At first I was tempted to take Condoleezza Rice’s “no thanks” to a Congressional subpoena as yet another example of executive branch arrogance. But then I realized that’s she’s actually very busy … resurrecting the Cold War?
OSLO, April 26 — Brusquely dismissing protests by Russian officials, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here on Thursday that a missile-defense system the United States plans to install in Poland and the Czech Republic would pose no danger to the security of Russia.
“The idea that somehow 10 interceptors and a few radars in Eastern Europe are going to threaten the Soviet strategic deterrent is purely ludicrous, and everybody knows it,” Ms. Rice said before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers expected to focus on the missile-defense dispute.
“The Russians have thousands of warheads,” Ms. Rice said. “The idea that you can somehow stop the Soviet strategic nuclear deterrent with a few interceptors just doesn’t make sense.” (Story.) (Emphasis mine.)
Know what else doesn’t make sense? That our Secretary of State, who allegedly holds a PhD in International Studies, thinks that the Soviet Union still exists. What next – outrage over a Prussian cavalry build-up along the border of Pomerania?
What can this mean? Was she trying to speechify before having her morning coffee? Did she just miss that whole “dismantling of the Soviet Union” thing in the same way that you or I might miss an episode of 24? Or, gods forbid, was this an intentional move designed to begin reconstructing a powerful enemy? This administration needs us to be focused on our fear, and the whole al Qaeda/Iraq frame has turned on them. Putin has been acting badly of late, so maybe our leaders are trying to bring back the Evil Empire?
Just speculating – I honestly have no idea what Dr. Rice is up to. She may not, either. But at a minimum, is it asking too much of a Sec o’ State that when she addresses NATO meetings that she at least get the names of large countries right?
Categories: Politics/Law/Government
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 
Actually, considering the way Putin is carrying on with his determination to hold Europe and the ex-Soviet satellites to ransom over oil, perhaps she’s just being prescient?
Prescience has no so far been a real strength of this administration. Creating bogus rationales to do stupid things, on the other hand….
That’s a great catch. The author of the article didn’t catch that either. Well, I’m off on a whirlwind tour of Condi’s world: first stops in Europe Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, then to the Motherland (Rhodesia) and finally I have some business in Burma. Should be back to New Amsterdam in no time flat.
And here I thought for sure that China was going to be the new bad guy. Remember the spy plane incident in 2001? Until 9/11 happened it seemed like this administration was hellbent on starting a new cold war with China as the “baddie”.
I don’t know….as an ex-Soviet Studies major any mention of “Soviet” kind of warms my cockles. Since I abstained from joining either the Bush designated “us or thems” the last time maybe it will be nice to have a second “them” to choose from in future.
JD: Hang in there. Before the day is out we may also learn that Mao is still in charge over there.
David: So this is Condi’s version of pro-choice? 🙂
Still cracking up from Temple3’s comment.
Considering Orrin Hatch spent a good 5 minutes of his floor time in the Senate today proclaiming that Congressional Republicans are like Churchill and the Democrats are like Chamberlain, maybe the whole administration could use a refresher course in History 101?
PS, I heard Dick Cheney comparing Congressional Democrats’ Iraq strategy to George McGovern’s foreign policy the other day… not sure who he thought he was insulting, but neither party minded the comparison one bit. Maybe his sense of humor is too intelligent for this low-brow liberal.
At least she didn’t say anything about Yeltsin being part of the Axis of Evil.
We say that the Soviet Union is no more…I say keep watching. I think in the future there can and will be another cold war with ” Mother Russia ” as Putin put’s the country into a backslide and time rewinds to Russia’s former self. And when that happens, Russia will be just another real headache for this administration and the next to deal with. As far as Condi’s ” No Thanks ” to a subpeona to appear before a congressional committe, I hope no one here expected any different outcome. She is a staunch Bush admin supporter, and she has certainly stood by the President in all matters regardless of public sentiment.
Response to: “But at a minimum, is it asking too much of a Sec o
Condi being THE intellectual in this administration! It’s all relative, I guess.
She is just trying to frighten Poles and Czechs into accepting without demur the installation of missile-defence system.
Mazhar,
The confrontational management style they utilize is extraordinary for its immediate effects on targets. What they haven’t learned yet is that after the intimidation shock wears off, the target will certainly lash back.
They need to stop with the bullying…