"A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported." - Dave Winer from Bookmarklet

It's escalating pretty quickly -- wonder if Bush is up to this level of confrontation. - Dave Winer

Dave: Of course he is. He's provoking it. - Chris Baskind

More here. http://bit.ly/FK1CU - Dave Winer

thi is awesome. i love our crazy ass foreign policy. so EXCITING - @baratunde from twhirl

You give Bush way way too much credit. He's a deer caught in the headlights. He was enjoying being a lame duck, hanging out at the Olympics, drinking a few beers, getting ready to go down to the ranch in Crawford, planning his retirement with his buddies who looted the US Treasury. Too bad he has to deal with something that requires a President, not the first time in his Presidency, but this time the stakes are much bigger than just New Orleans or New York City. - Dave Winer

Baratunde, if you like excitement, this is a great time to be alive. Excitement like this hasn't happened since the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. - Dave Winer

BTW, read my piece if you think it's partisan. I'd call in Bush I and Brent Scowcroft right now, to try to sort this one out. They are Republicans. - Dave Winer

this is really getting big. Hope it doesn't go back to the cold war era situation. - Rahul Das

I think he's "provoking" this in the sense that his administration is prepared to put a missile shield of dubious effectiveness or necessity in a place that *clearly* offends Russia. They've made their concerns known about this for over a year, but Bush steams ahead. - Chris Baskind

Bush was stupid enough to invade a country based on false evidence... - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

I think Russia will pull out, get a minor slap on the wrist, and more or less get away with what they did in Georgia. Putin flexed his muscle. - David Risley

Ugh. Sick. Still have cousins there. - Cyndy

Didn't Clinton want to put the shield in Poland as well? - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

Well, there goes the country of my family heritage. - Michael Forian

@Dave - This is sort of the Cuban Missile Crises in reverse. - Victor Ryden

Victor -- that's right. - Dave Winer

With Russia acting so aggressively, it's little wonder that nations such as the Czech Rep. and Poland are signing such agreements with the US. It wouldn't surprise me either if certain states come to the conclusion that nuclear weapons might be the only way to ensure that their sovereignty is respected. - Paul Grav

Paul - that probably IS the only way to ensure against invasion. - Tad, Anti-Immanentizer

Of course. I would't allow such thing on my door,too. Like Cuba other way around - Ryo

I'm not sure the Cuban analogy holds. The missile defense rockets aren't nuclear. Could they even do real damage? Don't they go dead if they don't hit a target and are headed for ground? Would we have been scared of a system like this? - Christopher Galtenberg

va bene che abbiamo il Governo e l'Opposizione in ferie, ma nella blogosfera leggo ti auguri per il ferragosto, pero' non mi pare che ci sia la dovuta attenzione a certe notize... - Gino Tocchetti

@gino tocchetti Se vai sul corriere però scoprirai che Gigi D'Alessio ha salvato 7 naufraghi - Ester "Hoshimem" Memoli

bloody hell. - Scott Lockhart

Very frightening issue. Just hope this will get resolved in a diplomatic manner. - Thomas Frütel

Putin has the money, has the gas for Europe, has the force - we have lost all and have no hand to play. This feels like 1936. What's new is stupidity. The Missile Shield is sheer provocation as was the Georgian Adventure - we don't have a moral card to play either. I don't think we have any cards. If i was a Pole or Ukrainian I would be scared - Rob Paterson

I find it interesting that no one views this as a European problem. Where are France, Germany, and Britain? Why is this a mess *we* have to solve? Why, 60 years after WWII ended, are these countries not able to wipe their own diplomatic noses yet? - Chuck Shotton

"Push out a bayonet. If it strikes fat, push deeper. If it strikes iron, pull back for another day." V.I. Lenin, May 1922 This approach is a time proven component of the Russian psyche. They must be called out on their shit. - Oldengrey (Jay)

It's not a European problem for some because they can find a way to blame Bush. If it was a president they liked in office it would be all Russian aggression and European issues. For some folks anything that can be Bush's fault is, no matter how far the stretch.As for the shield? Build it. Increasing your ability to defend yourself is never a bad idea no matter how much the bully tries to tell you it is. - Soulhuntre

On the issue itself - I don't think aggression by a nuke capable country is a continental issue. We must react. Invasion won't be a good idea and putting boots on the ground there (even with all the troops from Iraq) would be futile. The technical projection of force works against Russia because they are a infrastructure heavy society Missile defenses, carrier task groups, air recon, cruise strikes if it comes to that. These things will work if needed. - Soulhuntre

Chuck. You're right. I'm European and I'm extremely disappointed with the response from 'old europe'. Sarkozy has said very little, and Brown has said even less. - Paul Grav

McCain should stfu indeed...I'm a supporter of his for president, but he is way wrong on this one. - David Mercer

Chuck, you make a really excellent point. - Adrian Bye

I thought Sarkozy negotiated the peace plan currently being considered. - Christopher Galtenberg

A friend of mine who visited Georgia a couple of years ago says the Russians are doing just that -- rebuilding. But they think WE are imperialists.http://blog.stealthmode.com/2008... - Francine Hardaway

Reads like an unfunny sequel to Dr. Strangelove. - Helen Sventitsky

There must be something in it for Bush if he's talking like this. He barely said anything when the Chinese were battering the Tibetans recently. - Tom Burgess

Tom, I don't think Tibet is a prospective NATO member... - Chuck Shotton