Poland: Presidents Of 5 Ex-Communist Countries Head To Georgia

AFP ^ | 11 August 2008

[skeeter]

It recalls the rhetoric of the Nazi's - "Selbstschutz" in the 30s.

[Ebenezer]

Well, cll, we do have to protect Jimmy Carter's peanut farm from esos jodíos rusos.

;^D

[DoughtyOne]

In fairness, we don’t know that Bush wasn’t involved in this some way. Lets see how it plays out. There may be more to come as it relates to this.

[MinuteGal]

LOL!

I'm sure Obama also demanded they be home for X-mas.

Leni

[houeto]

Why not see if Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine can win the day?

Because, if the LEADERS of the Free World join these five brave souls, the chance of success goes UP exponentially!

[skeeter]

If he was it'd be a dipomatic coup - given where & how he's been occupied over the past week. And presumably he'd need to work through the state dept - we know how well-coordinated & effective they've been the past few years.

But you're right, we should withhold judgement until the situation plays out.

[Rushmore Rocks]

God bless them, indeed.

Thanks for the ping, Kyla.

[nuconvert]

Bump

[JennysCool]

Oh, I think Russia knows quite well how we feel. I really would like to see these other leaders get a chance to do their best at ending a crisis, or at least cooling it down. We’re so often called upon to to mediate on the international stage that it’s refreshing to see other nations caring enough to try their hand at it. I wish them Godspeed and success.

[JennysCool]

See my #69.

[lizol]

What I’m really afraid of is - what would happen, if the Russian shot down Polish President’s plane (saying, for example, that it has attacked a squadron of Mig-29s).

[M203M4]

I'll never forget a work BBQ a few years back. Politics came up for some reason (I think pay increases vs cost of living increases veered to tax increases), and the conversation turned to communism. One of the younger guys (early 20's) was explaining to us that life under communism was not as bad as American politicians and the western press made it out to be, claiming that there was a concerted effort to discredit Marxism in general, and its political embodiments in particular, in order to make it less appealing for adoption here, as well as to increase support for American military spending.

At that point, an older fellow spoke up, obvious Balto-Slavic accent, to agree that western portrayal of Soviet communism was inaccurate, but that the reality was actually worse. He outlined his younger years spent in perpetual fear for himself and others (women especially, as rape was all but a sanctioned sport for the occupying Soviet forces), that clean running water existed only for those deemed important by the state, sanitation conditions in general were deplorable, that goods were rarely available, and that food was used as a weapon - rations were spotty and paltry, and without (illegal) supplementation, malnutrition was assured. The authorities exploited these conditions to extract sexual favors, including from children, in return for food, clothing, and other goods.

The younger guy found the surface of the picnic table to be incredibly fascinating for the rest of the afternoon.

I don't know anyone with a harsher opinion of the Soviets - and communism generally - than the victims.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with your comments about other world leaders. I wish them Godspeed and success also.

Well, it appears Bush will be in D.C. at the prescribed time for his announcement this afternoon. We’ll see what he has to say.

[Alia]

It would be a grand gesture, but I would rather wait to see if these five Presidents can make a difference before injecting America into the equation. Why not see if Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine can win the day?

Me, too. It's their independent future they are fighting for. They've GOT to stand. If Bush et al, go too, these brave men get painted as "Bush's Poodles"; and too weak to stand on their own lest the Big Bad U.S. is there.

I'm praying for the safety of these five men and their teams, EU nationals, and U.S. "ears" who are enroute to Georgia.

[lizol]

That’s exatly the thought, that I can’t get rid off.

And I’m getting really afraid.

[JennysCool]

If Bush et al, go too, these brave men get painted as "Bush's Poodles"; and too weak to stand on their own lest the Big Bad U.S. is there.

EXACTLY the point I was trying to make; you said it MUCH better than I did.

[Scythian]

They not going, the country is already lost.

[Publius]

In mind of your quote, it wouldn’t hurt if the pope ended his vacation at Castelgandolfo and joined the delegation. That would wake the Russians up.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Yeah, but if things go south, it could be old saying, “Great act, but you can only do it once.” If Russia is really, really on a tear, they could wipe them all out without the mess and cost of opening another front. I can’t believe that Russia will give a flying flip at a rolling donut if we stand in between them and what they want. It’s like Saddam Hussein putting women and children in front of the targets he wanted to protect.

Americans would have second thoughts about dropping innocents, would Russians?