Hope, Change, ...Cutbacks.

Conditions: Warm, Nice.


Peace In Our Time?

Don't look at it too hard, 'less you scare it away, but I think some sense is finally starting to come regarding the ridiculous plans to set up missile defense systems in Europe. What is this I'm feeling? Is it ...hope?

Russia yesterday offered a broad gesture of conciliation to the Obama White House, suggesting that it was shelving plans to deploy nuclear-capable missiles close to the Polish border.

In a short statement that drew a welcome from Nato and eager anticipation of some sort of detente after years of Moscow-Washington confrontation, officials said that the Kremlin's plans to station short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, the small Russian exclave on the Baltic, had been "suspended".

The move follows President Barack Obama's decision to review the Pentagon's contentious missile defence system in central Europe, they added.

- guardian.co.uk/

So strange. It's almost as if the American President is acting in a reasonable and intelligent way, and his actions are therefore being responded to in rational and intelligent ways. Great Scott, is this how things used to work, BB?

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared optimistic yesterday that Russia would drop plans to deploy short-range ballistic missiles near his nation's border, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 28).

Moscow last year said it would field the Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad in response to Bush administration efforts to deploy missile shield elements in Poland and the Czech Republic. This week, though, it appeared to back away from that threat, possibly as an olive branch to new U.S. President Barack Obama.

After meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Tusk said: "I have the impression that after this conversation -- and it's actually a bit more than an impression -- Russia is not especially in favor of the move."

"There's no reason to talk about the issue of Iskander missiles as an issue which will have a negative outcome for us. On the contrary, on this issue things could go in the right direction," Tusk said (Agence France-Presse, Jan. 29).

Some analysts have suggested that Obama could pursue improved relations with Russia, making European missile defenses less relevant, the International Herald Tribune reported yesterday.

"You could argue that if the U.S. and Russia did really improve relations, then there might be less of a need for the missile defense system," said Alexander Smolar, head of the Warsaw-based Stefan Batory Foundation.

- globalsecuritynewswire.org/

Yes. One could argue that, if one were being, I don't know, rational and not, what's the word, a douche? Turns out peace seems more of an option when you're not working all the time to point missiles at each other. Huh.

You know, I hate to look a gift horse in the x-ray, I really do, but I can't help but wonder if there's any other reason that also explains why these great military powers suddenly aren't quite so keen to start building giant underground missile-launching bunkers across central Europe. Anybody?

Later, at the Davos economic forum, Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, hinted at a readiness for some form of rapprochement when he indicated that Russia was not interested in engaging in a new arms race with the Obama administration. "Militarisation does not help solve problems," he said. "We are against spending more money on military efforts."

- guardian.co.uk/

Ah. Right, the whole worldwide economic crash thing. Yes, it turns out that not only is building military installations to point missiles at Allies a stupid thing to do, it's also really expensive. Peace through rationality and poverty. I'll take it any way I can get it.




Cartoon O' the Week.

- Oliphant

- Peace out.