Tornado Alley (PROG)

[bulldzr]

fuagf, thanks for this post, and the background of history re the Crimea. I knew that Russia, going back centuries had spilled blood in the Crimea... always wanting a warm water port. But evidently the history of USSR/Khrushchev having ceded the territory to Ukraine in the 50's was somehow skipped in my history studies.

After studying this further, it appears to me that we may need to reconsider our hawkish attitude of confronting Russia on this issue. Not to call Putin an "Indian giver", but what once was theirs is not worth us fighting for, especially since the majority of folks in the area seem to be "ethnic Russians"...whatever that is.

Let 'em have it, and establish some borders that are agreeable to both sides, and then line up NATO tanks and let Putin know this is the line you dare not cross.... President Obama should quit worrying about McCain and the other dilettante hawks and explain the history of the region to the American people and his reasons for this decision.

I tend to agree with Merkel in this situation... I don't want to start WWIII over a small piece of land that is ethnically Russian to begin with. We can draw our lines in much more important places... and I think Putin will understand. Give him this limited victory, stop the killing, and let's move on in peace. JMO.

http://news.yahoo.com/europe-u-clash-over-confront-putin-over-ukraine-141226647--sector.html