You know what the people of Russia support even more than they do Putin?
American sanctions.
Russians are sick and tired of the oligarchs who have been making their lives hell, and want to see somebody punish them.
As I said from the start, the sanctions are good on every level. Yesterday, Obama finally announced sanctions against the real criminals: Timchenko, Yakunin, the Rotenbergs, Mordashov, and others. This is something that should have been done even if Russia had never invaded Ukraine.
Clarissa's Blog 
It’s a good start, but it’s a drop in a bucket. I want all members of the Russian government and government officials to be banned from our country, all of their family members deported, their bank accounts frozen and real estate taken away from them. And then the same stuff done for China and India for supporting the Russians.
And to really show who is the superpower now we should do all we can to decrease oil prices, then Russia will know its place.
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// And then the same stuff done for China and India for supporting the Russians.
And to really show who is the superpower …
Would it be in USA interests, Clarissa? America is powerful, but it doesn’t and can’t 100% control the entire world. If USA oversteps its place, can’t other countries be pushed to unite in certain ways to work together against the too huge USA influence?
It’s a different situation, but for instance in Israel’s case people talk “if Europe is against us, we’ll find other markets, like FSU”. Why not talk “if USA tries to control us too much, we’ll find other, less demanding and full of hubris strategic partners”? That’s what Israel would try to do, if USA pushed it to a bad and fake (since Israelis don’t believe Palestinians would provide real peace afterwards) agreement for Israel. If a small Israel wouldn’t lie down, why would several huge and more powerful countries take such from USA?
In general, Clarissa, what would you see as limits on USA behavior that it shouldn’t cross since crossing would do more harm than good in the long term?
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And another reminder: USA was the first to use an atom bomb, but unfortunately I don’t believe it will be the last / only country to do so. Nowadays no matter how small a country is, with atom bombs and is extreme situation (f.e. worry about its future existence) it may be a deadly threat even to US.
USA is a great country in many ways, but imo some Americans overestimate their power .
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Sure, and while we’re at it, Santa Anna’s heirs could demand the same of the United States, given American occupation of Texas that led to the Battle of San Jacinto …
This I also see as highly unlikely.
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Of course we would all be very happy if you could decrease oil prices. What’s your plan? Maybe restore good relations with Iran and let them export more oil?
And why would the US wreck relations with China? The US has a one trillion dollar deficit, and can only keep functioning as long as China keeps buying its debt.
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el,
We don’t overestimate our power. We just need to protect ourselves. And being an Israeli, try not to forget that U.S. is Israel’s one and only ally in the world.
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\\ U.S. is Israel’s one and only ally in the world.
I know USA is our major ally. Clarissa, do you agree with “only ally” part too? Israel is in good relations with f.e. England and Germany, and hopefully has some power on its own too to attract others.
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I insist on “only ally” part because good relations is one thing and really helping is another one.
Unfortunately, sometimes, thanks to our liberals we were only half-ass friend to you.
In regards to England and Germany, with Muslim population and antisemitism on the rise the future of those good relations doesn’t look bright to me.
Irrelevant to the topic, the term “antisemitism” should be replaced with “hatred of Jews” because no antisemite ever had anything against Arabs.
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\\ no antisemite ever had anything against Arabs.
Well, it can go together, even if sometimes may not. Native Europian population may experience rising hatred of the Other, partly because of growing Muslim presense in their midst, and then direct it also on Jews. Of course, I don’t talk about Muslims themselves here, who naturally have nothing against themselves and tend to hate Jews imo for various reasons: traditional hatred brought from their countries of origin, Middle East conflict, desire to find somebody lower than them on the social ladder in the new country, etc.
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