Quote:
Originally Posted by DanaC
You say that like it is possible to shame Putin on the world stage -
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Of course it is. Putin is playing a shrew chess game. He is playing from a position of weakness. And yet, well, he may even have material to blackmail top Trump officials. Its hard to believe Trump would have attack such trivial targets had he been listening to, well, Trump knows he is smarter than the generals - and everyone else.
Never assume the military option is an only option or is a good one. During the Cuban missile crisis, we know those who thought that way almost resulted in none of us existing today. Best solution of even this tiny event is shrewd diplomacy. Quiet talk with a big stick. A big stick that is only used when talk is not yet effective. Plenty of options existed - to even implement a second red line over the first one. Even that option no longer exists.
In these chess moves, Putin clearly won only because Trump used a worst possible strategy.