Yep. Georgia is at the crossroads all right. And Lovin' it!
Posted on 10/04/2006 4:25:09 PM PDT by sergey1973
President Vladimir Putin has warned Georgia not to use the "language of provocation and blackmail" against Russia in a speech in parliament. The Duma went on to vote overwhelmingly for a motion echoing Mr Putin's condemnation of "anti-Russian" and "anti-democratic" policies in Tbilisi.
Tension rose in the past week when Georgia detained, then released, four Russian army officers for spying.
Russia has imposed a travel and postal ban between the two countries.
"I would not advise anyone to talk to Russia in the language of provocation and blackmail," Mr Putin said in the Duma. "I am talking about Georgia here."
The motion passed by the Duma accuses Georgia of violating human rights and advocates further economic and financial sanctions.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Putin misses the good old days when he could have someone dragged into the Lubyanka never to be seen again.
Hope he gets a un resolution to go with that whine. We don't wanna see old pooty poot going unilatteral.
One of history's ironies. Stalin, the Georgian, went to the Orthodox seminary in Tblisi (Tiflis) and after the Bolsheviks took over the province rebelled and wasn't subdued until 1921. And Stalin was one of the most ruthless of Georgia's oppressors.
By the way, Stalin always spoke Russian with a heavy accent. Georgia was also where "Koba" committed his bank robberies and acts of terrorism.
Does anyone ever wonder what would have happened if Djugashvili (Stalin) extended his stay in seminary a year and was ordained to the priesthood? One of history's "ifs".
Putty must feel good when he can bring the old bear claws out.
Yep. Georgia is at the crossroads all right. And Lovin' it!
Pootie: "They can't use blackmail and intimidation! That's MY job!"
And here from benevolent crowd has arrived a pomegranate.
*)
I was there a week later and they were still madly in love with America and our President.
Some people love, some people hate. 8)
If You destroy all who do not agree with you, there will be only those who you supports.
( I about Saakashivili).
All opposition of Georgia either in emigration, or in prison, or in a coffin.
They constantly complain on Saakashivili on TVchannels of the CIS .
There is nobody left for them to love besides USA.
I know Stalin had an excellent memory - and he never forgot the least (as he saw it) wrong done to him. From my reading, he only became friendly with the Orthodox Church during the war when he was appealing to national unity against the German invasion.
It's also my understanding that he spent less than five years in seminary before he joined the revolutionary movement and dropped out.
I also read that his marginal notes in the many books that he perused were often quite revealing. I can cite some if you wish. Regards,
Poor Puti!
I guess he has "Georgia On His Mind".
I agree with your observations. When I was in graduate school my area of concentration was in Soviet Studies so I've amassed quite a large Lenin/Stalin library.
You mentioned Beria and Amy Knight recently published a good biography of him. It's interesting that immediately following Stalin's death in 1953 that Beria (feared by everyone because of his infamous control of the NKVD) tried to "liberalize" some of Stalin's police state policies - such as releasing some from the Gulag, ending the contrived "doctors' plot" trials, etc.
But all this was done not out of any conviction to do what was right but what he felt to be was EXPEDIENT to solidify his power base. Of course, Khruschev had him shot in 1953.
When Khruschev denounced Stalin in his famous 1956 speech he was doing the same thing. You mentioned that he destroyed many documents. This was because he had been one of Stalin's henchmen himself! Especiallly in the Ukraine. But Khruschev never ceased to idolize Lenin and to perpetuate all the Soviet mythology. And remember, this speech was intended to be secret - only for party elite.
Of course, since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the opening of the archives a vast array of material has become available. It will take historians years to assimilate it all. But one thing is known for sure (if there ever was any doubt) and that is that Stalin was one of the greatest tyrants in history. You know there's no doubt about that when even the far Left is forced to admit it!
Stalin seems to be a composite of many things. But the key unifying factor of these interpretations is his manic obsession with preserving personal autocratic and dictatorial power.
Thus, when it served his purpose Stalin the international Marxist/Leninist became Stalin the nationalist. When it served his purpose Stalin the atheist and persecutor of religion became the friend of Orthodoxy and hosted the Patriarch. And so on.
The whole list is too long for me to cite now but one of the most insightful biographers and authorities on Stalin is Robert Conquest of Stanford - some of whose relations lived in Russia during the purges and collectivization.
You asked for quotes. They are innumerable but my favorite Stalinism is "the death of an individual is a tragedy; the death of a million is a statistic". If one thinks about this it explains alot. If you'd like to hear what I deem to be some of the best in Stalin literature, let me know.
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