Posted by
Tzimisce on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:28:50 AM
The old saying goes: “Don’t count your friends by who’s with you when you’re up. Count them by who’s with you when you’re down.”
The nation of Georgia is beginning to discover just how few friends it really has. Its Russian neighbor has almost seized the entire territory in less than a week. Its only real crime that the tiny nation committed is simply to exist.
The official reason is that Russia given is that they are protecting its citizens in the regions of Ossetia and Abhkazskaya. But from the numbers of dead civilians and other collateral damage, it doesn’t look like Russia is all that interested in protecting anyone. One must also factor in that (militarily speaking) it didn’t take Georgia long to capitulate to Russian demands and retreat from Ossetia…which lead to more outrageous Russian demands.
The Russians could pulverize the Georgians easily. The tiny republic offers no threat to their northern neighbors – not even in the form of terrorism.
So why is this going on? It’s because Russia’s leader is a diabolical lunatic. Vladimir Putin has stated publicly that he wants a return to the Cold War. Quick show of hands: who wants to return to that? A time when fear was rampant and two major powers were locked in constant struggle?
But the guy is ex-KGB and he’s been saber rattling for years and doing other unsavory things for years. And it’s the stuff we don’t know that should be scaring us. Anyone remember Alexander Litvinenko? Alexander was also ex KGB and went to London to warn the Brits that Putin was insane. Alexander made the mistake of dining at a hotel café and ingested just enough radioactive materials to kill someone of his size and weight.
News reports coming in from the front claim that the US is “surprised” by the speed and advanced tactics of the Russian military. This should scare everyone because if it’s true, then we truly do have no idea what is going on in Eastern Europe. And with troubles in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and other unsettled regions we probably should.
But that aside from what I understand Georgia has tried to make itself friendly to the West largely because it has a hostile power on its border. It sent troops to help out in Iraq as a part of that goodwill measure. It tried to enter NATO within the past couple of years or so. The membership was declined at the behest of the usual suspects: France and Germany, two “allies” that are sending nuclear weapon material to Iran even as Iran is threatening to nuke everyone around it. Don’t forget that France was also nice enough to trade with Iraq in violation of the UN embargo.
The ironic part is that France and Germany declined Georgia’s membership because they didn’t want tension with Russia. That really worked well didn’t it?
So now we’re left with Russia testing the resolve of the World at large. The Russian army could easily storm Georgia and take it over. What Putin wants to know is whether or not we’ll sit back and let him. The guy is ex Soviet intelligence. You’d better believe that he’s done his homework. I’m sure he’s well aware of a US election coming up. (Any guesses as to whom he’s rooting for?) His attack is late in the year. It’s possible that he’s trying to get the old Russian Generals January and February on his team. I’m even willing to bet that launching the attack on the opening day of the Olympics isn’t a coincidence.
I believe in diplomacy. I believe that we can get fair trades with the Britain and handle shipping disputes with Japan and many other things. But diplomacy hinges on both sides wanting an agreement. It’s not going to work if one side isn’t going to bend or be reasonable. This is why diplomacy has failed in the Middle East, failed on Iran, failed on al Queda and basically with every other dictatorial tyrant to come down the pike. Militarily time isn’t usually something you have enough of. And dictators are masters of using idiot diplomats to give themselves more time.
What has to be the most depressing thing of all though is the thought that Russians are closer to their friends than Westerners are. Iran can make all the bombs it wants to and the Russians are at every diplomatic table stonewalling on the Iranian behalf, coming to the aid of Venezuela and taking up for terrorists the world over.
Meanwhile Western powers will sell you out for a small cup of coffee from Starbucks. Our liberal elite bloats with self importance of sitting down and talking with lunatics and warmongers as innocent people suffer. It’s truly sickening.