Posted on 10/18/2006 1:03:00 PM PDT by M. Espinola
Learn history and you will find all the answers.
You may want to do the same. Try Estonia for a start. ==
And what is in common between Estonia and Georgia? 2 small countries looked for the new master-sponsor and found it. First one found EU. Second one found USA.
You just pay attention to facts HOW Soviet Union was dissolved. You may find that it was Russia which proclaimed her independece from SU FISRT from 15 former republics.
Russia proclaimed her imdependence FIRST. Then she recognised the independences of other republic. Again she did it FIRSTEVER.
Until you realize such facts you understand nothing.
Thank God he is helping Georgia today.
Tallinn, Estonia -- Georgia only seems far away. For Europe, most countries are too easily dismissed as far away. This blindness got the Continent into more than one war, and could bring trouble again in the Caucasus. In the modern world, no one can survive in isolation, and Europe's future today depends on countries like Georgia that only look to be beyond the horizon.
A decade ago, my own country seemed far away, too. This spring, Estonia joins the European Union and NATO. Georgia also has a long European heritage. It was part of the Hellenistic world and Roman Empire before succumbing to Russian rule and then, after a brief spell of independence, Soviet conquest. Over the past dozen years of troubled independence, Georgia has been beset by civil war, political conflict, misery and corruption.
After last month's peaceful "rose revolution" forced out President Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgians this month enthusiastically elected a young, Western-educated lawyer as president. Mikhail Shaakashvili offers Georgia a new, possibly last, chance to bring his country back into the West. A lot is at stake. His people are counting on him to bring stability -- as is the U.S., which cares about strategic energy routes that pass through Georgia.
Some people have compared Georgia's new young leaders to the "Pro Patria" government of 20- and 30-something reformers in Estonia in 1992, whose radical free-market program made the smallest of the Baltic countries one of the most successful transition stories in former Soviet empire. There are indeed similarities between Georgia now and Estonia then, beyond our size and recent historical experience.
In 1992, Estonia was economically ruined and the morale of our people sapped. Shops were empty, forcing people to line up for hours to buy rationed bread and milk. The currency (the old Soviet ruble) was worthless. Industrial production declined more 30% in two years after independence in 1991. Inflation was above 1,000% a year, and unemployment 30%. Estonia depended on Russia for energy and most of its trade. Russia was refusing to pull its troops out of the country. Armed extremist groups, on the left and right, as well as a separatist movement supported by Russia posed a serious threat to democracy in Estonia.
The bad news is, this more or less describes Mr. Saakashvili's predicament today. Back in 1992, many people were pessimistic about our chances too. But we survived. Through painful but decisive reforms, Estonia turned West. Today, according to the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom, Estonia is the sixth-most-free economy in the world, ahead of all but two of its future EU partners.
Of course, Estonia isn't Georgia. Georgia has a different history and cultural heritage and sits in another part of Europe. The policies implemented in one country can never be carbon copied onto another. Each country must find its own way. But there are lessons from other transition countries that are highly relevant for Georgia.
From our experience, lesson No. 1 is to build the political foundations first and only then proceed with economic reform. Don't underestimate the importance of a new modern constitution and democratic legislature elected in free and regular elections. In some transition countries, the need for strong "rule of law" wasn't appreciated. That was a huge mistake. The best intentions can not match the importance of a sound and constantly improving legal environment. There will be no market economy without laws, strong property rights and a working judicial system. And to fight corruption, as the new Georgian president vows to, you can't trust people from the past. Old dogs don't easily learn new tricks.
The second lesson is summed up by a well-known advertising slogan: "Just do it." In other words, be decisive about adopting reforms and stick with them despite the short-term pain they bring. A radical reform program launched as quickly as possible has a much greater chance of being accepted than either a delayed radical program or a non-radical alternative that introduces difficult measures in a piecemeal fashion.
The third lesson is: Keep it simple. Most workable solutions are simple ones. Of course, achieving real change isn't easy. The new Georgian government must stabilize the economy and regain the confidence of financial markets. To do this, Georgia must cut its budget deficit and start to collect taxes.
The simplest way is to introduce a low proportional income tax, which is easy to collect and hard to avoid. The economy must be liberalized and opened to competition. As a weak state, Georgia can't collect custom duties anyhow; it's better to abolish them and turn Georgia to big free-trade area. State-owned companies must be privatized, but only after passing necessary laws and creating institutions. All this creates preconditions for foreign investment, which Georgia desperately needs.
By following this recipe, Georgia will have a chance to turn firmly toward the U.S. and Europe. Cooperation with the West, through NATO, is the only way to get the Russians to pull their troops out and restore the territorial integrity of this strategically placed country. The best way to fight the separatism that threatens Georgia's future, in other words, is successful reform. While the U.S. gave material help to the people's revolution and supports Georgia's independence, Europe seems all too happy to dismiss Georgia as "a far-away country." Now is the time to give real support. If done correctly, Georgia can become a model for the other troubled countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
But the best help Georgia can get today is clear encouragement to help itself. In the end, no one else can force reform on a country. Georgia's leaders don't have much time. Hopes are riding high. The window of opportunity to take the extraordinary steps that I've described lasts only a few months, perhaps a year. If Georgia doesn't take advantage of this momentum, it'll waste this chance. Then we'd all lose.
Mart Laar is a former Prime-Minister of Estonia.
God Bless you Mart.
Great video!
See this video. They speak russian language but with english captions. It is about Akhazia matter.
http://www.babajana.com/video/323/video.htm
all stick and no carrot==
"..Not even the most optimistic Kremlin apparatchik can be under the illusion that a pro-Moscow force will ever come to power in Georgia now. That might have been a possibility once, Moscow could have offered to help return the separatist territories, and in return Georgia would have been eternally grateful, but that time has long since passed..."
The author doesn't understand a thing about Geogrians. They will NEVER grateful at all! In the past Russian saved Georgia as nation form Turkey and Iran conquerrers. Georgian stalked and promised to be "eternally grateful" for that. So what? How short is gerogian "ethernity"?:)
Russia just writes of Georgia completely. Let them live and survive without us. SO no one in future will meet georgian ungratefulness except.. Americans:)).
Was Abkhazia part of that newly independent Russia? No. It was not. Abkhazia has never been part of the Russian Federation. It was never part of the Russian SFSR. The criminal Yeltsin started a war with Georgia unprovoked when he invaded the Georgian province of Abkhazia. Putin follows in Yeltsin's footsteps.
Abkhazia was put into Georgia by that noted Georgian, Stalin. No reason why they shouldn't want to be back with their fellow Russians.
That's completely false. Actually they were always part of Georgia and Stalin granted them autonomy. Abkhazia was never part of the Russian SFSR.
Actually they were always part of Georgia==
No Joe. Akhazia was never the part of Georgia until Stalin made them.
Strange thing. You comdemn Stalin but support Stain' estableished border. Why that? Double standard again?:)
The criminal Yeltsin started a war with Georgia unprovoked when he invaded the Georgian province of Abkhazia. ==
Joe is is cheap:). You shouldn't be so biased:).
Everyone who know the recent history knows that in 1992 Geogria started the 2 ethnic wars with Abkhazia and South Osetia. It was ethnic wars like in Kosovo.
No Yeltsin did it. He has the hands full with commies in Russian parlament and other problems. Remember 1992 it was the first year of Russian independence and the election year. Yelstin didn't have no army to invade with at that period because Soviet army was dissloved but Russian army wasn't established yet.
Joe I honestly don't understand what are you blind? Or you just plain forgot even so recent history? 1992 isn't so far back and so much falsification already. What then about more distant history?
Bump for later reading
Yes, but in this case Russia supported the jihadists like Basayev. Russians don't like how BJ Clinton helped muslims in Kosovo, but Russia helped Basayev exterminate thousands of Georgians Christians. Hypocrites.
Abkhazia was already part of Georgia in 1921 when they were both invaded by Soviet Russia. After that time Abkhazia was a Union Republic of the Georgian SSR. In 1931 Stalin granted Abkhazia autonomy. He did not make Abkhazia part of Georgia at all. That is a complete lie. He granted them autonomy, which of course is worthless if you live in the EVIL EMPIRE.
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