USA Politics

Could be. At least he is getting critical. I just read this on the CNN website:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/07/politics/obama-putin/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

... "Given our lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, and human rights and civil society in the last 12 months, we have informed the Russian government that we believe it would be more constructive to postpone the summit until we have more results from our shared agenda," the White House said. ...

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... Obama also criticized Russia for a new law banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors."

Implemented last month after Putin signed it into law, the measure bars public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear it. The law has been condemned by Russian and international rights groups as highly discriminatory.

"I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them," Obama said. ...
 
I gave no doubt Obama was not happy with the anti gay laws in Russia, I am sure many people are unhappy with it. I just do not think that was the driver for calling off the meeting.
 
I'm sure Obama would rather talk about it. Snowden is a much more...touchy issue when it comes to international politics.
 
I think Obama misjudged the relationship we can have with Russia. It is better than Cold War times, but Russia is not our friend. Pressing the symbolic reset button is not going to cut it
 
I wouldn't be surprised if people start throwing around the phrase "Return of the Cold War" in the coming months. Though, I much prefer, "The Colder War."
 
Well the worry was that the war would get "hot", that's where the name came from. So Knickerbocker is right, "Colder War" makes sense (and is more appealing).
 
bearfan said:
I think Obama misjudged the relationship we can have with Russia. It is better than Cold War times, but Russia is not our friend. Pressing the symbolic reset button is not going to cut it
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I think that there is resentment for the massive loss of power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Many countries that were traditionally in the Russian sphere of influence are siding with the west. I'm not just talking about Central and Eastern Europe, but also the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Russians feel encircled by America and its allies, only that in many cases, the buffer zone of satellite states is now missing. Those aren't favourable circumstances for a thing such as an alliance.
 
Perun said:
I think that there is resentment for the massive loss of power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Many countries that were traditionally in the Russian sphere of influence are siding with the west. I'm not just talking about Central and Eastern Europe, but also the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Russians feel encircled by America and its allies, only that in many cases, the buffer zone of satellite states is now missing. Those aren't favourable circumstances for a thing such as an alliance.
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I understand that and am glad their buffer is gone and really do not expect an alliance with Russia. Russia treated the former satellites and the now breakaway states like crap for years, they should not be surprised that they ran towards the west as quickly as possible and why you see Estonia and Ukraine putting up monuments to their citizens that fought in SS units during the war.
 
I think the former satellites are better off allied with the west for now, but I don't expect the current power balance to last forever.
 
I think the relationship with the West and the US is a little different. The US has the advantage that they are not really involved in the day to day economy and relations with these countries .. at least compared to the Western EU countries. I see some (Poland for example) are postponing Euro integration and the population is against it and there are not really many historical grudges against the US, certainly compared to one another in Europe.

I would like to see the US government and companies, invest more in countries like Poland, Hungary, Czech, etc.
 
I'll give credit where it is due. This is a good move. I think the anti-drug campaign started with good intention, but like most any government program has turned into a money sucking disaster and has seriously intruded on the rights of Americans. This is a good start to end this crap at a federal level. If they would leave states that have made pot legal to varying degrees as promised (or at least hinted at), that would also be a good move.

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal prosecutors will no longer seek long, "mandatory minimum" sentences for many low-level, nonviolent drug offenders, under a major shift in policy aimed at turning around decades of explosive growth in the federal prison population, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. planned to announce Monday.

"Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no good law enforcement reason," Holder planned to tell the American Bar Assn. meeting here, according to an advance text of his remarks. "While the aggressive enforcement of federal criminal statutes remains necessary, we cannot simply prosecute or incarcerate our way to becoming a safer nation."
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-holder-crime-20130812,0,464603.story
 
rodeo-clown.jpg
 
This BS action

he Missouri chapter of the NAACP appealed for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Secret Service to launch an investigation and open a federal case against the rodeo clown who donned a mask of President Obama’s face and mocked with the crowd: Do you want to see a bull run down Mr. Obama?

The NAACP says the clown was guilty of inciting violence against the president.

The NAACP’s state president, Mary Ratliff, wrote: “The activities at the Missouri State Fair targeting and inciting violence against our president are serious and warrant a full review by both the Secret Service and the Justice Department. Incidents involving individuals acting out with extreme violent behavior in movie theaters, schools, churches, political appearances, and outdoor events in general speaks volume to the irresponsible behavior of all the parties involved with the incendiary events at the Missouri State Fair.”

The rodeo incident has grabbed national headlines. And the fallout so far has included the resignation of the head of Missouri’s rodeo-clown organization, and the announcement of Missouri State Fair officials that all rodeo clowns will now have to take sensitivity training as a condition of their employment.

Meanwhile, the clown who actually performed the skit — donned a mask of the president and mocked as an announcer asked the crowd if they wanted to see a bull run him down — has been banned for life from state rodeo performances.

Now the call is for the federal government to get involved.

Ms. Ratliff also said, in her statement, that the state is to blame for providing funding for the fair, an annual popular event.

“Our legislature has failed to support Medicare Expansion in Missouri, has consistently attempted to dismantle our Human Rights Commission, fail to adequately fund urban schools — [which] are predominantly African American — yet they are subsidizing the Missouri State Fair to the tune of $400,000. We are calling for the subsidy to stop.”
 
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