Russia Opens New Front In War On Honesty

                “There is no doubt that this is not a homegrown, indigenous uprising in eastern Ukraine. The separatists are backed, trained, armed, financed by Russia” President Obama correctly stated recently. Russia has initiated multiple incursions into eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, though the Russian government denies this.

                Even as Russian President Vladimir Putin  spoke of the need to “end the bloodshed as soon as possible” in a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last week, Russian combat units were rolling into the Ukrainian  city  of Donetsk. Even the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations  said Russia has “outright lied” about its involvement- or supposed lack thereof- in the conflict.

                These statements are all well and good, but that is all they are. And, apparently, all we are willing to do. Putin obfuscates and bides his time, probes and tests and prods, lies and postures all the while gradually achieving his goal of a new Russian hegemon. And he smirks and mocks the U.S. and the West as he does so.

                And Obama goes golfing.

                (ISIS proclaims a new caliphate in the Middle East and beheads members of our media and others.

                And Obama goes golfing.

                China shadows our aircraft and attempts to push our military out of international waters she unlawfully claims as her own.

                Obama goes golfing. You get the point. Back to Russia).

                Putin has annexed the Crimea and has been fomenting violence in the Ukraine. He now talks of “statehood” for eastern Ukraine. This after recently claiming that this was not being considered, was an internet hoax, a Western fabrication, a ploy by the U.S. to get more involved, etc., etc.

                Do these little provocations, annexations, probes and lies remind you of anything? “We only want the German peoples to live under German rule. The Sudetenland is all we want. Really. Well, maybe part of Austria. And…”

                Russia has admitted that 10 of its paratroopers were captured in Ukraine, but said they “wandered into the country by mistake”! Nothing like crack paratroopers, with gps units and other navigational gear, accidentally wandering into a neighboring country you happen to be trying to annex.

                This past Thursday, two Russian columns of tanks and armored fighting vehicles entered the seaside Ukrainian town of Novoazovsk.

                Oh, and this was after rockets from the east landed in and around this area. My guess is these Russian rockets “accidentally wandered into the country by mistake”.

                There are at least 1,500-2,000 Russian troops fighting on Ukrainian soil now. The head of Ukraine’s pro-Russian separatist group explained the Russian soldier’s presence in the middle of what he says is a “civil war between Ukrainians” by saying they were “simply using their vacation days to join the fight”. Forget about fishing, relaxing on the beach, reading, resting, sightseeing- or golf.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of any better use of my limited vacation time than going to fight in a neighboring “civil war”.

                Maybe President Obama will summon the courage to go to the Ukraine and meet with President Poroshenko and offer him support. Hope they have a decent golf course.