Victor Davis Hanson: Moscow’s Sinister Brilliance. Who wants to die for Tbilisi?

NRO ^ | August 12, 2008 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Fred]

Looking forward to hearing McCain utter these words..It would be so Churchill if he did...

[hinckley buzzard]

I wonder if Putin and more especially his generals have the stones for a fight. If we were to commit air power...

Putin and his generals know that we won't do this. We will not challenge Russia militarily on the european landmass..

[editor-surveyor]

"Germany has become dependent on Russian natural gas. They will have to go along with whatever Russia wants to do on the european continent."

Yes, and that is the enzyme that will slowly dissolve the EU if the current lack of energy exploration is allowed to prevail.

[goldstategop]

The Russians know the West is enfeebled, divided and morally bankrupt. They are empowered, united and have purpose of conviction. That sets them apart from the West, with its NATO Potemkin alliance, which is an empty shell without American muscle. In short, the Russians have the West on the run and they take satisfaction in the West begging them to be good rather than stopping them with hard power. The hubris of Western liberal conceit about "soft power" has met its nemesis.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[neverdem]

The hubris of Western liberal conceit about "soft power" has met its nemesis.

After Georgia, I'll be surprised if any one has the nerve to mention "soft power" again. It's absolutely useless.

As for "power power," that's the reason to develop alternative energy, not global warming, climate change nonsense. Develop alternative energy and all other sources of energy to collapse the oil and natural gas market. Let them eat oil and natural gas. Only then would economic sanctions take effect. Our economy does well with cheap energy too. We need to export energy. We can't sustain all the importing that we do and empower our adversaries.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday it was “normal” for Moscow to defend Russian-speaking people beyond its borders, but added that Georgia’s territorial integrity had to be respected.

So I guess it would be normal if Mexico sent troops into California and Texas to protect all the illegals they sent in.

And the Muslims of course, could send in troops next time France cracks down against the rioting youths.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Reading Russian forums: practically unanimous support of whipping the Georgians. Giddy happiness, I’d say.

They are right here on FR!

[redgolum]

This war is done. Georgia is gone.

We just have to decide where we will draw the line. The Ukraine will be next. Do we fight their or Poland? Or maybe Germany?

[Tailgunner Joe]

He’s wrong, they haven’t called our bluff, they have taken our bait.

[metesky]

Two centuries in and the Russians continue to play The Great Game...

[Tolik]

There is no such thing as “Soft power” - it's just words, like so many other wishful thinking ideas (coming mostly from the Left). You either have power, or you don't. And you always pay for it with blood. The only reason JPII call to Pollacks “do not be afraid” was powerful despite absence of military divisions at Pope's disposal was their willingness to shed their blood for their cause. (that was thankfully not matched with willingness to spill it by Gorbachev - and that is his biggest accomplishment - he was unwilling to spill enough blood to drown Poland and others in the manner his predecessors were willing to do in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968).

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“...however...nice post in spirit...to hear that sorta mettle from a woman is encouraging...I respect that.”

Not just a woman, a soldier. (Retired Army.)

Hey, NOBODY prays for peace harder than a service member. But what you said has a lot of merit, too. We’ve been such p*ssies for so long that I don’t think half of us conservatives know which end is up anymore, and ALL of the socialists in this country are absolutely clueless...while rooting for the wrong team!

Hopefully McCain will be in the position to kick some arse. I think when it comes to war and national security (as a whole) he won’t let us down. Not sure what President Bush will do between now and then.

(Oops! I hear the ‘McCain-Bashing Secure the Borders Freepers’ poised over their keyboards, ready to strike, LOL!)

[brytlea]

I pray you’re right!
susie

[Doctor13]

When my husband and I visited Gori many years ago, we tried to take a picture of the house where Stalin was born, but the camera refused to take it, yet when we tested the camera pointing elsewhere, the camera would snap.

We tried at least three or four times pointing the camera at the house and the camera refused to snap the picture, and again, when the camera was pointed away from the house, the camera would snap.

We never did get a picture of Stalin's house.

Talk about spooky!!!!!

[Red Badger]

Maybe God was trying to tell you something.........

[Doctor13]

When the Soviet Union fell, NATO should have been dissolved.

NATO therefore needed a new mission and what better target than Yugoslavia, so in violation of the NATO charter NATO, led by President William Jefferson Clinton, bombed tiny Yugoslavia that did not have weapons of mass destruction, never attacked the United States nor any NATO country, nor was it ever a threat to us.

[Doctor13]

I find it amazing that as soon as the conflict began, the White House recognized Georgia's sovereignty.

But when the Serbs sent in their forces to protect their sovereignty in Kosovo, the White House supported the jihadist war criminals who have taken over the government.

Today, Kosovo is in the hands of a corrupt governmet with Hashim Thaci, who has been implicated in the harvesting of body parts of young Serb soldiers and the world remains silent.

Serb prisoners 'were stripped of their organs in Kosovo war' and,

Bernard Kouchner Involved In Albanian Organ Market

Bernard Kouchner is French President Sarkozy's Foreign Minister.

[listenhillary]

One could look at Zimbabwe and see a possible future of the USA.

It all depends on the path we choose. May we choose wisely.