Obama Pokes a Stick at the Russian Bear

The Russia of Vladimir Putin grows increasingly repressive. Arrests of protesters and journalists, laws banning homosexual “propaganda”, prisons — according to to members of
Pussy Riot visiting America — where inmates are worked 16 to 20 hours a day and sometimes locked outdoors in Roar: March 2: This piece says Obama's snub of Russia's big moment at Sochi "will come back in some form" from the "vengeful" Putin. Right off, we see Russian troops moving into Ukraine ignoring feckless U.S. "warnings".
    
rain and cold for tortuous eight hour stints.

It is also a major country with thousands of nuclear warheads and a belligerent leader who shows no signs of leaving. After his eight year presidency was interrupted by the bother of constitutionally mandated term limits, he returned four years later to an expanded six year term in a protested election and, if reelected to a second term, could be the head of the Russian state until 2024 — or later, should Russian law succumb to his power.

In other words, he could be with us for a long time. And he will be making every move to restore Russia to power, with increasing nationalization of much of the country’s industry — especially energy — to make that happen.

With the staggering amounts he caused Russia to spend on the Sochi Olympics, Putin is making the statement — as the media has repeated in chorus — that “Russia is back”, back from the years of near anarchy and hardship after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

In not paying a visit to Sochi out of respect to Russia — it could have been quick and unannounced except to the Russian leadership to foil any terrorist opportunities — President Obama has shown inexcusably bad judgment. He has made it doubly worse by choosing this unsuitable moment to make a statement against Russian anti-gay laws by sending as the U.S. delegation a group consisting of openly gay former athletes such as Billie Jean King and Brian Boitano. And instead of at least Vice-President Joe Biden, Obama sent as head of the delegation someone not even a member of his government, the former Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. Members of the LGBT community now reading this are probably fuming, but should realize that far more is at stake than scolding Russia for its backward views. We have to live in this dangerous world and cannot afford to alienate regimes we may not particularly like but which are strong players on the world's chessboard. Russia can help or hinder with Iran, exerts strong influence in Syria, and is already showing signs that Obama’s irresponsibly hostile attitude toward Russia is partly causing Putin to put out alliance feelers to China. A more threatening power bloc we cannot imagine.

It is widely known that Obama doesn’t like Putin, and the dislike is mutual. But Obama is representing the interests of the United States and his personal dislikes are of no interest. It is far more skillful to bewilder an opponent with a mix of friendly gestures where appropriate so as to make challenges more effective at other moments. The president seems surprisingly inept at such diplomatic arts, a shortcoming we cannot afford.

We have to assume that Putin, who cannot even manage a smile when his athletes excel, is a vengeful sort, and Obama’s snub of Sochi will come back in some form to our country’s detriment.