tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post7241411063310799972..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Putin Flips the Switch - Russian Troops Enter CrimeaThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-69475531050418085302014-03-01T12:17:31.013-08:002014-03-01T12:17:31.013-08:00Ever since we dropped the custom of actually decla...Ever since we dropped the custom of actually declaring wars, the legal questions have become murky, PLG. When I studied international law I concluded it came down to: "if I park my tank on top of this hill it's my hill until you remove my tank and put yours on it instead."<br /><br />Sovereignty is no longer sacrosanct, borders are porous, intervention (meddling) now comes in a wide array of flavours - define "legal."<br /><br />Owen, I doubt that Canada's representation is particularly relevant to any of the players at this juncture. Besides, Harper has convened an "emergency" cabinet meeting to calibrate how harshly we should speak to or of Vlad Putin. The Kremlin quakes.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-1279764946113802052014-03-01T11:56:40.016-08:002014-03-01T11:56:40.016-08:00This could easily get very nasty. I wonder if John...This could easily get very nasty. I wonder if John Baird is the best choice to represent Canada at this moment?Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-6142334297384219052014-03-01T11:34:57.494-08:002014-03-01T11:34:57.494-08:00While this is obviously a military move, I wonder ...While this is obviously a military move, I wonder how illegal it actually is. I mean, it's in the Crimea, they have a big military base there. They probably have some kind of treaty that says they're allowed to move military things to and from it, otherwise it would be kind of useless. OK, they just drove some big stuff through that hypothesized loophole, but I bet if they care to they can claim nothing to see here, all in accordance with long-standing treaties (that were never formally revoked after the USSR broke up).<br /><br />If it were me, I'd have been tempted to play a long game: wait until they did their EU thing, wait until the austerity and stuff killed their employment and wages and social programs, until the pro-EU faction was utterly discredited, and get them to beg the Russians to come and save them. On the other hand, Putin's way could pre-empt the civil war.Purple library guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01930984683714519212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-8120430300817039042014-03-01T10:31:27.213-08:002014-03-01T10:31:27.213-08:00Hey, it's only Sudetanland, what's the big...Hey, it's only Sudetanland, what's the big deal? Let him have it. Danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465953801145126160noreply@blogger.com