Now Russia has declared that they will keep part of Georgia, a sovereign country, as “buffer” area to “protect” South Ossetia, and thus annexing part of Georgia. Is that not what Hitler did when he annexed Austria, Sudeten Deutsche, Schlesien, Lorraine etc? And what has Russian action done to Georgia as a nation by seizing strategic portion of their land and thus interfering with the operation of their oil pipe line and other economic activities? In Ukraine you have the same situation where the pipe line that is supposed to operate from Odessa to Brody is being run in reverse to satisfy the Russian government right now! So what is going to stop Russia from annexing part of Ukraine and protect their “near abroad”? Our criticism?

And what a charade “near abroad” represents! Our politicians are explaining, that Russia is looking at their “near abroad” as we would at Mexico, Canada, etc. In other words, we can not expect Russian to sit quite when we set up antimissile system in Poland, just as we would not like to see such antimissiles and warheads set up in Cuba. But such comparison is deeply flawed. European powers relinquished their power in all their colonies but not Russia. Russia’s colonies were countries that they conquered all around themselves. This included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan etc. Oh, yes! Where would you place Chechnya? Regardless, how can the West sit back and allow Russia to haul in all the colonies that received their freedom? Is it because Russia calls these places “near abroad”? What moral right does Russia have haul in their former colonies? What moral responsibility does the West have to protect these democracies? If the Free World is afraid of doing something unconventional that Russia has not foreseen on their chessboard, then let us go home and crawl in a hole, hoping that Russia will treat us gently.

It is pathetic that Germany, which was to a great extend saved from Russian exploitation by US and British forces, and France, which was liberated by US and British troops, did not have the guts to accept Georgia and Ukraine into NATO at the Bucharest meeting to avoid the current upheaval. It was obvious as to the consequences of their action. Of course Georgia and Ukraine are not militarily ready, but Germany and France could have helped to getting these countries ready instead of having the US do all the heavy lifting. There may be some choices that US has to save the day, such as signing a “major non-NATO alliance” with Ukraine and perhaps even Georgia, as NY Times has suggested. And thank you Germany and France for nothing!

Bohdan Slabyj

But what is surprising (to me) is that when Russia was only in south ossetia, and not (yet)in georgia proper, the west still seemed pretty pissed, even though russia, at this point in time, was only defending the south ossetians from georgian aggression. Russia, before they invaded georgia proper, was propping up a democracy, the south ossetian government was popularly elected and the populace wanted independence from georgia. Yet, despite the wests bluster for freedom and democracy, the west still chose to condemn russia for helping the ossetian republic and then the west gave (verbal only) support to georgia.

I just had a thought, what if Georgia was china and south ossetia and abkahzia were tibet and xinjiang?

Ok in this hypothetical scenario, china is weak pollitically and militarily, and two provinces of tibet and xinjiang just broke off. Now china moves militarily to take them back, but as china does so, another foreign power moves in (india, russia, maybe pakistan or something) and pushes china out, like russia did to georgia.

Now, i can give you a whole list of reasons why this wont hapen in the next thousand years, not the least is that china has a big military comparatively and georgia had no chance against russia, but hypothetically OK? what if?

THere are some differences between what hapened in georgia and my hypothetical situation that apply to my question. Georgia is democratic, china is best discribed as an ogliarchy. Georgia is, to put it simply, liked by the west, china is routinely critizised by the west and even hated by many in both parties (in america that is).

Now the question is, what would the wests response be in this hypothetical situation? Will they denounce the interfering power as an agressor? or will they support china’s territorial integrity? will they say “china had it comming, they brought it on themselves” like the way some people here are saying about Saakashvili, or will they critisize the other country as being a bully?

But the russian invasion wasnt really to increase russian influence, those ogliarchs should have known that the invasion will only unite people against them. In todays world, more power comes through cunning diplomacy, way less power comes through tanks. Instead, the invasion was meant to try to boost Russian pride and try to erase the humiliation that they think they have faced. THe russians invaded for all pathos reasons, honor, ego, nationalism, not much logos or rationality was involved.

If the Russian only went as far as pushing the georgians out of the seperatist region and kept the nationalist rhetoric down low, then people would likely not oppose the russians as much. But they didnt, and now the west and all the all soviet satelite states are uniting against russis.

Meanwhile in the United states, people are trying to frame Russia as immoral undemocratic imperialists trying to destroy freedom. You can say they are basicly like the imperialists of old, and they certanly arent fully democratic, but enemies of freedom? evil empire? THe US needs to get its head out of the idealistic sands about freedom and democracy and start facing the real politick. Lets get realistic here and drop the rhtoric.

Republicans can not afford to admit their huge mis-assessment of Saakashvilli, just like US made a mistake when they helped Saddam come to power in 1963. In this case Saakashvilli showed his collors very early and that is a huge liability for US administration.

I don’t like Obama for president, but if Dems were smart, they would expose Saakshvilli for what he is, and his ties to McCain campain and that would probably helped them win votes.

PS. I think Condi saw right through Saakashvilli when she was in Tbilissi. Obviously she can’t say anything now, but once she is out of office next year, I hope she’ll speak her mind.

The guy who runs Georgia is an inept fool and Putin is about as diplomatic as a ten foot grenade.

What a group of idiots!

I feel sorry for the people, who as usual, suffer under the leadership of inadequate disturbed men.

They should both STOP the aggression and shut up.

Then they need to make good the damage done to their people.

Some hope!

What next? is the big question let us wait and see