The Russian invasion of Georgia is giving me the creeps. I can’t help but wonder if we are back in 1936, when Nazi Germany invaded the Rhineland. The big powers decided to mostly look the other way. Don’t worry, Hitler won’t go any further, he has a legitimate gripe. Yea, right.
This Georgia thing is really bad news. And given that oil and gas prices probably aren’t going drop significantly, Russia will only get stronger in the coming years. Stronger and bolder. I hope that whoever is elected President this fall is ready for some nasty weather. Only good thing about it: it will put us back into a triangulation with China. I’m sure that they’re going to be doing some militarizing on their northern boarder in the near future. Hopefully that will take the pressure off Taiwan.
PS, I’ve read the articles saying that the USA has no right to criticize Russia after what it did in Iraq and Kosovo. OK, the USA is not without its sins, especially in Iraq. But two wrongs don’t make a right, and the Russian wrong of trying to crush a legitimate democracy so as to reestablish a vassal state is in a different league.
PPS, I also don’t buy the argument that the USA has ‘taunted the bear’ by allowing former Soviet block nations to join the European Union and NATO. Hey, if Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, and now the Ukraine and Georgia want to be part of the west, what right do we have to say ‘oh no, you have to go back to your former slavemaster, we don’t want to get him angry’. Also, I understand that until recently, we have shown restraint by not stationing US and British battalions and warplanes along the Russian border. Now we are going to put US military personnel and equipment in Poland, as part of Bush’s anti-missile system. I don’t completely agree with the anti-missile system, but I don’t feel sorry for the Russians after their recent conduct in Georgia.
PPPS, the thing to watch now is Cuba. Will the Russians re-kindle the old friendship with the new Castro regime, through promises of cheap oil and gas (like back in the Cold War days)? And also re-establish a Russian military presence there, e.g. Russian warships using Cuban ports, or Russian radar and electronic listening posts on the island? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode!
Jim,
The problem in Georgia certainly is troubling. I read this a.m. that it appears Russia intends to charge with genocide in a Russian court Georgia’s president Saakashvili. Things do not bode well over there. However, our own execution of Saddam Hussein in Iraq would not put us in a position of saying that execution of a head of state in a country one has invaded is not allowed. In short, the U.S. has set a very bad precedent. Almost every word GWB says about the situation in Georgia sounds as if the U.S. can do what Russia has done, but Russia cannot. Once again, it appears GWB has set seriously bad precedents with no forethought.
I wonder if the tendency toward the West and toward Democracy of the countries Russia had taken over so many years ago has not spurred Putin to decide to get the old U.S.S.R. “back together again.” In addition, I wonder if the concentration of the world on the Olympics and the fact that GWB is still in office has not pushed Putin to make his move at this time. It would seem to me he’s baiting GWB in the statement he made: “Take sides.” He certainly knows how to push GWB’s buttons, making the situation seem to be a “High Noon” kind of thing. Yet, he also knows that GWB is in no position whatsoever to respond with military might. And having C.Rice make her statements is useless. Can anyone point to anything positive she has actually accomplished in that office?
If Putin actually does accomplish what he is trying to do in Georgia, look for other countries Russia “allowed” independence some short time ago to go the way of Georgia. This situation does not bode well.
I think too of the countries in Africa who had “Democratic elections,” the man in power” was voted out, and then refused to leave. How many of these have there been? Just one or two are too many–and now Putin and his move in Georgia.
Hopefully, whoever wins the election (McCain or Obama) will have the sense to surround himself with truly good advisors. But with good luck, you will be right about the U.S. and China’s relations becoming friendlier; would that such friendliness could be accomplished without a war.
MCS
Comment by MCS — August 15, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Jim,
The problem in Georgia certainly is troubling. I read this a.m. that it appears Russia intends to charge with genocide in a Russian court Georgia’s president Saakashvili. Things do not bode well over there. However, our own execution of Saddam Hussein in Iraq would not put us in a position of saying that execution of a head of state in a country one has invaded is not allowed. In short, the U.S. has set a very bad precedent. Almost every word GWB says about the situation in Georgia sounds as if the U.S. can do what Russia has done, but Russia cannot. Once again, it appears GWB has set seriously bad precedents with no forethought.
I wonder if the tendency toward the West and toward Democracy of the countries Russia had taken over so many years ago has not spurred Putin to decide to get the old U.S.S.R. “back together again.” In addition, I wonder if the concentration of the world on the Olympics and the fact that GWB is still in office has not pushed Putin to make his move at this time. It would seem to me he’s baiting GWB in the statement he made: “Take sides.” He certainly knows how to push GWB’s buttons, making the situation seem to be a “High Noon” kind of thing. Yet, he also knows that GWB is in no position whatsoever to respond with military might. And having C.Rice make her statements is useless. Can anyone point to anything positive she has actually accomplished in that office?
If Putin actually does accomplish what he is trying to do in Georgia, look for other countries Russia “allowed” independence some short time ago to go the way of Georgia. This situation does not bode well.
I think too of the countries in Africa who had “Democratic elections,” the man in power” was voted out, and then refused to leave. How many of these have there been? Just one or two are too many–and now Putin and his move in Georgia.
Hopefully, whoever wins the election (McCain or Obama) will have the sense to surround himself with truly good advisors. But with good luck, you will be right about the U.S. and China’s relations becoming friendlier; would that such friendliness could be accomplished without a war.
MCS
Comment by MCS — August 15, 2008 @ 12:18 pm