Comments on: Bush's speech – what are the blogs saying?

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

This is all interesting demonstration of how the press has let people down on the Bush/Russia angle. Why, when Bush makes a couple of non-commital anodyne statements about democracy in Russia, does everyone fall over themselves too see the onset of a new Cold War? Needless to say, it is commentators’ way of spicing up dull and meaningless diplomatic tours to read into speeches, but the game just isn’t worth the candle in this instance.
What is interesting is a subtle shift in the U.S. policy, possibly dictated by the transplanting of the singularly appalling Condoleezza Rice from her old National Security post, from confrontation and conviviality to outright denial.
This will be fun to watch, because if there is one thing that really gets up Russia’s nose then that is being ignored. However, the argument is elaborated in a much more intelligent way here;

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?DocID=549172&IssueId=23332

Russia’s really scrambling at the moment and it will fascinating to see how Putin going to dig himself out of all the holes he and his band of ministers have dug. In the very end, Putin could once have counted on tacit foreign support, which gave him an air of legitimacy in the world, but with pensioners chomping at his heels, Ivanov hovering outside his Kremlin office, Bush playing hard to get and the ever reliable North Caucausians playing up, how long can the status quo be maintained.

By: Robert Mayer

Robert Mayer — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

The actual transcript of the press conference between the two was much more interesting, though in many respects, anti-climactic. While we know what they say during the press conference, we’ll never know what they said toward each other. A shame, though rhetorical analysis of Putin’s speech only goes to show his character.

By: Registan.net

Registan.net — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Bush-Putin Summit

Like I just said, I’m kind of burned out, but wanted to throw out some interesting links on US-Russian elections and this week’s Bush-Putin meeting for those who may not tread the same internet paths.

Transition Trends (2/22 post), Publius Pundit, a…