Thread: Putin reveals what he admires most about America

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/preview-...se-60-minutes/

CBS News September 24, 2015, 7:15 AM

Putin reveals what he admires most about America

Charlie Rose recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss what the Russian leader thinks of America and how the world views him.

Here's a preview of this Sunday's "60 Minutes" report:

Charlie Rose: You're much talked about in America. There's much conversation, more so than any.

Vladimir Putin: Maybe they have nothing else to do in America but talk about me. [laughs]

Rose: No, no, no, or maybe they're curious people? [laughs] Or maybe you're an interesting character? Maybe that's what it is. As you know, some have called you a czar.

Putin: So what? You know people call me different names.

Rose: But does the name fit?

Putin: No, it does not fit me. It's not important how I'm called, whether these are well-wishers, friends or political opponents. It's important what you think about you, what you must do for the interest of the country which has entrusted you with the position as the head of the Russian state.

Rose: Are you curious about America? More than simply another nation that you have to deal with?

Putin: Of course we're curious about what's going on. America exerts enormous influence on the situation in the world as a whole.

Rose: What do you admire most about America?

Putin: I like the creativity.

Rose: Creativity?

Putin: Creativity when it comes to your tackling problems. Their openness -- openness and open-mindedness -- because it allows them to unleash the inner potential of their people. And thanks to that, America has attained such amazing results in developing their country.

Watch the full "60 Minutes" interview this Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.
© 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I think Trump is right again. He will get along great with Putin, two men who understand their obligations are to the people of their own nations with mutual respect for the achievements by both.

That was a very nice thing for Putin to say about our country.

So is this a man or nation that we should not talk to, as Carly Fiorina claimed would be her foreign policy with Russia? Is Russia a threat to our national security filling "vacuums" in areas that we are not equipped to fill as Rubio claims?

No. We should let Russia handle Syria to restore order, and we should re-establish close contact with the Russians, who have always been our allies, who are a permanent member of the Security Council with US, China, Britain, and France.

Carly Fiorina wants to increase the size of the 6th fleet which covers Europe and Northern Africa. Are we expecting a war ith Europe?!

Fiorina and Rubio are not serious people. They're wannabes struggling for a political foothold in a race for President, neither of whom have accomplished anything beyond their own self-promotion and caused harm to many in that process.

Beware of candidates who want to read an article in NavyTimes and then base foreign policy around it.

Russia is starting to see itself in the same terms that Reagan used for the US. The Orthodox Church has been rising, they see countries of W. Europe, Canada and the US sliding into more trouble, so they see themselves as having potential to set things right. How much will that take, who knows? Putin seems pretty self obsessed but I don't think he is totally wacko. Probably him and Trump would see eye to eye. But who knows if Putin will stay? The Russian currency is getting hit hard by declining oil revenue, and oil may very well go much lower, so the people are going "Ouch!" I wouldn't take anything for granted there, at all.

This seemed to be the time to share what I remember about recent world history. I attended H.S. from 1955 to 1959. While attending some U.S, Air Force officers visited our school to address the entire student body in the study hall. The purpose was to instruct us on how to best protect ourselves in the event of nuclear attack. Another purpose was to instruct us in the identification of U.S. and U.S.S.R. military aircraft and called us members of
the Civil Air Patrol. The only two nuclear powers at that time, U.S. and U.S.S.R.

Premier Khrushchev of the USSR on TV promised to bury us. (Does that sound like an Ally.) Khrushchev at one point announced that he had militarily forced down one of our U-2 latest spy planes and held the pilot captive. President Eisenhower denied this and claimed it was a weather balloon. I guess the republican had not been informed of television. Within a matter of a short time Khrushchev was broadcasting televised pictures of himself with with the U-2 plane. Our president was eating crow.

October, 1961 President Kennedy uncovered that the USSR was building a nuclear base on the island of Cuba, 90 miles from Florida. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba, our navy and USSR.s faced off, and the world held its collective breath. After many days, Khrushchev hiccupped. The missile base in Cuba was dismantled. Khrushchev was eating crow. The world relaxed again somewhat.

Russia has not always been an American ally. I would not advocate trusting them yet, either.

The strained relationship with Russia after WWII was related to our display of nuclear warfare against Japan and our build up from that time forward with the primary target being .... Russia. Russia has always been our ally but they saw and probably still see a reason to protect themselves against the actions of the US against them, which was their motive with the Cuban base.

Take Afghanistan. Russia for its own reasons wanted stability in that country, stability that would not only benefit Russia but the entire region and the world. We supplied Afghanistan "freedom fighters" for 20 years against the Russians. Why? We do the stupid thing of invading Afghanistan. To achieve what?

Take North Korea. We created North Korea after WWII in order to create a South Korea and split the country into two countries against the will of the Korean people. This country was carved up to give Russia alliance with half and the US to have half. Problem is, North Korea has no food of its own, so the people basically starve and suffer because of this arrangement.

Take Vietnam. Vietnam was divided for US/Russian strategic purposes against the will of the Vietnamese people.

Take Germany. The same thing was done there for the same reasons.

Many of the problems we have faced in post WWII conflicts have all been related to the concept of "balance of power" deployed after WWII splitting up the spoils, and these countries who were the pawns and victims of that have suffered deeply for it.

Was there a better plan? That's not for me to say. The point is the best "balance of power" is our own economic power and the diplomatic requirement of "mutual respect", which is only gained through communication, friendship and humane pragmatic remedies.

People also have to remember that during WWII, Americans had 419,000 total military and civilian casualties, while Russia had 27 million. So the Russians had every cause to protect their people from another war that would invade their soil, which is why if there was any funny business with the USA, they wanted to be able to fight it from Cuba instead of in Russia.

The losses incurred by both Russia at 27 million and China at 20 million during WWII are for the most part beyond the comprehension of most Americans. In fact, most Americans have no idea about the horrible suffering of the Russian and Chinese people during WWII, because another group has monopolized that conversation all these years, which I suppose is horrible enough for most Americans to absorb.

But the truth about WWII needs to be told and understood so Americans can appreciate what both Russia and China have at stake to maintain peace in the world, because they more than US want peace at all costs because they more than US know first-hand what another World War would mean, because they lived it on their soil, whereas we haven't.

I wouldn't trust Russian President Vladimir Putin any further than I could throw him!

Well, that's not surprising since you don't even trust Donald Trump! Misplaced paranoia is a dangerous thing in politics.

Originally Posted by Judy

Well, that's not surprising since you don't even trust Donald Trump! Misplaced paranoia is a dangerous thing in politics.

I can do without your personal insults. Thank you.

"Touchy" -- Marco Rubio.

If someone told me that he would bury me (Khrushchev), then rented the house across the street from me, I would take notice. If he commenced sitting on his porch with a 12 ga. shotgun across his knees every time I was in my front yard, I would not call him a friend, or an ally. That is simple self preservation. Trying to befriend the wrong people as GWB did is costing trillions of dollars. If your friends threaten to kill you, you need new friends, and soon!