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... then, however, looking at the map, thinking about Russian history and its situation in the world today, I have come to appreciate the Colonel's remark. Not all countries need to be great powers. Not all countries need to conduct an independent foreign policy. Not even former imperial powers, like Great Britain and France, need an independent foreign policy. But Russia does.
... determination to get rid of Assad are not those being publicly stated. Not that US motivations are necessarily sinister. Most likely, they follow from aims and objectives that are not unreasonable, but which would not wash well in public debate. Those who make foreign policy decisions know very well that international relations are more about power, prestige, and economic interests than about high-flown moral principles. They also know that such motivations do not usually sound good in public. Arguments from ...
