Clinton fears efforts to 're-Sovietize' in Europe

[David__77]

Source: Associated Press

DUBLIN (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Thursday about a new effort by oppressive governments to "re-Sovietize" much of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, taking particular aim at Russia for its crackdown on democracy and human rights groups just hours ahead of critical talks with that country's foreign minister.

...

"There is a move to re-Sovietize the region," Clinton lamented.

"It's not going to be called that. It's going to be called customs union, it will be called Eurasian Union and all of that," she said, referring to Russian-led efforts for greater regional integration. "But let's make no mistake about it. We know what the goal is and we are trying to figure out effective ways to slow down or prevent it."

...

Clinton said there is a concerted effort to eliminate both American and international assistance for human rights advocates.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-fears-efforts-sovietize-europe-111645250--politics.html

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Is this 1952 or 2012? "Liberal internationalism" = neo-conservatism = McCarthyism.

[Mass]

1. "re-sovietize" ??? I could have understood recreate the Russian Empire

The US certainly cannot tolerate some other country, entity becomes the leading actor and influence in some part of the world (:sarcasm , but the term "soviet" refers to something very precise and it is certainly not happening.

[geek tragedy]

8. The Russian empire wasn't based on a legal fiction of supposedly

independent states.

Moreover, these are very much the same states that formed the USSR. The Kremlin is trying to get the band back together again.

[LiberalEsto]

29. Not if the Estonians can help it. nt

[BeyondGeography]

2. Bet she's warming the hearts of aging cold warriors everywhere with that term

[malthaussen]

3. Guess we shouldn't have made fun of those GOP foreign policy advisors after all...

... the USSR IS Public Enemy Number 1!

-- Mal

[iamthebandfanman]

4. Ahw geez.

[Pterodactyl]

5. I think we can all agree the Soviet Union was a terrible thig.

Any attempt to recreate it would be just awful.

[ReRe]

6. Do SOSs ever observe what's going on in their own countries?

If she would look back over her shoulder towards, say, the state of Michigan, she might be alarmed. Or if she looked towards NYC, she might see something happening there as per education. Does she need to look in her own background?

[David__77]

9. Well, I found it interesting when the Bush admin. promoted "union rights" in Iraq.

You had Bush administration people talking about the rights to collective bargaining and right to form unions in Iraq (under the occupation), and yet of course waged a war against unions at home.

But, it is true that from Dulles to Kissenger to Clinton, the position of secretary of state has been to try to conduct cold, geopolitical power plays to serve US domination. Some of us might hope for a new politics and more humble and peaceful foreign policy.

[Daniel537]

20. We support things overseas that we never do at home.

Nationalized health care, infrastructure spending, adequate housing for the poor. I remember reading Bush's plan for a post-Castro Cuba. It sounded like the second coming of the New Deal.

[kelliekat44]

32. Just like Reagan did in Poland and than squashed the Air Traffic Controllers here. nt

[Beacool]

12. The answer is no.

Domestic policy is not in her portfolio.

[geek tragedy]

7. Yes, I'm sure Vladimir Putin has no intent to dominate his neighbors there.

Pure of heart, old Pooty Poot is.

I mean, when has Russia ever engaged in such behavior, other than always?

[David__77]

10. In other words, "John Bolton was right."

His project was always to oppose contemporary "Sovietization" in Europe, and, laughably, "Cubanization" in Latin America. NATO, of course, in the view of Bolton and Clinton, is not an institution of domination.

What's interesting here is that Clinton is opposing economic and not political integration. She consciously sees Eurasian economic development as a THREAT to US national interests if it occurs outside the US-led framework. This has nothing to do with "human rights" or ideology in any normal sense. Saudi Arabia is great, Russia is bad...

[geek tragedy]

11. NATO does not exist to allow one state to subjugate other members.

It collectively exercises power against non-members and that can be described as domination, but it does not exist to allow the US to dominate Germany the UK and Turkey.

[Beacool]

13. Quit saying "Clinton" as if she's operating in a vacuum.

She represents the president and this is US policy. Besides, who in Eastern Europe wants to return to the way things were when they were under the domination of the Soviet Union?

[David__77]

16. Indeed, "who in Eastern Europe wants to return to the way things were?"

That is why this McCarthyite meme of "re-Sovietization" is especially preposterous.

You give Clinton too little credit - she does not merely function as adjunct of the will of the executive.

She has demonstrated a harsh, ideologically dogmatic diplomacy, and I'm hopeful that a replacement will be selected that is more collegial and restrained in diplomatic pronouncements.

I do wish her a good retirement.

[Kolesar]

39. That's silly...eom

[Daniel537]

22. Lol, did i miss something?

Are you seriously saying the Soviet Union is coming back into existence? Politics makes people so delusional.

[leveymg]

30. "Saudi Arabia is great, Russia is bad" That's been the Bush-Clinton program going back to the '80s.

Hasn't wavered narily an inch from that focused vision of the world and choice of partners. Pay to play. Not even 9/11 could shake that partnership bound by control over the world's wealth and oil.

[John2]

38. The U.S.

reminds me of the Roman Empire. We have a presence in every country in the World except five. Compare this to those in our Government claiming we are spending too much on Social Security and Medicare versus our military spending in the name of U.S. interests. Is our interests, to maintain our empire? I suggest we cut the spending to maintain our empire. We still have maintained over 50 thousand troops in Germany. Why do we have that many troops in Germany? And what about South Korea? We even maintain a sizable force in Britain and Japan after World War II. Think about it, military presence in over 130 nations versus Social Security and Medicare expenditures. Lets talk about that spending. Congress don't want to go there. And they claim we are going broke? And what about that new defense system to protect Israel? Now we are defending Turkey? How does this spending defend the U.S.? Isn't that what Ran Paul claimed?

[Politicub]

14. Time for me to learn some history about how the Russian empire was formed the first go around

It would be a tragedy for the independent states to get put back under Russia rule.

I would think one of the first voluntary states to join a reconstituted union would be Hungary based on the politics there as of late.

I have a feeling that this isn't going to go away, and I trust Clinton's judgement.

[David__77]

17. Hungary's right-wing government is very anti-Russian.

The Hungarian Socialist Party is the only thing remotely "pro-Russian." And the extreme right-wing anti-Semites are extra anti-Russian due to their intense anti-Communism (they see communism as a "Jewish conspiracy" just like Hitler did).

[Politicub]

18. Which is exactly why I need to learn some history and study up on

geopolitics. Hard to have an intelligent conversation without knowing what's what.

[Daniel537]

23. Yeah, her vote for the Iraq war was a really good moment of judgement. n/t

[Politicub]

24. Thank you for your concern

[Daniel537]

26. Your most welcome.

Always happy to educate the ill-informed.

[JVS]

15. Considering domestic drones, Bradley manning, and the hounding of Julian Assange maybe we could...

give some tips on resovietizing. Wouldn't want them to do a shoddy job of it, after all.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

19. She fears? Yea, we've got to prop up the military-industrial complex somehow.

It's good for the stockholders.

[Daniel537]

21. We always have to have some boogeyman for the MIC to get propped up.

When Condi Rice was saying shit like this she was rightfully ridiculed, but apparently if somebody in our Party says it the threat must be real. Please. Politicians are always looking for a reason to scare people. Its what they do best.

[madrchsod]

25. anyone who would trust putin is a fool

he installed himself as the ruler of russia and jailing anyone who dares object.

[Daniel537]

27. So?

What do you propose? Operation Moscow Storm?

[HereSince1628]

28. Yesterday Putin says US seeking new cold war...now THIS? Crikey.

The NeoCons must REALLY be loving current US foreign policy.

Come on team! You can do this. Just run UP the field, not crosswise or backwards!

[SamKnause]

31. Clinton

Her hypocrisy is sickening.

Get your own house in order Hillary !!!

[pampango]

33. "Liberal internationalism" is liberal and international and was practiced by FDR and

Woodrow Wilson. Don't allow a perversion of it as practiced by neo-cons to destroy a very liberal tradition.

Conservatives are much more isolationistic than liberals and always have been. Conservatives blocked US participation in the League of Nations and many want us to withdraw from the UN and many other international organization and avoid international commitments.

The countries mentioned in the story are Russia, Belarus and Turkmenistan not exactly paragons of democracy and concern for human rights, but to call it a re-Sovietization seems like a stretch. There are forces in every country that seek to rule without consent of the governed. Each country's citizens have to struggle against the plutocracy in their own country. Nothing is given by those with power without struggle.

[David__77]

34. I'll admit I haven't been a Clinton fan...

However, I was honestly surprised by the wording here. I know that certain neo-conservative forces had a little affinity for her, but thought and think that's mainly a one-way street - they hope she would become a modern Scoop Jackson. Here, she sounded the part.

The global projection of ideology under the signboard of "socialism" by the old Soviet Union or the signboard of "democracy" by the US now strikes me as innately cynical. Is it really too much to ask that a state, a country, articulate basic, openly-stated principles for international relations and then stick to them consistently?

[YOHABLO]

35. I really really hope she doesn't run ..

the Clintons are very center-right .. and now she's sounding like the neo-cons .. give me a break. We need someone very progressive in the White House .. not someone who genuflects to the military industrial complex.

[David__77]

36. I don't think she will be a Democratic presidential nominee.

But I also do not think she will run for that. I would prefer her take the advice from Bloomberg and run for NYC mayor. I prefer her in the domestic realm.

[John2]

40. You mean someone

that thinks like Bernie Sanders?

[DeSwiss]

37. ''....taking particular aim at Russia for its crackdown....

...on democracy and human rights groups just hours ahead of critical talks with that country's foreign minister.

- Excuse me!?!?! Frying pan meet skillet.