Why Putin ignores the G8 summit, and Obama ignores the APEC summit?

[khylko]

World media are scratching their heads, why Putin has refused to visit the G8 summit that will take place in the U.S., and Obama has refused to go to the APEC summit (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) in Russia.
Most popular versions are the follows: 1) Putin want to avoid criticism for the oppression of democracy (eg, see: National Review); 2)

Comments

[sophia_sadek]

The Republicans are paper tigers. The only reason they like to act belligerently is that it provides funding for their sugar daddies in military industry. Like the Democrats, the only way that they will fight Russians is by funding Islamist zealots.

[khylko]

Yes, they are paper tigers, and it is the same paper on which dollars are printed :) And surely the preelection rethorics is just the preelection rethorics - no more. And, by the way, I don't want the U.S. and Russia to be rigid antagonists. I just consider Republicans to be more skillful in foreign policy, recalling Nixon and Reigan, who managed to get crucial progress in relations with China and USSR without loosing American positions and face.

[sophia_sadek]

We have a saying that only Nixon could have gone to China. It all goes back to the McCarthy era when Republicans had Democrats quaking in their boots with witch hunts and FBI bullying.

[khylko]

If the SOPA adopted - authorities will have half the population quaking in their boots recalling the McCarthyism as a liberal era :)

[sophia_sadek]

During the years of Bush the Younger, some people remarked that Nixon was starting to look like a good guy.

[khylko]

:) Oh, that familiar feeling! In Ukraine with every new president we begin to understand that the previous one was not that bad :)