Russkies Returning

Putin puling:

U.S. officials have said that proposed missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic will be designed to intercept missiles planned by Iran that would be capable of reaching eastern Europe and will not affect Russia's security. But Putin said the Kremlin didn't trust that claim.

"We consider such claims unfounded, and, naturally, that directly concerns us and will cause a relevant reaction. That reaction will be asymmetrical, but it will be highly efficient," Putin said.

I don't trust Russians, and that goes triple for Putin. He embodies the worst traits of Nikita Khrushchev but wraps them in the crocodile smiles of glasnost and perestroika.

The Soviets always talked big about how they had no intentions of invading western Europe, which was later proven a blatant lie. The modern Russians are just Soviets with a few less tanks and planes--but still plenty of both.

If Putin really wants the Cold War back, that's fine by me. We dragged them through the economic mud once; I expect we can do it again. Especially since he'll undoubtedly initiate any escalation in the same way Russians approach everything else: half-assed and underfunded.