Senator John McCain is sometimes considered a Maverick for breaking away from following his party and, according to Sarah Palin, going rogue. Well he done gone and done it again! This time, McCain not only drifted off from his party, he drifted off from his nation.
At a time when the world is on pins and needles waiting to see what happens in Syria, and at a time when Vladimir Putin has finally decided to do the right thing and coach Syria into giving up their chemical weapons, John McCain has decided that this will be the perfect time to attack Putin. In beginning his piece in the Russian paper, McCain explained, “I am not anti-Russian. I am pro-Russian, more pro-Russian than the regime that misrules you today.”
Then he goes in:
President Putin claims his purpose is to restore Russia to greatness at home and among the nations of the world. But by what measure has he restored your greatness? He has given you an economy that is based almost entirely on a few natural resources that will rise and fall with those commodities. Its riches will not last. And, while they do, they will be mostly in the possession of the corrupt and powerful few. Capital is fleeing Russia, which – lacking rule of law and a broad-based economy – is considered too risky for investment and entrepreneurism. He has given you a political system that is sustained by corruption and repression and isn’t strong enough to tolerate dissent.
How has he strengthened Russia’s international stature? By allying Russia with some of the world’s most offensive and threatening tyrannies. By supporting a Syrian regime that is murdering tens of thousands of its own people to remain in power and by blocking the United Nations from even condemning its atrocities. By refusing to consider the massacre of innocents, the plight of millions of refugees, the growing prospect of a conflagration that engulfs other countries in its flames an appropriate subject for the world’s attention. He is not enhancing Russia’s global reputation. He is destroying it. He has made her a friend to tyrants and an enemy to the oppressed, and untrusted by nations that seek to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world.
President Putin doesn’t believe in these values because he doesn’t believe in you. He doesn’t believe that human nature at liberty can rise above its weaknesses and build just, peaceful, prosperous societies. Or, at least, he doesn’t believe Russians can. So he rules by using those weaknesses, by corruption, repression and violence. He rules for himself, not you.
Timing is everything. Any other time, I would agree with what McCain had to say. Putin has ruled Russia with a heavy hand. He is a ruler not at all interested in governing, so McCain is on point with much of what he had to say. But again, timing is everything.
Putin has taken a leading role in convincing Bashar Assad to take the necessary steps to end his chemical weapons program and in so doing, end the American threat of bombing Syria – a move that can further destabilize an already destabilized region and can signal the start of another world war.
John McCain on the other hand has taken the pro-war stance on Syria. McCain wants the fighting rebels to be armed by America, he wants President Obama to drop the bombs, no to drop nukes on Syria and end Assad’s reign. So imagine McCain’s frustration when Vladimir Putin and President Obama spear headed a peaceful resolution to Syria’s chemical weapons.
McCain clearly was not happy and he made his views known to the Obama administration and the American people in multiple television interviews. But the American people were tired of the wars and given the opportunity to get the same result through peace, they chose peace. McCain’s call for war was falling on deft ears. It is his contention that by not bombing Syria, Iran would walk away thinking they could go ahead with their nuclear ambitions. So McCain had to try something else. He had to do something he hadn’t done yet – attack Putin, one of the nucleus in a peaceful outcome where Syria’s weapons are concerned. And he hopes that with his attack, Putin backs away from the deal on Syria.
You think that’s a far fetched conclusion? Think again. We are talking about John McCain here, a pro war Republican senator who, when running for President in 2008 took to the podium in a town hall meeting and sang, Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran!
Timing is everything, and your timing now Senator speaks volume.
Russians responds.
