"'Putin’s goal is to transition to a respectful adversarial relationship from the disrespectful one we have today,' said Vladimir Frolov, a Russian foreign affairs columnist. 'That seems to be in line with Biden’s objectives for a "predictable and stable relationship."'... In his interview with NBC taped last week, Mr. Putin praised Mr. Biden as a 'professional' who had spent 'just about all his conscious life in politics.'"
Praised? I don't think that was praise!
One day Biden called Putin a "killer," and later Biden was calling him "a worthy adversary." Can you be both, did Putin change, or was Biden bullshitting both times or only once? In any case, how can it be that Putin thinks of Biden as anything but weak?
Putin sloughed off the "killer" accusation as macho Hollywood talk of the sort people in America go in for. I'm sure he no more susceptible to compliments like "worthy adversary."
ADDED: From "No sign of thaw between Russia and US ahead of Geneva summit" in The Guardian:
Analysts suggested that the upcoming summit would be “boring” and a carefully-controlled “snoozefest” as both sides attempted something of a reboot following a catastrophic meeting between Putin and Donald Trump in Helsinki in 2018, which Trump insisted on holding without any aides. Top US aides were apoplectic as Trump emerged from one-on-one talks with Putin and rejected his own FBI’s assessment that Russia had interfered in the 2016 elections. “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be,” he told reporters. One advisor later said she considered faking a medical emergency to end the press conference....
The White House does not want a joint press conference this time. Biden told reporters: “This is not a contest about who can do better in front of a press conference to try to embarrass each other.”
Don't compete in events you can't win. Know your limitations. But does Biden know all his limitations and have the wisdom to decline to participate in all the activities he can't handle?
ADDED: Tom emails "For some reason I thought of that scene in The Big Lebowski, where Walter is musing about Vietnam":
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2 comments:
Amadeus 48:
There is a lot to process here. Let’s start with Biden’s long history in our nation’s government. What is his track record? President Obama: “Never underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up.” Robert Gates, Defense Secretary under Bush 43 and Obama: “Biden been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” So that is Biden’s history. Anything changed?
Then we get to the NYT, trying to peddle nonsense about Biden’s sagacity, which has never been apparent and isn’t apparent now. Here’s a scoop: Joe Biden was a stupid blowhard on his best day, and his best days are behind him. He’s weak because he is empty. Putin and Xi are going to play him like a fiddle. The folks at the EU are thinking their prayers have been answered—America is being cut down to size. He thinks the Iranians are our friends, but misunderstood. And, he thinks, those darn Israelis. Why do they keep making trouble? Maybe that new guy will give the Palestinians what they want.
We have some rough days ahead.
Cubanbob writes:
"One day Biden called Putin a "killer," and later Biden was calling him "a worthy adversary." Can you be both, did Putin change, or was Biden bullshitting both times or only once? In any case, how can it be that Putin thinks of Biden as anything but weak?"
Biden has never been anything but a bullshitter who at one time or another has been just about on every side of any problem in the last forty seven years he has been in public office. Putin on the other hand has been a KGB man his whole professional life and made himself The Top Guy.
Does Biden know his limitations? Obviously not. More to the point is does Biden even understand the concept of personal awareness?
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