In the news today

[Ryllharu]

I love how conservatives use any and all reactions/actions from the Obama administration to attack him. He can do no right in your eyes. If he had said nothing, he looks weak. If he said something, he said it too late. In this situation, there isn't much the US (under any administration) could do besides make harsh statements.

It's funny how you just make assumptions of my political leanings.

Obama not saying anything would not have made him look weak. It would have been the right decision, and only idiot pundits would have criticized him.

What he said made him look weak. What he said should have been said by the UN representative, because everyone there can say a lot of things without being taken too seriously. That's what the UN is there for, negotiating between nations via proxy ambassadors/diplomats.

Obama said, "And, indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine," if Russia entered the Crimea.

Well, Russia did, and honestly who really believes the US will do anything? Economic sanctions? Russia can simply cut off the natural gas to Europe during the winter. They did it to the Ukraine in 2009. They did it to Belarus when they didn't pay. They'll can do it to Europe as a whole in revenge.

Why do you think Russia intervened in Georgia? Why do you think they have an investment in Syria's reigning government?

Gazprom.

This is big picture stuff. Russia's been playing the long game for a while. Outside of the North Sea, Russia owns the rest.

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Obama's a shitty president. It's not about liberal versus conservative. It's about credibility. He makes impassioned speeches...but does nothing, both foreign and domestic. The more a person says they'll act, but don't...the less people believe it the subsequent times. Every time Obama promises that the US will act, and the US doesn't, the US loses face. Over time, a country gets reduced to a saber-rattling little dog, yapping at the heels of other countries who know when to keep their mouths shut.

The "crossing a red line" in Syria about chemical weapons was the worst one. He said, swore, the US would intervene once UN inspectors confirmed chemical weapons were used. They were used, and confirmed. The US did nothing. They were used again months later. Confirmed again by the UN. The US did little, trying to ramp up military intervention. The UK rejected it, sentiment in the US was overwhelmingly negative, but Obama and Kerry couldn't back down after all the shit they both said. Then a reporter threw out the possibility of peaceful disarmament to Kerry, the Russians stepped in. The Obama Administration had their out.

Everyone is comparing this to the chemical weapons red line.