Something tells me that if Putin's plane disappeared on the way to Australia for the G20, the Russians AND Ukrainians would change their national anthems to Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.

Get Tony Abbot on board that plane, too, somehow and Australia would join in the festivities.

I'm not saying I wish them dead, I just think that if the plane were to "Disappear" onto a deserted island, things might get better in several places all over the world.

Ooh! Ooh! (frantically waving hand in the air) Can Stephen Harper (Canada's PM) join them as well?! We'd love to have him go. It would be a scary trio though...Harper's a really bright guy; Putin's ruthless and Abbott is outspokenly religious (the others are very religious but aren't as vocal about it).

He'll be gone in 2015.

I don't think that as much a sure thing as people make it out to be. There is still enough of a split left for them to (once again) skate up the middle to govern with only 40% of the popular vote.

It will definitely be interesting to see how well the NDP holds to Quebec. If we could elect a President then I think Trudeau would clinch it, but he has to have a party full if likable, Liberal folks to win.

The next election will fall right about the same time as BC is having a referendum on his pipelines.

I nominate Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, as well as all his staff and family. And if I could travel to the future, even the children of the children of his children.

I'll say I wish them dead!

That's a fantastic way to have your teapot resurfaced with polonium 210!

Someone buy them all tickets on the next Malasian Air flight!

There won't be a world war, even if Russia and the US decided to have one. China has no reason to side with or break ties with either. The US won't fight Russia short of it driving tanks into Western Europe; the Ukraine simply does not matter enough to play Global Thermonuclear War over.

There won't be a world war for one reason- World wars are expensive.

The entire world is dominated by corporations and business, all of whom have global interests. Large scale wars destabilize economies, and destabilized economies costs corporate entities an ass-load of cash.

Small wars may be good for profit, by large wars cross the risk/reward line.

The silver lining to oligarchy!

(aS long as you don't live in the Third World, anyway)

Stranger things have happened. Ukraine shares a border with Poland, which shares a border with Germany, neither of whom would be happy to once again have Russia in close proximity. Historically, armies on the march do not stop marching.

China has interests in US consumption and in Russian energy and generally they look down upon violations of national boundaries and interference with sovereignty. But, do they have much to lose from a greater European war with Russia? Without the U.S., Russia would probably win that war, China would make money selling war material to both sides, and it's energy would be secure. Would the U.S. stand by its NATO commitments at this point in history, war weary and with other distractions? It is at least debatable. Most wars start with these kinds of miscalculations.

Of course, nothing is actually worth a war. But there seems to be a tremendous amount of ego on display from Vlad and that can be dangerous. I'm opting for wait and see.

Yeah this is getting worse by the day, and comparisons with the third reich are getting harder to avoid

On a few other boards I peruse, I'm astounded by people who would rather have Putin in charge of the United States than Obama (though they often call for Obama's impeachment for being a tyrant at the same time). The other phenomena is people who label any negative story about Russia and/or Putin as "Western Propaganda," which I'm sure would include any of the above links.

Also, this is completely wrong. We're supposed to get to the Fallout universe via war with China, not Russia. Get it right, people!

Putin can see Alaska from his back yard.

Conservatives seem to love a strong man.

...a strong WHITE man.

And no, I'm not just talking about the President.

"Strong man" is kind of a weird euphemism for "power top", but I can work with it.