# Cheney finally gets something right \[criticizes Russia\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396 "2006-05-04T15:21:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/1 "2006-05-04T15:21:15Z")
Vice President Dick Cheney finally found himself on the correct side of an issue, criticizing Russia’s energy blackmail of its neighbors and the erosion of liberty within Russia: [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/05/04/cheney.lithuania.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/05/04/cheney.lithuania.ap/index.html) As my grandmother used to say, “Even a stopped clock is right twice a day…” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/2 "2006-05-04T15:34:09Z")
Did you have an issue to debate, here? Or should I move this to **IMHO**? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/3 "2006-05-04T15:44:18Z")
I think few of us will dispute Cheney’s judgment on Russia here, but we might debate his motives. The Bush Admin stuck its nose into Ukraine’s elections for the sake of democracy, certainly, but also to help elect a pro-Western rather than pro-Russian president. Apparently they want all former Soviet republics drawn into the Western orbit. Is that good or bad? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/4 "2006-05-04T16:30:36Z")
No comment on the erosion of liberty. But the energy blackmail is ridiculous. The countries complaining are receiving oil and gas at a discount of the world price from Russia and have been doing so for years. If they are unhappy about the price or conditions on which Russia deliver their oil or gas, they are free to turn to the open world market for their energy needs. Nobody is forcing them to buy from Russia. I don’t see the Cheney or the US offering to sell oil to Ukraine or Georgia at a discount of the world market price, why should Russia feel obliged to do so? It’s also noteworthy that Cheney’s comments fell at a meeting meant to prod the EU to form a united front against Russia. Not the best venue if he really wanted to engage in a dialogue with Russian instead of just switching barbs and preaching to the choir. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/5 "2006-05-04T17:19:00Z")
[QUOTE=Rune] It’s also noteworthy that Cheney’s comments fell at a meeting meant to prod the EU to form a united front against Russia. [/QUOTE] Cite? I don’t get that from the CNN story linked in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/6 "2006-05-04T17:57:02Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Cite? I don’t get that from the CNN story linked in the OP. [/QUOTE] Some of the countries participating in the pretty titled conference _“A Shared Vision of Common Neighbourhood”_ have for a long time been unhappy about what they see as certain larger EU states making deals with Russia without consulting them, or going through the EU. Notably Poland’s displeasure with the recent German / Russian deal for a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, circumventing (or cutting out the middle man) Polish territory – and thus robbing Poland of transfer income. Of course everybody is too diplomatic to openly admit the summit is about putting up a united front to Russia (conspicuously absent, except for a few lower standing bureaucrats, from the conference – though officially invited, never welcome). That is never the less, what it is about. Other nations have other interests to see US/EU pressure on Russia, like Georgia’s struggle to keep ownership over the district of South Ossetia, nominally Georgian territory – but historically, linguistically, culturally and with the blessing of the people practically Russian. And of course, Cheney and the US, have their own interests to pursue, which happen to agree with those of the smaller European countries meeting at the conference. > [@](#): > > President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania has called for a common European Union front in response to Russia’s willingness to use its energy supplies to secure political influence over its neighbours. [http://news.ft.com/cms/s/4278c7e4-dac3-11da-aa09-0000779e2340.html](http://news.ft.com/cms/s/4278c7e4-dac3-11da-aa09-0000779e2340.html) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/7 "2006-05-04T18:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Cheney finally gets something right [criticizes Russia] [/QUOTE] I sorry I read the words but they just can’t mean what they appear to mean. So Russia is guilty of using a natural resource to help get their way. I thought most powerful countries having been doing this for years? There civil liberties are in jeopardy. Hmmm Pot calling Kettle Black? Sorry, I don’t buy it coming from this evil man. Cheney still hasn’t got it right. Jim ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/8 "2006-05-04T18:08:25Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Hmmm Pot calling Kettle Black? [/QUOTE] As a general rule, when the pot calls the kettle black, the kettle (and everybody else) should listen, because the pot knows from black. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/9 "2006-05-04T18:09:43Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] As a general rule, when the pot calls the kettle black, the kettle (and everybody else) should listen, because the pot knows from black. [/QUOTE] Oh, he was speaking as an authority on curtailing Civil Rights. That changes everything. I misunderstood. 🙂 Jim ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheney-finally-gets-something-right-criticizes-russia/355396/10 "2006-05-04T20:01:48Z")
Cheney was talking to the leaders of Baltic and Black sea countries. To expect any pro-Russian sentiment there is a folly similar to expecting pro-US sentiments from Hugo Chavez at the meeting of Organization of American States. Russia is preparing for show-off G8 summit in St. Petersburg in July. Cheney is basically showing them that US might spoil their show a little. What’s at stake? Who knows? In completely unrelated developments, Russian press reporting that Russia may be inclined to support UN resolution against Iran next week (while China will at least abstain).