Let them have their few moments of crowing. While they hurt Georgia and embarassed the US, they also messed up by letting the world, and the US intelligence establishment, know what their real intentions are. Plus, although they overran poorly prepared Georgian troops, they also revealed that there own state of military readiness isn’t that great.
They have revealed great weaknesses that we can exploit if they are foolish enough to directly take us on by attacking a NATO country.
Additionally, given time we can better train and equip the Georgian military. And prepare the “terrain” for another Russian incursion, which won’t go so good a second time.
While I would have liked to see a much stronger response from the whole world, I’m quite sure that Russia expected a MUCH weaker one and should be suffering from shock—at least the ones smart enough to realize the truth of what you said:
“they also messed up by letting the world, and the US intelligence establishment, know what their real intentions are. Plus, although they overran poorly prepared Georgian troops, they also revealed that there own state of military readiness isnt that great. They have revealed great weaknesses that we can exploit if they are foolish enough to directly take us on by attacking a NATO country.
“Additionally, given time we can better train and equip the Georgian military. And prepare the terrain for another Russian incursion, which wont go so good a second time.”