive.
All the best fromtheUkraine,
Taras
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/10/22/83289.htm
http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/21/palin-hits-obama-for-stance-she-expressed-support-for/
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/10102
3 comments:
Thanks for posting this clip and your reaction to the comment is right on. Unfortunately, I am afraid that not many Americans think about foreign policy when they go to the voting booth or understand how important foreign policy is. I think sometimes those running don't get it either.....
Thank you for commenting, Michelle!
By virtue of its influence, America plays a key role in the world’s affairs. What the world wants from America is to play that role wisely.
Obviously, it’s the economy, not foreign policy, that dominates this presidential election.
And while the U.S. economy, like any other economy, undergoes boom-bust cycles, U.S. foreign policy can be characterized by intervention-isolation cycles.
Whoever America elects as president should not get lost in these cycles.
Indifference, imbalance, and inaction — whether in domestic or foreign policy — would benefit neither America nor the world.
Taras, Thank you so much for this blog. I was very glad to discover it. Hopefully we can link up our blogs!
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