Russia's withering economy
Tom from NJ wrote in with this one. In August 2009 Biden traveled to Georgia and Ukraine, but some words he had spoken in a Wall Street Journal article preceded him. Here's the quote:
Russia has to make some very difficult, calculated decisions. They have a shrinking population base, they have a withering economy, they have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years, they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable.
There is an element of truth to this, but it's hardly the way to lead off a foreign policy trip when you want to have friendly discussions with the countries you're visiting. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was duly dispatched to do damage control with the understandably perturbed Russians. "We view Russia as a great power" said Clinton as she backed and filled. Oddly enough, in the same interview Biden also said:
It is never smart to embarrass an individual or a country when they're dealing with significant loss of face.
Physician, heal thyself!
Source: The Wall Street Journal's Peter Spiegel and Georgian Daily's David Smith
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