Both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry want President Putin to act like a proper, enlightened 21st century leader and as Kerry said, "stop his 19th century behaviour". He added, taking Crimea "is not 21st century, G8, major-nation behaviour". Mr. Obama reiterated this position in a speech to the United Nations: "No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation.... alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold war".
Cold war gone? Perhaps in name but since when did nationalist dreams of territorial expansion and power grabs drop off the radar screen: These ambitions don't simply die. The millennium door didn't open up a 21st century Emily Post world in the year 2000. Ever since the Phoenicians forged the world's first empire 3,500 years ago, xenophobic leaders have shaped national pride into one war machine after another. Of course, humanity always hopes for a better way - we can't give up hope - but at the same time, we must be realistic. Short of war, there are things that western governments could have done and can still do. In the Ukrainian crisis, for example, President Obama's cancellation of the missile defense agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic a few yeas ago might have been a mistake - a sign of weakness. Of course, President Obama did it as a gesture of good will towards Russia, a sign of conciliation. But does it really reflect a true assessment of President Putin's character? Will he reciprocate the good will? I wonder.
Yesterday, I watched a Polish news broadcast from Warsaw. (Not reported by Western media) President Putin was speaking to Russian and east European journalists. He wagged his finger, warning Poland and Lithuania to stop inciting unrest and protest among the Ukrainian people. Putin said there was no leader in Ukraine he could speak to since the legitimate president had fled to Russia and if the Russian nationals in Ukraine ask for help, he's ready to invade.
Well, as Emily Post admonished - don't wag your finger at people, its not polite.
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