No surprise. China’s ostentatious rudeness was perfectly reflective of the world’s general disdain for Obama. His high-minded lectures about global norms and demands that others live up to their “international obligations” are no longer amusing. They’re irritating.

Foreign leaders have reciprocated by taking this administration down a notch knowing they pay no price. In May 2013, Vladimir Putin reportedly kept the U.S. secretary of state cooling his heels for three hours outside his office before deigning to receive him. Even as Obama was hailing the nuclear deal with Iran as a great breakthrough, the ayatollah vowed “no change” in his policy, which remained diametrically opposed to “U.S. arrogant system.” The mullahs followed by openly conducting illegal ballistic missile tests — calculating, correctly, that Obama would do nothing. And when Iran took prisoner 10 American sailors in the Persian Gulf, made them kneel and broadcast the video, what was the U.S. response? Upon their release, John Kerry publicly thanked Iran for its good conduct.

Why should Xi treat Obama with any greater deference? Beijing illegally expands into the South China Sea, meeting only the most perfunctory pushback from the U.S. Obama told CNN that he warned Xi to desist or “there will be consequences.” Is there a threat less credible?

Putin annexes Crimea and Obama crows about the isolation he has imposed on Russia. Look around. Moscow has become Grand Central Station for Middle East leaders seeking outside help in their various conflicts. As for Ukraine, both the French president and the German chancellor have hastened to Moscow to plead with Putin to make peace. Some isolation.

Iran regularly harasses our vessels in the Persian Gulf. Russian fighters buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea. And just Wednesday, a Russian fighter flew within 10 feet of an American military jet. The price they paid? Being admonished that such provocations are unsafe and unprofessional. An OSHA citation is more ominous.

Add to that American acquiescence not just to ransoming hostages held by Iran, but to delivering the loot by unmarked plane filled with stacks of cold (untraceable) cash, like a desert drug deal. Why the stealth? Obviously to conceal the manner of the transaction from Congress and the American public. Some humiliations are so grotesque that even the Obama team can’t miss it.

Now the latest. At the G-20, Obama said he spoke to Putin about cyberwarfare, amid revelations that Russian hackers have been interfering in our political campaigns. We are more technologically advanced, both offensively and defensively, in this arena than any of our adversaries, said Obama, but we really don’t want another Cold War-style arms race.

Instead, we must all adhere to norms of international behavior.

It makes you want to weep. This KGB thug adhering to norms? He invades Ukraine, annexes Crimea, bombs hospitals in Aleppo — and we expect him to observe cyber-code etiquette? Rather than exploit our technological lead — with countermeasures and deterrent threats — to ensure our own cyber-safety?

We’re back to 1929 when Secretary of State Henry Stimson shut down a U.S. code-breaking operation after it gave him decoded Japanese telegrams. He famously explained that “gentlemen do not read each other’s mail.”

Well, comrade, Putin is no gentleman. And he’s reading our mail.

Quote

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/incident-in-hangzhou/2016/09/08/c1da28f4-75f2-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html?utm_term=.77b99cecc73d

Incident in Hangzhou

This author's commentary in the Washington Post wreaks with American imperialist propaganda and obvious Russia/China bashing.

Quote

No surprise. China’s ostentatious rudeness was perfectly reflective of the world’s general disdain for Obama. His high-minded lectures about global norms and demands that others live up to their “international obligations” are no longer amusing. They’re irritating.

The World does not have a disdain for President Obama, they have a disdain for America's imperialist actions in the World that has left thousands killed and whole nations in chaos or on the verge of collapse (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, etc.).


Foreign leaders have reciprocated by taking this administration down a notch knowing they pay no price. In May 2013, Vladimir Putin reportedly kept the U.S. secretary of state cooling his heels for three hours outside his office before deigning to receive him. Even as Obama was hailing the nuclear deal with Iran as a great breakthrough, the ayatollah vowed “no change” in his policy, which remained diametrically opposed to “U.S. arrogant system.” The mullahs followed by openly conducting illegal ballistic missile tests — calculating, correctly, that Obama would do nothing. And when Iran took prisoner 10 American sailors in the Persian Gulf, made them kneel and broadcast the video, what was the U.S. response? Upon their release, John Kerry publicly thanked Iran for its good conduct.

There is no agreement between Iran, the UN, or the US that prevents Iran from doing defensive ballistic missile tests.  Furthermore, this author forgets to mention that these US Naval sailors were illegally in Iranian waters.  It is doubtful that those sailors entered Iranian waters accidentally.  Sorry, I don't think those sailors got lost fishing.  More likely, those men were probably on a spy mission and got caught.


Why should Xi treat Obama with any greater deference? Beijing illegally expands into the South China Sea, meeting only the most perfunctory pushback from the U.S. Obama told CNN that he warned Xi to desist or “there will be consequences.” Is there a threat less credible?

As of date, there has been no official ruling by the UN or the Hague Court of Arbitration that deemed China's activity in the South CHINA Sea as illegal.


Putin annexes Crimea and Obama crows about the isolation he has imposed on Russia. Look around. Moscow has become Grand Central Station for Middle East leaders seeking outside help in their various conflicts. As for Ukraine, both the French president and the German chancellor have hastened to Moscow to plead with Putin to make peace. Some isolation.

Russia did not annex Crimea, Crimea joined the Russian Federation.

The fact nations in the Middle East and nations from Europe seek council with President Putin is because he is acting like a true statesman.  Russia is utilizing diplomacy to solve today's global crises, while it is the US, who is resorting to Big Stick Violence (e.g., arming ISIS in Syria, invading Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc.).


Iran regularly harasses our vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Only when they get too close to Iran's territory.


Russian fighters buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea. And just Wednesday, a Russian fighter flew within 10 feet of an American military jet. The price they paid? Being admonished that such provocations are unsafe and unprofessional. An OSHA citation is more ominous.

The US has no business being in the Baltic Sea and in Russia's backyard for that matter other than to provoke Russia.  How would the US feel if Russian aircraft carriers sailed in the Gulf of Mexico and got too close to Florida, Georgia, or Texas?


Add to that American acquiescence not just to ransoming hostages held by Iran, but to delivering the loot by unmarked plane filled with stacks of cold (untraceable) cash, like a desert drug deal. Why the stealth? Obviously to conceal the manner of the transaction from Congress and the American public. Some humiliations are so grotesque that even the Obama team can’t miss it.

I could be wrong, but I believe a lot of that money is actually Iranian money that was to be returned to Iran as per the stipulations of the Iran Deal.


Now the latest. At the G-20, Obama said he spoke to Putin about cyberwarfare, amid revelations that Russian hackers have been interfering in our political campaigns. We are more technologically advanced, both offensively and defensively, in this arena than any of our adversaries, said Obama, but we really don’t want another Cold War-style arms race.

I think this author has bad eyesight.  If any party is meddling with the US Presidential electoral process, it is not coming internationally, but domestically.  Just ask Bernie Sanders supporters whether they feel robbed by the Clinton Gang via election fraud and corruption.


Instead, we must all adhere to norms of international behavior.

It makes you want to weep. This KGB thug adhering to norms? He invades Ukraine, annexes Crimea, bombs hospitals in Aleppo — and we expect him to observe cyber-code etiquette? Rather than exploit our technological lead — with countermeasures and deterrent threats — to ensure our own cyber-safety?

Talk about spinning the truth.  Russia has not invaded any country.  Crimea elected to join the Russian Federation.  Those responsible for bombing of the hospital in Aleppo is still officially unknown, while it has been confirmed that the US did bomb a hospital in Afghanistan.


We’re back to 1929 when Secretary of State Henry Stimson shut down a U.S. code-breaking operation after it gave him decoded Japanese telegrams. He famously explained that “gentlemen do not read each other’s mail.”

This might have been American foreign policy in 1929, but in 1939 the US began working on breaking Imperial Japan's version of the Enigma Encryption Machine, two years before any declaration of war between both countries.


Well, comrade, Putin is no gentleman. And he’s reading our mail.

If Russia is reading our mail, they are reading yesterday's news because America's NSA has beaten them to it.


Kuleana

Quote

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/incident-in-hangzhou/2016/09/08/c1da28f4-75f2-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html?utm_term=.77b99cecc73d

One thing we need to not forget as Hillary and her ilk bash Trump as admiring Putin ..... Putin supports the legitimate regime of Assad while Obama and Clinton armed and helped create ISIS from the opposition rebels in Syria.

Yeah, I think Trump sees an enemy of our enemy ....