Posted on 08/14/2008 9:32:34 AM PDT by SE Mom
My mind goes back to August 2002 in Tbilisi, as I visited Georgia with John McCain. I remember it feeling rather dark and secretive, with the former-Soviet Union’s heavy hand still making its presence felt. President Eduard Shevardnadze, formerly Soviet minister of foreign affairs, presented a friendlier face to the United States, but was beset by economic problems and corruption charges. At the time I did not fully appreciate the power of the democratic impulses that were just beginning to bubble up and would lead to the democratic Georgian government we now see threatened.
What has happened in Georgia since that time should not be surprising to anyone. Certainly Russia has tried to pretty itself up: it renamed the KGB and even gave its 21st century strongman Vladimir Putin a new title.
But for some time we’ve seen Russia sliding back to its authoritarian comfort zone. Murder, imprisonment and property confiscation are back in vogue for any perceived troublemaker. Former Soviet provinces have faced all forms of intimidation, from thuggish trade shakedowns to cyber attacks that shut down communications with the outside world. And whether a former satellite like Poland or a longtime western ally like Germany, Russia has made overt threats over plans to bring eastern European countries into NATO or to deploy a U.S.-provided missile defense system.
Russia is not above using anything at its disposal to make its point. It is a wealthy nation, built on a petro-economy that provides oil and gas to dependent European nations, which are petrified of having their energy supplies disrupted and are now in their own economic doldrums.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Fred...making sense yesterday, today and tomorrow...
Fred for VP!
that would be nice.
Fred for SCOTUS or AG..
So Fred, other than elect John McCain, what should America be doing now? The current administration has five months to run and despite Nancy and Harry’s opinions we can’t just put our government on hold and go away for the summer.
We need measured, well thought out actions from the administration now that can serve as a basis for the policies of future administrations.
We are going to be in this conflict for a long time, possibly decades. We’ve been here before. The name of the game is prisoner’s dilemma and the recommended strategy is tit-for-tat. What’s the next move Fred?
He would be great for SCOTUS.
Would have been better as Prez.
Shoulda.
http://www.navoine.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?p=551
Check out the 90 or so pics at this Russian link. Not for the weak stomached: many gory war casualties.
Note especially the prevalent Chechyn units. Most Russian armor is spray-painted with the unit names, including “Chechyn Vostok.” The Russians are sending Chechyn muslims into Georgia, to do the dirty work.
Touché.
Fred would make a perfect VP. We don’t need the Obama Kid in the White House equivocating himself from conflict to conflict.
Thanks for the link. The journalist Arkady Babchenko (who shot all that pictures) has an article in Novaya gazeta (New Newspaper). They do have English edition, but its a few days behind and anyway does not include all materials translated. Hopefully, his reportage from the war will be there in a few days. From what he writes, the most bloodthirsty are Ossetians, not Chechens. And he shows the reason - city of Tzvinhali was shot at by Georgian artillery indiscriminately - residential areas, women, kids. Not pretty at all.
I think Georgian president was too cavalier about this attack. He talks nice and did well improving Georgia’s economy, fighting corruption, freeing press, etc. But I see too much of a demagogue in him as well. He overstepped mightily and set us up as well.
It does not make chances for Ossetia remaining a part of Georgia any better. Most likely it is irrevocably lost. There is an issue, of course, of villages of ethnic Georgians inside of the South Ossetia. How that enclaves to be incorporated into Georgia proper is a question. Assuming there will be people still living there. With blood-for-blood running thick, its a serious question.
Even with all that, Russian incursion into Georgia is a different game of chess. Putin shows off with that. His case of “defending weak Ossetia against strong Georgia” would have been much easier without venturing into Georgia. But he wanted to make a point, and just maybe overplayed his hand.
...especially when they haven’t even started Driver’s Education...or been in the simulator.
“This is no time to elect a president whose international experience is limited to speaking to adoring European crowds who want to see the United States retreat from the world ... until they require our help in the next crisis that threatens them.
This crisis half a world away confirms what I’ve been saying for a while: This election cycle, the traffic in the world is very heavy ...and dangerous; it’s no time to give a kid with barely a learner’s permit the keys to the car.”
Not to mention electing someone who is not only clueless, but is totally irresponsible and anti-American.
NObama08
We need FRED in the new administration.
VP? OK, but not as good...
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