Mikheil Saakashvili : Where Are My Western Friends?

Newsweek ^ | Apr 11, 2009 | Anna Nemtsova

[pobeda1945]

In the largest opposition demonstration in Georgia since November 2007— WHEN President Mikheil Saakashvili tested his democratic credentials by sending in riot police to quash the protests—tens of thousands of people filled Tbilisi's leafy Rustaveli Avenue last Thursday to demand Saakashvili's resignation. The president retreated to his residence, where he spoke with NEWSWEEK's Anna Nemtsova about the crowds on the street, his difficult relationship with Russia and how the West has largely abandoned him in recent months. Excerpts:

Nemtsova: Who wants your resignation? Saakashvili: Mostly unemployed people. We fired about 250,000 people as a result of our reforms. A big percentage of these people have not managed to find themselves in the new economy. Fighting corruption and crime, we put thousands of people in jail. In Tbilisi alone we convicted 8,000 people; all of their relatives are outside today, asking me to resign.

What is the most painful part of the criticism? I am not hurt by the criticism in Georgia, as I am hearing it from two opposition TV channels all day long. I did not expect the West to put all the relationships with us on hold while waiting for this revolution. An official delegation from France decided to postpone their visit. A Turkish company moved a scheduled contract signing until after April 9, and an Arab company until April 12. What is the matter with these people? Do we stop going to Paris or Strasbourg during their street protests?

[seatrout]

Sorry, Mike, but our days of getting sucked into the Old World’s food fights are coming to an end.

[1rudeboy]

Praise be to Obama, peace upon him.
/sarc

[seatrout]

Yup, Zero wants to have a global, internationalist outlook that gets us more involved in the world's messeses (Darfur, anyone?). Looks like--ironically--he wants to assume what was once called the "White Man's Burden."

[allmost]

A likeable leader IMO. He projected honesty...

[1rudeboy]

Georgia might be a “mess,” but she is also our ally. The Left will try to drive a wedge between Georgia and the U.S. And you will take the bait, and the hook, and the sinker, and the line.

[seatrout]

So you want to fight Russia to protect Georgia?! That sort of far-flung overseas involvement would have been anathema to the Framers. We have to rid ourselves of the Teddy Roosevelt/Wilsonian mindset of spreading democracy throught the world. We’ll only burn ourselves out.

[End Times Sentinel]

They’re in Congress, and they’re a little busy trying to keep our OWN country from becoming a Soviet style dictatorship.

[novemberslady]

Mikheil
You are welcome to come back to America.
I think putin has plans for them anyways...

[ScottinVA]

Very sorry, Mike — but we’ve undergone a coup by someone who doesn’t think highly of keeping alliances. He’s a “World Citizen,” you know. Hope! Change! Sarc!

[Jonny foreigner]

Mikheil Saakashvili? this guy still has some kind of friends? i highly doubt that.

[allmost]

Sarcasm?

[Ulysse]

Yes you are almost right even if you don’t understand!
There is no choice about fighting agressive tyranies.
The choice is about means

[seatrout]

Between 1776 and 1898 there were plenty of “agressive tyranies” in the world, yet the only foreign aggressor the US had to fight (barring a short skirmish with revolutionary France), was, ironically, a democracy, Great Britain. Were the Romanov Tsars expansionist? Yes. Did they oppress their serfs and wage pogrom against their Jewish subjects? Yes. Did the United States worry about that? No. Did the US care that European powers were carving up China, or that Prussia was causing trouble in Europe? No. TR and Wilson were snakes that led the US out of a diplomatic Eden.

[Jonny foreigner]

well not this time ;-) i know i now take a very controversial stand here on free republic by stating this. but personaly i think this guy is an idiot and as a leader i would call him a total moron.

[allmost]

I’m not to engage in name calling or juvenile behavior. Want to put that out there. I do not understand your point.

[allmost]

Thoughts and opinions. You don’t like the guy. Why?

[Jonny foreigner]

I’m not to engage in name calling or juvenile behavior. Want to put that out there. I do not understand your point.

---

i will explain my point. it has to do with the war about south ossetia in the resent past. from a “good” leader i expect to act in the best interessts of his country and the people who are living there. and in my personal impression he betrayed them and many inocent georgians have paid the price for his inferior leadership. Well you can think about russia what ever you want but the last thing you should do (when you are the leader of a small country like georgia (4,5 million people) is to give the allready trigger happy neighbour russia a invitation to attack you when you know there is no way to win this. just for example totall GDP of georgia is only $21.6 billion (2008 est.) So russia spends a lot more only for “defence” than his country is able to produce in total Gdp. He was not accepted into nato just weeks before (there for he knew that the “west” will not help him fighting russia.) i don´t know if he felt morally right, but given all this facts then again you don´t invite Russia to attack you if you know what´s good for your country and your people. morraly right or not you won´t do your people a favour by bringing them a war they only can lose.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

We shouldn’t be involved in such things. We can’t be all things to all people, nor should we be. Georgia and Russia need to work this thing out over the bargaining table. By doing nothing we may help peace in the long run.

[allmost]

I would like to consider concrete actions, as opposed to inuendo and generally worthless info. What did he do that you don't like?