Ted Cruz: 'Vague Threats' Not Enough; Suspend Russian G8 Membership Now

[Lipstick on a Hillary]

Cruz is getting to be a publicity hound.  Didn't appreciate his jumping into the arms of Kristin Gillibrand on the sexual assault issue in the military and don't appreciate his jumping in on this Ukraine issue.

He is a half term senator with NO world view or experience in the geo political arena.

Would he be calling us to arms?  Ukraine is asking for military help from other countries.  Would he commit American troops?  UN troops?

Just bashing Obama without a serious understanding of the issue is mere posturing.

As is strawman erecting.

[sinkspur]

Cruz is getting to be a publicity hound.  Didn't appreciate his jumping into the arms of Kristin Gillibrand on the sexual assault issue in the military and don't appreciate his jumping in on this Ukraine issue.

He is a half term senator with NO world view or experience in the geo political arena.

Would he be calling us to arms?  Ukraine is asking for military help from other countries.  Would he commit American troops?  UN troops?

Just bashing Obama without a serious understanding of the issue is mere posturing.

Sorry to say, I had hopes for this man's run for the presidency.   No longer.

Got to keep those cards and letters coming.  Cruz, at this point, is marketing himself.  What he says is really beside the point as long as he looks and sounds tough.

[Rapunzel]

I love how people project things onto Cruz (and Palin in the past) they never say. He has not called for invasion of Russia or sending troops to Ukraine... what he said is Russia should be out of the G8 and others have agreed with him (though obviously not on this site) and surprise, surprise... the G7 agrees with him... frankly they never should have been allowed into the G-#.........

Another thing we are between a rock and hard place and we are there because we have outsourced our manufacturing base to China who is in bed with Russia these days and our energy base to the Middle East - which is surprise, surprise - in bed with Russia these days and yesterday we had stupid kids under the guise of greenies tying themselves to the WH fence to stop Keystone...

The best thing we can do for this country is bring our energy home and in turn our manufacturing home.

[sinkspur]

I love how people project things onto Cruz (and Palin in the past) they never say. He has not called for invasion of Russia or sending troops to Ukraine... what he said is Russia should be out of the G8 and others have agreed with him (though obviously not on this site) and surprise, surprise... the G7 agrees with him... frankly they never should have been allowed into the G-#.........

Another thing we are between a rock and hard place and we are there because we have outsourced our manufacturing base to China who is in bed with Russia these days and our energy base to the Middle East - which is surprise, surprise - in bed with Russia these days and yesterday we had stupid kids under the guise of greenies tying themselves to the WH fence to stop Keystone...

The best thing we can do for this country is bring our energy home and in turn our manufacturing home.

America is already the world's largest oil producer:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/15/us-oil-pira-idUSL1N0I51IX20131015

The factors putting stress on China’s industrial economy include a downturn in overall productivity, which is a vital part of economic growth and depends on technological change and institutional efficiency. So while China might have produce a higher quantity of manufactured goods, the U.S. still leads in quality and advanced manufacturing, particularly aircraft and other specialized products.

Moreover, the costs of offshoring production are becoming increasingly onerous for U.S. companies. Given the insecurity of intellectual property in China and other factors, many businesses are discovering that it makes more sense to keep production capacity at home.

http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/2013/03/14/china-widens-lead-as-worlds-largest-manufacturer/

[Rapunzel]

We have a lot more on Federal Lands we are not allowed to tap into thanks to the Democrats and the Environmentalists.    How do you think Putin has financed the rebuilding of Russia - oil...... and they are branching out taking oil that belongs to Canada... it isn't just Ukraine they are making moves toward.

[Lipstick on a Hillary]

America is already the world's largest oil producer: 

Hmmm... think that'll be the case if there is a strengthening Russia-Iran-Syria axis?

[Rapunzel]

Our steel is manufactured offshore, our flipping bullets for our military are manufactured offshore............ the crap we buy from China and sold at Walmart is only the tip of the iceberg..... heck most of our baby food, vitamins, pet food ingredients, etc.... all come here from China......    we have put this country into a terrible position and most people could care less....

[truth_seeker]

Reading comprehension is helpful. He said out of the G8.  Calling said that was nuts. Then Rubio and others said the same thing.  Today the G7 cancelled the next G8 meeting.

No need to get snippy with me. My question remains, and others are asking as well, if this is a vital interest of the US?

[sinkspur]

Hmmm... think that'll be the case if there is a strengthening Russia-Iran-Syria axis?

Yes.  The US will produce more oil than Russia and Iran combined by 2020.  Syria's oil production is insignificant on the world market.

[olde north church]

He is right.  How about attacking Obama for putting us in a position where France and Germany would not go along with this instead of Senator Cruz for being right and unable to do anything other than be correct.  Russia shouldn't be in the G-8 at this point... never should have been allowed in the first place.

How about Americans start attacking those who are putting those in a position of trampling over our rights?

[truth_seeker]

On February 28th, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) reacted to President Obama's "hastily arranged" speech against Russian military intervention in the Ukraine by saying the U.S. needs to suspend "Russian membership in the Group of Eight (G8)," and we need to do so "immediately."

He made it clear that mere words and "the President's vague threats" are not enough because mere "appeals to international norms" hold no sway over Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moreoever, Cruz said international norms mean even less than usual to Putin "when they run counter to his goal of re-establishing Soviet-style regional hegemony over unfortunate states like Georgia and Ukraine who have the temerity to want a more free, prosperous future for their people."

Cruz said the U.S. must suspend Russian membership in the G8. If that doesn't give Putin pause, he added, suspensions from "the World Trade Organization and even the United Nations Security Council" should be pursued.

Kerry as well indicates Russia has no place in the G8 organization. Cruz and Kerry on same page. Hmm.

Personally I think Cruz' mouthing off about kicking Russia out of G8, WTO and UN Security Council so fast, is brash and undiplomatic in the extreme. Designed to please his band of resolute followers, get headlines, whether or not it is wise policy.

[sinkspur]

Our steel is manufactured offshore, our flipping bullets for our military are manufactured offshore............ the crap we buy from China and sold at Walmart is only the tip of the iceberg..... heck most of our baby food, vitamins, pet food ingredients, etc.... all come here from China......    we have put this country into a terrible position and most people could care less....

The US can't compete with Asian countries and the Chinese in low tech manufacturing.  Why would we want to? 

Thank the unions for driving manufacturing out of this country.

[sinkspur]

Kerry as well indicates Russia has no place in the G8 organization. Cruz and Kerry on same page. Hmm.

Personally I think Cruz' mouthing off about kicking Russia out of G8, WTO and UN Security Council so fast, is brash and undiplomatic in the extreme. Designed to please his band of resolute followers, get headlines, whether or not it is wise policy.

Germany will never allow Russia to be expelled from the G-8.  Too much trade between those two countries.

[Gazoo]

Kerry as well indicates Russia has no place in the G8 organization. Cruz and Kerry on same page. Hmm.

Personally I think Cruz' mouthing off about kicking Russia out of G8, WTO and UN Security Council so fast, is brash and undiplomatic in the extreme. Designed to please his band of resolute followers, get headlines, whether or not it is wise policy.

Personally I think that any advice from anyone outside of the Obama administration is welcomed and needed.

To say that Cruz, McCain or anyones opinions on this are out of protocol is wasted time and diverting the issue. We have a President that has no working knowledge of the word protocol or governing, much less geo-political affairs.

All of the energy in this thread by you and a few others questioning Cruz's protocol or if or when we should go to war is bypassing the issue at hand. Which is Obama's foreign policies putting us in this position.

[Oceander]

Germany and France would never go along with it.  More tough rhetoric that has no basis in reality by Cruz.

Why would they not go along with it?

[mountaineer]

What is Cruz justification for getting the US into an international conflict

Cruz can't get the U.S. into an international conflict. He's not the president.

[sinkspur]

Why would they not go along with it?

Too much trade. 

[240B]

All of the energy in this thread by you and a few others questioning Cruz's protocol or if or when we should go to war is bypassing the issue at hand. Which is Obama's foreign policies putting us in this position.
 
What foreign policy would that be. Why did we attack Libya? For what? Why? Only because somebody told Obama to do it, and he did. Why did we help overthrow Egypt? Why? For what? Only because somebody told Obama to do it.
 
Obama has no foreign policy at all, he just flails around like a drowning child doing anything and everything for nothing, except when dealing with Britain or Israel. He is very clear about how he feels about them.
 
And now both Libya and Egypt are both much worse off, and are falling into hellhole chaos status.
 
Thank you Obama, Fearless leader. You are great and awesome. Of course.
 
(smartest man in the room, if you count McCain)
 
America is now officially a crazy land.

[240B]

[Rapunzel]

John McCain said the same thing.  Marco Rubio said the same thing... but Ted Cruz - yep, he's advocating WWIII by saying it /s............ yoy guys really need help for this obsession.

[Lipstick on a Hillary]

 So did Lindsey Graham. 

[240B]

Man I'll tell you what, if we go up against Putin, As we are right now, he will kick our ass so far from Hell, we won't even feel the flames. That is my opinion.

[Lipstick on a Hillary]

Yes.  The US will produce more oil than Russia and Iran combined by 2020.  Syria's oil production is insignificant on the world market.

That doesn't mean it's destined to stay that way.

[sinkspur]

That doesn't mean it's destined to stay that way.

How would it change?  All the oil figured in determining US output is from private fields. 

If anything, the oil from Iran and Russia will be declining.

[Rapunzel]

What is Cruz justification for getting the US into an international conflict, versus letting other regions resolve their own affairs?

Did or did not the Ukrainians oust their elected government?

Show me where he said we "should get into an international conflict?

He said basically we should go back to the G7 instead of the G8. Frankly a lot of people were against admitting Putin into the G in the first place and those people were correct. 

We - the USA - told Ukraine not to arm themselves in a manner to protect themselves from a repeat of what Stalin did to the Ukraine because we would have their back.  They believed us and now they are high and dry thanks to our weak foreign policy.

When we stood by and watched while Putin invated Georgia it only emboldened Putin to move on Ukraine.  Ronald Reagan warned Germany and France about running the pipelines from Russia to their countries and becoming depended on Russia for energy because Reagan knew it would allow Russia to use the energy as a weapon.

So......... where do we draw a line?  Or do we?  If he takes the Ukraine then what is to stop him from putting the entire Soviet bloc back together and - in fact - with his power base in the Middle East - why stop at the old Soviet Union - why not take it all the way to Africa - which is what they wanted back in WWII........

Obama is no match for Putin and Obama is his pwn....