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Re: The Rise of the Russian Empire: Russo-Armenian Relations
Finally, someone in the news media, albeit not mainstream, has responded to McCain's utterly insane proposal in quite candid terms. Nevertheless, we should all get used to the idea of John McCain as the next president of the United States. It sometimes seems as if nothing will stop these "Neocons" from dragging this nation down, even if it means taking the rest of the world down with it.
Armenian
*******************************
John McCain dropped a little-noticed bombshell into his March foreign-policy address: Boot Russia from the G-8, the elite club of leading industrial democracies whose leaders try to coordinate economic policies. One major problem: He can't do it because the other G-7 nations won't let him. But the fact that he's proposing to try, risking a return to Cold War tensions with the world's second-largest nuclear power after 20 years of prickly partnership, raises questions about McCain's judgment. It also underscores that many of his top foreign-policy advisers are of the same neo-conservative school that promoted the war in Iraq , argue for a tougher stance toward Iran and are skeptical of negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear program.
The Group of Eight, or G-8, as it's popularly known, makes decisions by consensus, so no single nation can kick out another. Most experts say the six other countries— Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada — would never agree to toss Russia, given their close economic ties to their neighbor. A senior U.S. official who deals with Russia policy said that even Moscow would have to approve of its own ouster, given how the G-8 works. "It's not even a theoretical discussion. It's an impossible discussion," said the senior official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. "It's just a dumb thing." Aside from that, many wonder whether McCain's suggestion would be wise policy. They fear that if McCain is elected and follows through on an attempt to toss Russia from the group, it could anger and isolate Russia , which has been increasingly assertive on the world stage, autocratic within its borders and is the second-largest producer of the hydrocarbons that feed the world's energy needs.
"In Europe , there's very little support ... for a policy like that," said Stephen Larrabee , an expert on Europe and Russia at the RAND think tank. "It's too late in the game to try and oust Russia ." The proposal also seemed at odds with the theme of McCain's speech, which promised a less unilateral approach to world affairs than the Bush White House has pursued. That could reflect tension between two Republican foreign-policy camps vying for influence in McCain's campaign: the pragmatic realists and the hard-line neo-conservatives— with the neo-cons ascendant for now in Russia policy. "There are a lot of important issues that we need Russia's support on. ...What's to be gained by tossing Russia out? We feel more self-righteous about ourselves?" said Andrew Kuchins , the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies , a center-right think tank.
Randy Scheunemann , the foreign-policy director for McCain's campaign, acknowledged that "there would be very vigorous discussion" within the G-8 of a proposal to exclude Russia . But, he said, Russia was "on a different political and economic trajectory" when it joined the group a decade ago, and he said it's unlikely that the same invitation would be extended today. Scheunemann vigorously disputed that the proposal is a product of McCain's neo-con advisers. McCain's position on the issue dates to 2003, he said. The G-8 is an informal alliance of the world's leading industrialized democracies. Leaders gather annually to discuss a broad range of global issues, from the economy to security to the environment. Ministers from member governments then coordinate policies behind the scenes in accordance with decisions taken at the annual summits.
The alliance was known for years as the G-7 until Russia was admitted in 1997, at the behest of the Clinton administration, as a way to encourage further democratic and economic reforms under President Boris Yeltsin . Russia has always been an odd fit for the group. While it's risen in recent years to join the ranks of the world's top 10 economies, that's due to its energy exports, not its modest industrial capacity. And its experiment with democracy has gone into reverse in recent years, which makes it doubly out of step with the seven industrial democracies. McCain's proposal addresses concerns about Russia's behavior, which became more adversarial under President Vladimir Putin (who, though he leaves office this month, will become prime minister and remain Russia's dominant figure). Examples include its meddling in the affairs of neighbors such as Ukraine and Georgia , its threat to aim missiles at other European neighbors in response to President Bush 's plans for a Europe -based missile defense and its crackdown on political dissent.
"It's not from left field," said Derek Chollet , a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security , a bipartisan foreign-policy research institution. "As Russia has de-democratized, there's been this whole question of, `What do we do?' The title is industrialized democracies. If Russia is drifting away from democracy, what do we do with it?" But McCain's solution "on a scale of one to 10 of possible action, is going to 11," Chollet said. Instead, "you just have to be cold-hearted about this," said Colin Bradford , an expert in global governance at the Brookings Institution , a center-left Washington research center. "We all believe in human rights and democracy. ...But it doesn't matter what the internal regime looks like. You need them at the table. We've got to figure out the incentives" that will make Russia behave better.
Some agree with McCain's approach. Ariel Cohen , a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation , said McCain's proposal was "right on the money." "It sends Russia a strong message to stop behaving the way it does," Cohen said. "As long as Russia doesn't behave like a democracy, why should it be in the G-8?" Cohen added that there are plenty of other forums for Russia to be heard in the world, including bilateral talks, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. McCain clearly dislikes Putin. A line he likes to use on the campaign trail is that while Bush looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul, McCain looked into Putin's eyes and "saw three letters: KGB." Putin was a longtime officer in the Soviet intelligence service.
The feeling appears mutual: McCain and campaign pal Sen. Joseph Lieberman , an independent Democrat from Connecticut , regaled reporters a few months ago with a story of the conference in Munich, Germany , "where Putin last year chose to give his first real strong anti-American speech ...when you saw a real change," McCain said. "He looked over and glared at me and Joe in the front row a couple of times." That may be because McCain and Lieberman had sponsored a bill in 2005 urging what McCain is proposing anew: that Russia's G-8 membership be suspended. What's striking about McCain's proposal is how far it is from the Bush administration's long effort to engage Putin. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama also have offered tough rhetoric on Russia. Of course, Kuchins said, "they're all on the campaign trail. Bush has to actually govern."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20...latchy/2927033
Finally, someone in the news media, albeit not mainstream, has responded to McCain's utterly insane proposal in quite candid terms. Nevertheless, we should all get used to the idea of John McCain as the next president of the United States. It sometimes seems as if nothing will stop these "Neocons" from dragging this nation down, even if it means taking the rest of the world down with it.
Armenian
*******************************
McCain's proposal to kick Russia out of G-8 is bold and unlikely
John McCain dropped a little-noticed bombshell into his March foreign-policy address: Boot Russia from the G-8, the elite club of leading industrial democracies whose leaders try to coordinate economic policies. One major problem: He can't do it because the other G-7 nations won't let him. But the fact that he's proposing to try, risking a return to Cold War tensions with the world's second-largest nuclear power after 20 years of prickly partnership, raises questions about McCain's judgment. It also underscores that many of his top foreign-policy advisers are of the same neo-conservative school that promoted the war in Iraq , argue for a tougher stance toward Iran and are skeptical of negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear program.
The Group of Eight, or G-8, as it's popularly known, makes decisions by consensus, so no single nation can kick out another. Most experts say the six other countries— Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada — would never agree to toss Russia, given their close economic ties to their neighbor. A senior U.S. official who deals with Russia policy said that even Moscow would have to approve of its own ouster, given how the G-8 works. "It's not even a theoretical discussion. It's an impossible discussion," said the senior official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. "It's just a dumb thing." Aside from that, many wonder whether McCain's suggestion would be wise policy. They fear that if McCain is elected and follows through on an attempt to toss Russia from the group, it could anger and isolate Russia , which has been increasingly assertive on the world stage, autocratic within its borders and is the second-largest producer of the hydrocarbons that feed the world's energy needs.
"In Europe , there's very little support ... for a policy like that," said Stephen Larrabee , an expert on Europe and Russia at the RAND think tank. "It's too late in the game to try and oust Russia ." The proposal also seemed at odds with the theme of McCain's speech, which promised a less unilateral approach to world affairs than the Bush White House has pursued. That could reflect tension between two Republican foreign-policy camps vying for influence in McCain's campaign: the pragmatic realists and the hard-line neo-conservatives— with the neo-cons ascendant for now in Russia policy. "There are a lot of important issues that we need Russia's support on. ...What's to be gained by tossing Russia out? We feel more self-righteous about ourselves?" said Andrew Kuchins , the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies , a center-right think tank.
Randy Scheunemann , the foreign-policy director for McCain's campaign, acknowledged that "there would be very vigorous discussion" within the G-8 of a proposal to exclude Russia . But, he said, Russia was "on a different political and economic trajectory" when it joined the group a decade ago, and he said it's unlikely that the same invitation would be extended today. Scheunemann vigorously disputed that the proposal is a product of McCain's neo-con advisers. McCain's position on the issue dates to 2003, he said. The G-8 is an informal alliance of the world's leading industrialized democracies. Leaders gather annually to discuss a broad range of global issues, from the economy to security to the environment. Ministers from member governments then coordinate policies behind the scenes in accordance with decisions taken at the annual summits.
The alliance was known for years as the G-7 until Russia was admitted in 1997, at the behest of the Clinton administration, as a way to encourage further democratic and economic reforms under President Boris Yeltsin . Russia has always been an odd fit for the group. While it's risen in recent years to join the ranks of the world's top 10 economies, that's due to its energy exports, not its modest industrial capacity. And its experiment with democracy has gone into reverse in recent years, which makes it doubly out of step with the seven industrial democracies. McCain's proposal addresses concerns about Russia's behavior, which became more adversarial under President Vladimir Putin (who, though he leaves office this month, will become prime minister and remain Russia's dominant figure). Examples include its meddling in the affairs of neighbors such as Ukraine and Georgia , its threat to aim missiles at other European neighbors in response to President Bush 's plans for a Europe -based missile defense and its crackdown on political dissent.
"It's not from left field," said Derek Chollet , a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security , a bipartisan foreign-policy research institution. "As Russia has de-democratized, there's been this whole question of, `What do we do?' The title is industrialized democracies. If Russia is drifting away from democracy, what do we do with it?" But McCain's solution "on a scale of one to 10 of possible action, is going to 11," Chollet said. Instead, "you just have to be cold-hearted about this," said Colin Bradford , an expert in global governance at the Brookings Institution , a center-left Washington research center. "We all believe in human rights and democracy. ...But it doesn't matter what the internal regime looks like. You need them at the table. We've got to figure out the incentives" that will make Russia behave better.
Some agree with McCain's approach. Ariel Cohen , a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation , said McCain's proposal was "right on the money." "It sends Russia a strong message to stop behaving the way it does," Cohen said. "As long as Russia doesn't behave like a democracy, why should it be in the G-8?" Cohen added that there are plenty of other forums for Russia to be heard in the world, including bilateral talks, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. McCain clearly dislikes Putin. A line he likes to use on the campaign trail is that while Bush looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul, McCain looked into Putin's eyes and "saw three letters: KGB." Putin was a longtime officer in the Soviet intelligence service.
The feeling appears mutual: McCain and campaign pal Sen. Joseph Lieberman , an independent Democrat from Connecticut , regaled reporters a few months ago with a story of the conference in Munich, Germany , "where Putin last year chose to give his first real strong anti-American speech ...when you saw a real change," McCain said. "He looked over and glared at me and Joe in the front row a couple of times." That may be because McCain and Lieberman had sponsored a bill in 2005 urging what McCain is proposing anew: that Russia's G-8 membership be suspended. What's striking about McCain's proposal is how far it is from the Bush administration's long effort to engage Putin. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama also have offered tough rhetoric on Russia. Of course, Kuchins said, "they're all on the campaign trail. Bush has to actually govern."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20...latchy/2927033
Originally posted by Armenian
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Replace Russia with India in the G8? Is this simply a statement made by an internet blogger trying to be silly? I'm afraid not. The statement in question is actually one of the several ludicrous foreign policy wishes of presidential candidate John McCain, who I'm afraid is the most likely candidate to win the next presidential election in the US. I'm afraid Americans, and the rest of the world for that matter, need to get used to the idea of four more years of Neocon BS...
Armenian
********************************
WASHINGTON: India and Brazil should replace Russia in the Group of Eight (G8) forum, US Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said in a major foreign policy address that defends his hardline views on the ongoing war on terror while forsaking the Bush administration's unilateralism. The 3800-word speech, billed as McCain's most comprehensive foreign policy statement, has upbeat references to India, citations that might please New Delhi considering another Republican administration is a distinct possibility given the bloodletting on the Democratic side. Another Congress-led government in India may also have to carry the nuclear deal forward with a McCain administration if it is not consummated during the current dispensations.
Outside this narrow perspective too, McCain's address at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council contained much that would resonate well with New Delhi, including promises of US alliances with democracies, an ideal that McCain himself has help dilute with support to dubious military regimes like the one in Pakistan. ''We cannot build an enduring peace, based on freedom by ourselves, and we do not want to. We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact - a league of democracies - that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests,'' McCain said, naming India, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Israel, among democratic countries that should wield greater influence on events.
But it was his stab at India's old ally Russia, a country with which the Bush administration forged a close partnership in the beginning, that surprised analysts. Warning against the dangers posed by a ''revanchist'' Russia, McCain said the US should ensure that the G8, the group of eight highly industrialized states, becomes again a club of leading market democracies: it should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia, he said. The Group of Eight members include besides the US and Russia, Japan, Germany, UK, Canada, France and Italy. McCain's gripe against Russia appeared more political than economic, since some of the other countries have even smaller economies than that of a resurgent Russia. ''Rather than tolerate Russia's nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of Nato, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization's doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom,'' McCain said.
McCain did not address the rise of China in the geo-political context, nor mention the recent troubles in Tibet. But he acknowledged China and India as ''economic powerhouses'' while rejecting any idea of US isolationism or protectionism, saying Americans should lead by example and participate in globalization. But it was McCains stand on Iraq, a war which he has supported unequivocally, that was much awaited. And he showed no change of heart or policy on that big ticket, conflating the war on terror to the widely-condemned US invasion of Iraq. ''We have enemies for whom no attack is too cruel, and no innocent life safe, and who would, if they could, strike us with the world's most terrible weapons. "There are states that support them, and which might help them acquire those weapons because they share with terrorists the same animating hatred for the West, and will not be placated by fresh appeals to the better angels of their nature. "This is the central threat of our time, and we must understand the implications of our decisions on all manner of regional and global challenges could have for our success in defeating it,'' McCain said, continuing to blur the line between Iraq and the more toxic regimes that drew the US into the so-called war on terror.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I...ow/2905310.cms
U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain suggested revamping the Group of Eight, a trans-Atlantic group that deals with economic policy, to exclude Russia, which he accused of "nuclear blackmail." McCain, almost certain to be the Republican candidate in November's election to replace President George W. Bush, gave a broad outline of his foreign policy views Wednesday in a speech in California. "We should start by ensuring that the G-8 ... becomes again a club of leading market democracies: It should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia," McCain said. McCain, a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin, also said that "[Rather] than tolerate Russia's nuclear blackmail or cyber-attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of NATO, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization's doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom." Addressing relations with Europe, McCain recommended changes from Bush policies. "The United States did not single-handedly win the Cold War," McCain said. "The trans-Atlantic alliance did, in concert with partners around the world. The bonds we share with Europe in terms of history, values and interests are unique. Americans should welcome the rise of a strong, confident European Union as we continue to support a strong NATO," he said.
Source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/storie...03/28/018.html
Armenian
********************************
India should replace Russia in G8: McCain
WASHINGTON: India and Brazil should replace Russia in the Group of Eight (G8) forum, US Republican presidential candidate John McCain has said in a major foreign policy address that defends his hardline views on the ongoing war on terror while forsaking the Bush administration's unilateralism. The 3800-word speech, billed as McCain's most comprehensive foreign policy statement, has upbeat references to India, citations that might please New Delhi considering another Republican administration is a distinct possibility given the bloodletting on the Democratic side. Another Congress-led government in India may also have to carry the nuclear deal forward with a McCain administration if it is not consummated during the current dispensations.
Outside this narrow perspective too, McCain's address at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council contained much that would resonate well with New Delhi, including promises of US alliances with democracies, an ideal that McCain himself has help dilute with support to dubious military regimes like the one in Pakistan. ''We cannot build an enduring peace, based on freedom by ourselves, and we do not want to. We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact - a league of democracies - that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests,'' McCain said, naming India, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Israel, among democratic countries that should wield greater influence on events.
But it was his stab at India's old ally Russia, a country with which the Bush administration forged a close partnership in the beginning, that surprised analysts. Warning against the dangers posed by a ''revanchist'' Russia, McCain said the US should ensure that the G8, the group of eight highly industrialized states, becomes again a club of leading market democracies: it should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia, he said. The Group of Eight members include besides the US and Russia, Japan, Germany, UK, Canada, France and Italy. McCain's gripe against Russia appeared more political than economic, since some of the other countries have even smaller economies than that of a resurgent Russia. ''Rather than tolerate Russia's nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of Nato, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization's doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom,'' McCain said.
McCain did not address the rise of China in the geo-political context, nor mention the recent troubles in Tibet. But he acknowledged China and India as ''economic powerhouses'' while rejecting any idea of US isolationism or protectionism, saying Americans should lead by example and participate in globalization. But it was McCains stand on Iraq, a war which he has supported unequivocally, that was much awaited. And he showed no change of heart or policy on that big ticket, conflating the war on terror to the widely-condemned US invasion of Iraq. ''We have enemies for whom no attack is too cruel, and no innocent life safe, and who would, if they could, strike us with the world's most terrible weapons. "There are states that support them, and which might help them acquire those weapons because they share with terrorists the same animating hatred for the West, and will not be placated by fresh appeals to the better angels of their nature. "This is the central threat of our time, and we must understand the implications of our decisions on all manner of regional and global challenges could have for our success in defeating it,'' McCain said, continuing to blur the line between Iraq and the more toxic regimes that drew the US into the so-called war on terror.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I...ow/2905310.cms
McCain Accuses Russia of Blackmail
U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain suggested revamping the Group of Eight, a trans-Atlantic group that deals with economic policy, to exclude Russia, which he accused of "nuclear blackmail." McCain, almost certain to be the Republican candidate in November's election to replace President George W. Bush, gave a broad outline of his foreign policy views Wednesday in a speech in California. "We should start by ensuring that the G-8 ... becomes again a club of leading market democracies: It should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia," McCain said. McCain, a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin, also said that "[Rather] than tolerate Russia's nuclear blackmail or cyber-attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of NATO, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization's doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom." Addressing relations with Europe, McCain recommended changes from Bush policies. "The United States did not single-handedly win the Cold War," McCain said. "The trans-Atlantic alliance did, in concert with partners around the world. The bonds we share with Europe in terms of history, values and interests are unique. Americans should welcome the rise of a strong, confident European Union as we continue to support a strong NATO," he said.
Source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/storie...03/28/018.html
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