You’ve got to hand it to Vladimir Putin. Trolling President Barack Obama and the American people with a “plea” for peace in Syria on 9/11 was a masterful stroke. Russia’s president published in the New York Times last night an op-ed attacks America and Obama for American exceptionalism and for our penchant for “brute force” — ignoring his and his country’s own history of war. And if that weren’t enough, Putin pretends God and equality are his BFFs.
Taken at face-value, ignoring the source, his KGB history, his war on gays, his war on journalists, his wars on other countries, it sounds like a nice plea for peace.
But what it does is forces disparate groups in America, who see Putin as the enemy, to reconsider military action.
“It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States,” Putin, ignoring his personal war with Chechnya, writes.
“Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan ‘you’re either with us or against us.’â€
“My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.†It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.”
Attack “American exceptionalism”? The Tea Party will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Invoke God and equality to, in essence, mock America? You’ve now offended most of America.
Of course, U.S. response has been extremely negative.
“I almost wanted to vomit,†Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)
“I worry when someone who came up through the KGB tells us what is in our national interests, and what is not. It really raises the question of how serious the Russian proposal is,†Menendez said. “He’s trying to maximize his leverage. He’s trying to get the American people to ultimately be further divided, and in doing so have a stronger leverage point through his foreign minister in these negotiations.â€
That about sums it up.
More later.
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Image by Jedimentat44 via Flickr