Obama: Russia ‘Doesn’t Make Anything’ (Except for These Weapons He Buys)
We dont think the president really meant it when he said the Russians dont make anything. But we still came up with a few itemsincluding those Mi-17 helicopters the Pentagon bought.
During an interview this month with The Economist, President Obama made what seemed like an offhanded comment when asked about recent tensions with the Russian government over Ukraine and the failure of his administrations reset.
Russia doesnt make anything, the president said. Immigrants arent rushing to Moscow in search of opportunity
And so we have to respond with resolve in what are effectively regional challenges that Russia presents.
That comment is in line with previous Obama statements seeking to diminish the threat that Russia poses to the United States. Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighborsnot out of strength but out of weakness, he said at a March press conference.
Of course, the president wasnt really saying the Russians make and export nothing; thats obviously not true, though Russias manufacturing sector isnt all that competitive internationally and is generally geared toward domestic consumption.
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/04/russia-doesn-t-make-anything-except-for-these-weapons-he-buys.html