http://search.ft.com/nonFtArticle?id=080117000104&ct=0

The political stuff? No scary immediately. What it does do is wake up any still sleeping investors that Russia is not a good place to do business.

All this will take time to bite. But bite it will. No matter how much Putin says bite me.

Close the borders.

Cut off Azerbaijaini oil.

Threats and military action against Georgia and Khazakstan.

America’s response? Ultimately…

Begin construction of a Azerbaijaini/Georgian oil pipeline.

Provide military and economic support to Georgia and Khazakhstan.

Provide military supplies to Chechen rebels.

Provide military supplies to rebel groups in other Russian republics.

Expand U. S. military.

Provide support for the expansion of European militaries and other militaries around the world.

In short, unless Putin is removed from power and Russia goes through some serious political and economic reforms, we are headed towards war.

History does not repeat, it recycles.

He’s an old KGB apparatchik who has no illusions and no ideology except one, Vlad Putin.

Remember all the crap that Hollywood makes movies out of? The US CIA is evil and corrupt…US cops are evil criminals, the POTUS has random people assisinated…that kind of Stalinist inspired feces served up to the US masses like Marie Antoinette’s goddam cake. Well, gues what, kids, Putin actually does all that stuff, Russian cops really are Georgian bandits, and who the hell else sold those stinking anti-tank missiles that can kill an Abrams M2 tank to the islamo-terroristas in Iraq?

Putin is the real thing. Joe Stalin would be proud of him, just as he would have him immediately killed to eliminate a rival. He has men who will kill at a nod; they are Russians, and they like to eat regularly and the job pays better than most Russian jobs..good work if you can get it…

Europe doesn’t want to buy Russian oil and gas? ooooh…that’s scary.

Putin can sell every therm of it to the Chneese and Indians and never break a sweat.

If Europe is serious about the wild Comanche ex-Soviets threatening it’s EU picnic, they had better come up with something better than a subpoena, and it better have bullets in it or Vlad’s just going to smirk that little beady eyed smirk of his and go on selling fissile material to the Iranians and anyone else he damned well wants to.

And you all though it was over when the Soviet Union augered in, didn’t you…

What will happen if Russia does not abide by these laws? Europe will stop using their energy? China will start, someone will want their resources.

As for Georgia, they can always go in and take it by force, if it makes sense to them, like they have done before.