Snowdon is a dummy

[...]Rather than heralding a new Cold War, this is actually of a piece with the unusual restraint exercised by both sides since Snowden first landed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. There was a time, in the real Cold War, where someone with Snowden’s intelligence background, seeking refuge in Moscow, would have been feted by the authorities as a trophy and settled in a lavish – by Soviet standards – flat close to the Kremlin. The authorities would have let slip no opportunity to remind Washington about their prize defector.

Snowden has been nothing but an embarrassment to today’s Kremlin. Putin is damned (by Washington and the American public) if he grants Snowden asylum or allows him free passage to a third country and damned (by human rights campaigners) if he does not. It is significant that Russia has so far granted Snowden only temporary asylum, has warned him not to use his information as propaganda against the US and has not paraded him once in public. His only appearance was to a small audience at a meeting chaired by Russian free-speech activists. The authorities stayed behind the scenes.

Both Obama and Putin are well aware of each other’s predicament, having discussed the case three times by phone. So long as Snowden is in Russia, a pall is bound to hang over US-Russian diplomatic relations. But so far a serious froideur has been averted. It should be a cause for optimism that Putin is trying so hard to keep relations with the US on an even keel.

Tehran Times: Veteran playwright, director, and actor Mahmud Ostand-Mohammad died after a three-year battle with liver cancer at Tehran’s Jam Hospital on Thursday morning. He was aged 63.

Medical treatment for Ostand-Mohammad had been impeded by the sharp rise in the price of medicines necessary for cancer that occurred in Iran as result of the global sanctions against Iran, his daughter Mana previously said to several Persian news agencies.

Ostand-Mohammad was famous for his talent in writing stories about the everyday lives of Iranians in the plays he composed, which were based upon the basic principles of modern Western theater.

I tuned into RT earlier on today, they certainly were describing it as childish. They also linked it to the 5th anniversary of the conflict in South Ossetia where they said that for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union American hegemony was stopped in its tracks.

The BBC had a different angle, Obama never liked Putin anyway. This is for the home crowd to show he can cause a stir when he wants to, and get people on board for any future action re Israel and Iran.

Talking of Iran, Channel 4 did a report from Tehran, the sanctions haven't stopped the flow of luxury goods for the rich, but they are stopping essential medicines getting through. There have been a lot of preventable deaths.

Quote:

Tehran Times: Veteran playwright, director, and actor Mahmud Ostand-Mohammad died after a three-year battle with liver cancer at Tehran’s Jam Hospital on Thursday morning. He was aged 63.

Medical treatment for Ostand-Mohammad had been impeded by the sharp rise in the price of medicines necessary for cancer that occurred in Iran as result of the global sanctions against Iran, his daughter Mana previously said to several Persian news agencies.

Ostand-Mohammad was famous for his talent in writing stories about the everyday lives of Iranians in the plays he composed, which were based upon the basic principles of modern Western theater.

http://www.ibna.ir/vdcenn8zejh8fxi.1kbj.txt

I was just giving a more balanced view of what's going on. I mentioned the source, RT, Russian Television. I never said they weren't biased. I'm not RL, he's the one that swallows what they say hook line and sinker.

What's more disturbing is that the death of Mahmud Ostand-Mohammad was completely unreported by the western media. America/Russia namecalling is a bit of a sideshow.

What's more disturbing is that the death of Mahmud Ostand-Mohammad was completely unreported by the western media.

For one thing none of the three are actually liberal. They are at best slightly right to middle of the road. We havent had a liberal president since Kennedy. In my opinion. Not interested in trying to defend a bunch of politicians who pass laws that that get them big contributions from moneyed rich which encompasses all politicians so I wont defend my opinion. GO ORAL BOY.

Bill Clinton and Obama are better Republicans than most Republicans. I want to vote for a Democrat next time.

The enemy of progressive legislation...of protection and expansion of the safety net programs...IS NOT THE FAR RIGHT.

It is the far left.

Quote:

The enemy of progressive legislation...of protection and expansion of the safety net programs...IS NOT THE FAR RIGHT.

It is the far left.

Wha....?

The far left made the word "liberal" into the dirty word it is today in politics...and in the body politic.

Not sure what you do not understand about that, Hingehead.

Yeah I know, that's an American perspective for you. David Cameron is to the left of Barack Obama, and he's definitely right wing. The centre ground has shifted to the right over here, but no way near as much.