Russian Navy in Venezuela (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-09-22-russia-venezuela_N.htm)
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian navy squadron set off for Venezuela Monday, an official said, in a deployment of Russian military power to the Western Hemisphere unprecedented since the Cold War.

The Kremlin recently has moved to intensify contacts with Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American nations amid increasingly strained relations with Washington after last month's war between Russia and Georgia. During the Cold War, Latin America became an ideological battleground between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Is anyone else somewhat unsettled by Russia's recent behavior? (I'm not saying they're doing anything wrong, though.)

I think this step, in conjunction with Chavez, is Moscow reacting to recent events in eastern Europe.
Polish Missiles, Ukrainian intent on NATO, its all part of upping the anti, in the deadliest of games.

Is anyone else somewhat unsettled by Russia's recent behavior?
Unsettled, slightly. Worried, no. Surprised, not at all.

They taunted a neighbor who overreacted. They then proceeded to illegally occupy them, only to sign a "peace agreement" that Putin wipes his ass with. It's simply business as usual for the Russians. If we have to bitch-slap them (yet again, I might add), then so be it.

Oh yeah, because Russia and the U.S. one-upping each other for the purpose of intimidation has worked so well in the past...

(Granted, I know that we're a lot stronger than they are, but might "bitch-slapping" cause a bit of a backlash?)

Oh yeah, because Russia and the U.S. one-upping each other for the purpose of intimidation has worked so well in the past...
Outside of launching the first satellite (in 1957, I think), when have they ever "one-upped" us?

Let em send their navy to Chavez, who cares? Russias navy is a pissant compared to ours. IF they think they are intimidating us with this move they are wrong and look like little boys puffing out their chests.

Let em send their navy to Chavez, who cares? Russias navy is a pissant compared to ours. IF they think they are intimidating us with this move they are wrong and look like little boys puffing out their chests.
LOL - No shit. What a fat-faced, impotent bastard, Chavez is. The best part is, he's completely unaware of that fact. I mean, with all his "we're going to turn the tide of economics in your country upside down" rhetoric, I can't help but chuckle to myself. If oil's your only trick, then you're SOL, Emperor Cannonfodder. Apparently, he's under the impression that other people can refine his shitty crude. Either that, or he doesn't mind starving. What a buffoon.

The US 4th fleet was re-activated lately. So everyone can sleep well at nite, with the firepower it possesses.

Chavez said the United States was attempting to frighten the people of South America by reactivating the fleet, then goes and invites the Russians over for war games.

LOL, I think Chavez was frightened, not the people of "South America".

LOL, I think Chavez was frightened, not the people of "South America".
And with good reason, I think Washington is running out of patience with Chavez, he'll do well to survive til January, the next President wont have him removed.

We should have picked him up by the scruff of the neck and removed him a long time ago.

We should have picked him up by the scruff of the neck and removed him a long time ago.

Maybe, tho the time for doing that has passed I think. Nobody wants another Cuban situation do they.

Chavez is no castro, he is a fat faced blowhard with a noodle spine.

Chavez is no castro, he is a fat faced blowhard with a noodle spine.
True, but he sits on a trillion dollars of oil.

And with good reason, I think Washington is running out of patience with Chavez, he'll do well to survive til January, the next President wont have him removed.
If he wants to survive beyond January, then all he has to do is stop his streak of pathetic aggression, and STFU. If he doesn't wanna sell us oil, then fine (not that he'd never do that, despite his empty threats - no one else WANTS it, nor can they refine and ship it cost effectively), but I suppose that won't stop him from being the hot air balloon he is, so once again, we've unearthed the one, immutable truth about him; he's an idiot, plain and simple. He doesn't scare us, and moreover, he's no threat to us. His neighbors, OTOH, well, that's a different story, and that's ultimately what'll determine whether or not we take action against him. He better tread lightly. He'll make Afghanistan look easy if he doesn't.

True, but he sits on a trillion dollars of oil.
That no one else can refine (it's actually rather dirty) or ship cost effectively. IOW, good luck finding a viable market at plats price, you fat bastard.

I used to think Chavez was ok, and genuinely concerned for the poor of Venezuela and Latin America in general.
However, he seems to becoming that which he deemed to replace, yet another privileged club for the boys.

It's interesting how history repeats itself. (Well, it seems to be anyway.)

Decades ago we had the Soviet Union intimidating (or invading) countries on its border, such as Czechoslovakia. There were communist states like Cuba close to the US that had close ties with the USSR.

Now, long after the Cold War, you have Russia attacking Georgia, and showing allegiance to Venezuala.

Scary.

It's interesting how history repeats itself. (Well, it seems to be anyway.)

Decades ago we had the Soviet Union intimidating (or invading) countries on its border, such as Czechoslovakia. There were communist states like Cuba close to the US that had close ties with the USSR.

Now, long after the Cold War, you have Russia attacking Georgia, and showing allegiance to Venezuala.

Scary.

Hi Matt, your the guy who was in Canada right ?

Here's another little tidbit. It seems is going to have help from Russia in a nuclear program for civilian uses.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/09/28/venezuela.russia/index.html

The last one of those help was Iran. Is this going to be a problem in a couple years?

I aint sure what Chavez is up to, maybe he doesnt even know. I cant see him being in office for that much longer.

Chavez is a joke. The guy is like that little chickenhawk in the foghorn leghorn cartoons.

sorry.. I just laugh at the mental picture of the map-like representation that is the visual united states waddling over and bitch-slapping Russia. LOL

Chavez is a joke. The guy is like that little chickenhawk in the foghorn leghorn cartoons.

The joke is on Smirky the Chimp (and all of us unfortunate to have had our country run by him) not Chavez. It is not Chavez who is watching his nation's largest banks collapse before his eyes.

Chavez is having the last laugh --right this instant-- as he watches the formerly smirking (but suddenly quite somber) GWB*sh writhe in agony, as he witnesses the US empire undergo its death throes under his command.

It will not be an instantaneous death though. Chavez will have many months to come filled with laughter at the far-Right capitalists.

______________________________

Conservatives don't care whether their policies are well-founded or whether they are good for the country. All they care about is the implementation of the policies they want. They are past masters in getting what they want, and leaving posterity the task of debating the pros and cons. And while the People are stuck arguing about things that happened in the past, the Neo-Cons have moved on to their next outrage.

Sounds to me like you are the one laughing, only making sure you make it seem as if Chavez is laughing.

Sounds to me like you are the one laughing, only making sure you make it seem as if Chavez is laughing.

a) Chavez has, on quite a few occasions, shown his propensity for laughing at (not that anyone can blame him) the smirking little assclown from Crawford Texas.

b) I assure you I am not laughing....not when I see my investments becoming more worthless day by day. Not when I see the largest banks failing. Not when I see the DOW take a 700 point hit. Not when I see this country collapsing economically.

Why is the world in the brink of chaos nowadays? There are a lot of problems worldwide.