MOSCOW — Russia’s richest businessmen are increasingly frantic that President Vladimir Putin’s policies in Ukraine will lead to crippling sanctions and are too scared of reprisal to say so publicly, billionaires and analysts said.

If Putin doesn’t move to end the war in Ukraine in the wake of last week’s downing of a Malaysia Air jet in rebel-held territory, he risks becoming an international outcast like Belarus’s Aleksandr Lukashenko, whom the U.S. famously labeled Europe’s last dictator, one Russian billionaire said on condition of anonymity. What’s happening is bad for business and bad for Russia, he said.
‘‘The economic and business elite is just in horror,’’ said Igor Bunin, who heads the Center for Political Technology in Moscow. Nobody will speak out because of the implicit threat of retribution, Bunin said by phone on Sunday. ‘‘Any sign of rebellion and they’ll be brought to their knees.’’ (more…)

(National Journal) […]  When asked by CNN’s Candy Crowley for if U.S.-Russia relations were now “at Cold War levels,” Feinstein did not hesitate. “Yes,” the California Democrat replied.

“The issue is, where is Putin? I would say, Putin, you have to man up,” Feinstein said. “You should say if this was a mistake, which I hope it was, own up. even if it was, it was a horrendous mistake. … and it points out the futility of what is going on in Ukraine.” (more…)

VICE News reported: On Thursday, July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 298 people was shot down over eastern Ukraine — allegedly by pro-Russia separatists. Residents in the area described bodies falling from the sky and landing in their own backyards. VICE News travels to the still-gruesome scene of the crash and speaks to residents who witnessed firsthand a tragedy that promises to dramatically alter the terms of the conflict.

HRABOVE, Ukraine (Associated Press) – Ukraine accused Russia on Saturday of helping separatist rebels destroy evidence at the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines plane shot down in rebel-held territory – a charge the rebels denied.
As dozens of victims’ bodies lay in bags by the side of the road baking in the summer heat, international monitors at the crash site Saturday said they were still being hampered by heavily armed rebels. (more…)

If your children are old enough to be in college, they probably think the country they were born into is falling apart.  If you’re a Baby Boomer like myself, you know the country you were born into is already gone.  It’s a hard thing to thwart the general feeling of optimism shared by most Americans during a beautiful summer season.  But, if you stop and take a thoughtful assessment of the disasters currently befalling our world, perhaps you’ll see that the fall might be closer than you think.

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The summer of 2014 will go down in history as the season when America fell apart. Let’s take a tour of the disasters…

(Townhall)…Germany in 2008 enthusiastically hosted candidate Barack Obama for his so-called “Victory Column” speech. Now, Germans suddenly sound as if they are near-enemies of the U.S. Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly was furious that her cell phone was tapped by American intelligence agents. She just kicked the top CIA official out of Germany, further enraged that the U.S. had recruited at least one German official to provide intelligence on the German government. Polls show that Germans find Vladimir Putin’s Russian tyranny almost as popular as Barack Obama’s America.
Japan is becoming similarly frustrated with the U.S. It is rearming like crazy to confront an aggressive China. Both Asian powers apparently assume that Obama won’t guarantee the security of the Japanese as America had in the past. (more…)

Yeah, safe to say -at this point- Russia did it.

#BREAKING: Putin says airplane disaster would not have happened if Kiev had not renewed military operation against rebels in east Ukraine

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 17, 2014

#BREAKING: Russia's Putin says Kiev bears responsibility for crash of passenger plane because it was brought down in Ukraine: RIA

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 17, 2014

Remember this is NOT the first time Russia has shot down a passenger airplane and tried to deny it.   1983 KAL-007 took years before the “Soviets” admitted it.

MAJOR UPDATE – U.S. Intelligence confirm a surface to air missile was used to shoot down MH-17 Passenger Plane.

In addition a recent release of ground conversation between Russian groups and Ukrainian Rebel separatists friendly to Russia show they talked about shooting it down and discussed after:

Here’s the full translation of the video, provided by Kyiv Post:

Igor Bezler: We have just shot down a plane. Group Minera. It fell down beyond Yenakievo.
Vasili Geranin: Pilots. Where are the pilots?
IB: Gone to search for and photograph the plane. It’s smoking.
VG: How many minutes ago?
IB: About 30 minutes ago.

After examining the site of the plane the terrorists come to the conclusion that they have shot down a civilian plane. The next part of the conversation took place about 40 minutes later. (more…)

(more…)

Poland’s Lech Walesa is broadcasting a highly visible lesson, to the world stage, on what it means tell people the “Great and Powerful Oz” is nothing but a ruse.

Serendipitous as it is on D-Day, Lech Walesa provides some details as to what he shared during his meeting with President Obama:

“I said that I wished the United States would lead,” Walesa told Polish television about the encounter, which he said was not so much an upbraiding of the U.S. president as an “interesting” encounter. (link)

Many will remember this is not the first time Walesa has pointed out the naked weakness of Dear Leader Obama.

Alas, against the backdrop of current world events…. (ie. Obama is an inept dolt when it comes to issues of significance – see Syria, Iran, North Korea, Egypt, Libya, Ukraine, Russia, and that whole swapping Gitmo terrorists thing, et al) …quickly the protectors of the regime spring into action:

Denis McDonough, Ben Rhodes and Tony Blinkin clear the hall.  Susan Rice slams the door, stands atop the marble steps and yells to the somewhat stunned Munchkins.  “He didn’t say that, what he really said was”:

Lech Walesa on POTUS: While I was rather his opponent before, now I am a supporter. He has a great mind, and he is really a great politician

— Susan Rice -Archived (@AmbRice44) June 6, 2014

Lech Walesa on President Obama: Previously, I had a different opinion about him. I regret that, because I should have supported him more

— Susan Rice -Archived (@AmbRice44) June 6, 2014

As the crowd disburses the Blinkin shouts back into a now empty cavern:  “OK Dude, it’s safe to come out now“… (more…)

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