I know the "smart diplomacy" crack was merely a superfluous political dig at the previous administration, but I wish our current foreign policy had left itself some power to influence or otherwise address what is rapidly becoming a horror in new Europe. Inconsistent public statements and spying on foreign leaders has pretty much rendered our international power a chimera.
We seem to have our national attention pointed towards the Olympics, some millionaire replacing another millionaire on a late night TV show, and the deep, deep concern from the Secretary of State about global warming/cooling, weather/climate change. Meanwhile...
NYT: "With hundreds of riot police officers advancing from all sides after a day of deadly mayhem here in the Ukrainian capital, antigovernment protesters mounted a final desperate and seemingly doomed act of defiance late on Tuesday evening, establishing a protective ring of fire around what remained of their all-but-conquered encampment on Independence Square.
Feeding the blazing defenses with blankets, tires, wood, sheets of plastic foam and anything else that might burn, the protesters hoped to prolong, for a while longer at least, a tumultuous protest movement against President Viktor F. Yanukovych, a leader who was democratically elected in 2010 but is widely reviled here as corrupt and authoritarian.
“It is called the tactic of scorched earth,” said a protester who identified himself as Andriy."
And don't get me started on Venezuela.