Posted on 08/19/2008 8:51:07 PM PDT by flyfree
choosing between rule by law and rule by the secret police is an easy choice.
it’s a bit more complicated than either-or.
i see a lot of youngbloods here don’t remember the Cold War
and nuke attack drills...i grew up with that in grade school
Russia is still capable of inflicting series harm on us and we have to act accordingly and no matter how much folks here feel froggy over Georgia, our options are limited to less than direct military confrontation.
Bugger Russia. Their army is a collection of thugs. A good thing that the Georgians took out the Russian commander.
In a few months there will be a full inventory of all the tanks lost by Russia, and Putin will be assassinated. After all, there is no law, so no legal protection of him.
From nearly the first sentence Lavrov has it wrong. Ossetia is NOT part of Russia. At the very worst this would have been a Georgian civil war, but Russia had to turn it into an international incident. True enough Georgia might have handled it better, but it is a fact that Russia could have handled it better. As for the Russians waiting one or two days to attack, that is an absolute fantasy worthy of Walt Disney.
There is a great deal I don't know about this situation, but it just happens that Lavrov argued the few criteria I DO know about. I think he needs to stick to diplomacy. Lord knows, the ham-handed Russians can use all that they can get!!
WE need to be the next greatest generation and have enough of a backbone to do the right thing for the right reasons....and stick to our decision with unwavering conviction. (see tagline)
Russia (Putin) has picked for us, THANKS PUTIN, YAH AHOLE!
Catch Yah when youre swinging from a lamp post.
The Russian people deserve better, and sooner or later they will demand it.
If they adhere to the ‘realist’ school of international studies, which sometimes Condy shows that she’s one, I’m afraid they’re going to choose Russia over Georgia.
Nice if the Kosovo/Ossetia genie could somehow get put back in the bottle BEFORE the UN steps in demanding that we hand the American SouthWest over to Mexico on the same basis...
“Georgia didn’t attack South Ossetia until Russia was already in it, right???”
Actually Russian peacekeepers have been there since 1992 when they and Georgia signed a pact stating that Georgia would never use military force to retake the region.
I pick Georgia
Choosing Georgia or Russia is a false choice. The West has heard this kind of talk before - from Hitler, asking them to make a choice between Czechoslovakia or Germany; or Poland or Germany. The Russians are getting their tactics right from Hitler’s playbook: “German citizens are being attacked in the Sudetanland”; or “Germany is being attacked by Poland.”
Where does Russia go next? Ukraine? The Baltics? Poland?
Sadly, true.
And even more sadly, most of Europe has their oil/gas supplied by Russia. Not likely that they will stand up against Russia for Georgia. Winter in just around the corner. (wake up, America!!!)
I well remember those “get under the desk to protect yourself from fall out drills”. They could just have easily passed out umbrellas.
And simultaneously building their case in Ukraine even now.
Winter in=wnter is :)
sing it, Ray..
It's because Putin's a fascist. He probably goes to bed at night with "Mein Kampf" under his pillow.
The Ukraine seems to be next. There is a peninsula called the Crimean Peninsula where the Russian Black Sea fleet is based. The Russians lease the base from the Ukrainians (lease runs out, I think in 2012). Many of the people on the peninsula speak Russian, and I think Russia has given them Russian passports as well. Look to Russia “freeing” the Crimean Peninsula next.
Russia’s Flashback To 1968
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/18/AR2008081801852.html
If I remember correctly—and I do—the worst mistakes we made during the Cold War were when we tried to accommodate and “go along to get along”. We only really made progress when we confronted them-—via Ronald Reagan.
I remember the horrible films that were smuggled out of Hungary when the USSR invaded that country. I don't think anyone is ready to watch a redux of that. I also remember “Kill a Commie for Christ”-—in light of this last commie crap—not a bad sentiment.
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