Snap back to the cabinet, oh there goes Admiral
Joe he's no match for a local ambassador
Militias have rockets and guns but no badges
So they show in up armoured personel carriers
This whole action's a joke
He knows that but he hopes
For some backfiring American talk-shows
When he talks back about Iraq again that's when its
Back to the parliament yo
They all back him, better go capture this folks and hope they don't amass again

I'm proud.....

....

Snap back to reality, oh, there goes policy
Oh, and now diplomacy; broke
But was it that easy? Nope,
Putin's mad but they won't, go out quietly, don't
Accept that, 'cause they know, they all back to the ropes
It don't matter they're dope, they know that but they're broke
They're so sad and they know, Yanukovych is a joke, and oh
God now it's - back to the Square again, yo, it's Maidan again,
They better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass 'em...

Mom's spaghetti

Ukraine's troops escaping, through this hole that is gaping
This world is his for the taking
Make him king, as we move toward a new world order
A normal life is boring, but USSR's close to postmortem
It only grows harder, countries grow bolder
He blows. It's all over. The media is all on him
Coast to coast drops, he's known as the oppressor
Lonely roads, God only knows
He's grown farther from home, he's the father
He goes home and sees the protesters
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold war.
The US wants him more, he's killed thousands
He moved on to the next order which grows
His troops dove and solved nada
So the soap opera is told and unfolds
I suppose it's old partner but the war goes on
Da da dum da dum da da

Facebook is giving me joy in the midst of boredom today.

Nevermind that Russia has right to have 25,000 troops in Crimea as per agreement with Ukraine. No new troops have entered. You can stop with the songs now. Russia also continues to try and work with the new authorities in Kiev, and is contemplating dumping US treasuries in response to US threats.

I suppose firing warning shots at unarmed protesters is part of the agreement?

Oh Putin, you just sniff out fun and kill it, don't you? Russia is playing a stupid game, you just can't admit it. Boo hoo, Russia sucks. Crimea river.

I'm actually with Putin33 for once.

This isn't 1979, Crimea isn't Afghanistan, and Russia isn't the Soviet Union. The west needs to mind their own business and stop trying to pretend that the Russians are still the bad guys.

Putin is gutsy and audacious in a somewhat malevolent way, but he's not a Hitler-esque madman. We're not on the verge of WWIII unless western leaders continue to completely misread the situation and make ridiculous threats that they are not willing to back up.

So GF, are the Russians the good guys to you? Is threatening Ukrainian sovereignty something that the West should ignore? Putin is a terrible leader - he supports the will of the local populace in determining their own sovereignty in Ukraine, but initiates armed military conflict in Chechnya, Dagestan, and South Ossetia when presented with the same questions of regional sovereignty within his own borders. He has no respect for international laws and represents a threat to international stability.

"So GF, are the Russians the good guys to you? Is threatening Ukrainian sovereignty something that the West should ignore? "

Ukrainian sovereignty has not been threatened. All Russian actions were *agreed upon* by legitimate Ukrainian authorities. First, the BSF agreement allows for Russian troops in the Crimea, second Russian troops were *invited* to enter Ukraine by the *legitimate elected President of Ukraine*. All else is just western hypocrisy and propaganda. The west bombs Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mali, and has the audacity to whine about sovereignty.

"but initiates armed military conflict in Chechnya, Dagestan, and South Ossetia"

Wrong again. Those conflicts were not initiated by Russia. Especially South Ossetia, how on earth can you say that was initiated? It's the same situation, a minority being attacked by a CIS state. Tsinkvali was flattened by Georgian military. They fired on Russian peace keepers. You're just spouting nonsense now.

Also, Chechens invaded Dagestan. Get your facts straight. They want to establish an Islamic caliphate in the Caucasus. They're very open about this.

"He has no respect for international laws and represents a threat to international stability."

Address the above interventions by the west and the fact that all Russian actions were agreed upon by Ukrainian authorities. Again, more nonsense from you.

Liberals are really just neo-cons who want a welfare state. There's not one iota of difference between the two.

Russians are the good guys to anybody who isn't a Nazi or a hypocrite.

Ukrainian authorities who are no longer in power. Big difference.

"I suppose firing warning shots at unarmed protesters is part of the agreement?"

Those aren't Russian troops. If this was an invasion, wouldn't we have seen armed confrontation by now? Western lies being exposed by the day.

"Ukrainian authorities who are no longer in power. Big difference."

No, not a big different. Because the Ukrainian authorities were illegally and unconstitutionally removed in a violent coup, which you apparently support despite all your supposed whining about 'stability'.

Contemplating voting Republican in 2014 to wipe the liberals out. Sick of propping up these interventionist hypocrites with electoral support. Might as well vote neo-con if we're getting crap like 2WL and Jamiet in office.

Until the US joined in Putin had it made. He already had troops on the ground and Western Europe wants his oil and gas more than they cared about the Ukraine. If it wasn't for the threat of not being able to sell that, Putin could have taken over the whole country without Europe doing more than whine.

Also, the much talked about warning shots was in fact just one shot and was fired by the Ukrainian side.

Crimea is perfectly calm, despite the hysteria here.

http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2014/03/04/328912/the-situation-in-ukraine-remains-calm-itar-tass.html

"Russians are the good guys to anybody who isn't a Nazi or a hypocrite."

I wouldn't go as far as calling them "good" guys, but Putin's Russia gets FAR more criticism than it deserves.

Putin - why focus so much on the coup aspect of it? Most governments in the world now owe their position to a coup. Most countries in the world have experienced coups (or attempted coups) in the last 50 years. It doesn't always work out for the better, but sometimes coups can have a completely revitalizing effect on a country.

Actually, let's move these replies to the other thread and leave this one for funny raps, eh?

Afraid you'll ruin bo's dumb thread?

That's what you all should be afraid of.

Personally, I am uninterested in the legality of the Russian invasion/occupation of Crimea. The geopolitical ramifications are tiny, almost to the point of nonexistence. Why the American government has their panties in a bunch is beyond me.

Putin is too smart to be a madman, and he's sitting on enough natural resources to ensure Russia's long-term stability and security. He doesn't need to take over the Ukraine proper or any other eastern European country. Tacitly tolerating this apparent Crimean annexation is NOT tantamount to appeasement.

Besides, it's not like America wouldn't do the exact same thing in his position. We overthrow nearby uncooperative governments all of the time. (see: Panama 1989)

The government is going crazy over it because Crimea is economically significant and anything Russia does to expand its power in any way is automatically the end of the world around here.

Well, protesters just overthrew the government, so the Ukraine seems to have bigger problems than a Russian incursion.

Putin: Yes, the situation remains calm and yes it seemed like very few shots if not just one, but it was definitely fired by one of the heavily armed pro-russians.

"sometimes coups can have a completely revitalizing effect on a country"
goldfinger0303: That's the most idiotic thing I've heard since you posted the same claim yestersay. Sure, assassinating the president might actually be a good idea. I can't see anything going wrong. Why don't I just grab a gun and – no!

Yo pisaré las calles nuevamente de lo que fue Santiago ensangrentada . . .

The NSA just pinged this thread.

Putin33: http://www.rtve.es/m/alacarta/videos/programa/soldados-prorrusos-ucranianos-frente-frente-aerodromo-belbek/2427531/?media=tve

That video shook a lot. I'll take your word for it that the Crimeans fired warning shots in that incident.

But that guy in the middle: don't you see him firing his gun when the column gets close. If I remember correctly, I think you can see the recoil.

Yes, but we have no idea what those soldiers were looking at, or who was approaching them and what they were carrying.

Same situation covered by the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26443227

It has a little less of the build up, but a bit more of what happened next including, as the BBC puts it "the Russian commander started to diffuse the tension", followed by negotiations whilst the Ukranians played football.

Frankly I feel the Russians handled it rather well. Both sides here were trained military, and both sides knew the rules they had to stick by. The Ukranians made their point, the Russians stood firm, and afterwards everyone went off for tea. All very textbook.

And a version with no commentry but with more of the conversation between the two sides with helpful subtitles

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26440426

The Beeb seem to have covered this story several times, in fact. There are a few other versions dotted about.