Fighting in Georgia

[Fog]

I see a lot of people trying to moralize things in international politics. Every nation will act in it's own perceived best interest. Russia acted to protect it's territory in Chechnya, and acted to poke the west and Georgia(and all other break away FSU states) in the eye with a stick over South Ossetia. We're supporting Georgia, despite the fact that they ham-fisted their response to Russian bullying since they're western friendly and at least somewhat democratic. We're poking Russia back. The trick is to play the game and decrease the international political capital of our competitors, while preserving our own without escalating things to an actual war.

I guess you have video of Georgia's "ham-fisted . .response to Russian bullying"? Fact is, no one knows who shot first. With Georgia's President & much of the cabinet out of the country at the time, it stretched credulity to say anything was planned on Georgia's part. I do not know who touched-off this war, but it smells alot like Germany/Poland in WWII (JMHO).

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Putin goes off the reservation

I guess you have video of Georgia's "ham-fisted . .response to Russian bullying"? Fact is, no one knows who shot first. With Georgia's President & much of the cabinet out of the country at the time, it stretched credulity to say anything was planned on Georgia's part. I do not know who touched-off this war, but it smells alot like Germany/Poland in WWII (JMHO).

Apparently, it was the GOP.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/28/russia.georgia.cold.war/index.html

 

[busdriver]

FOG, I didn't mean to imply anything about who shot first, mainly since in my mind it simply doesn't matter. From my understanding, Georgia was under a lot of economic pressure due to Russia cutting off trade, etc. Instead of seeking relief from the west through the UN, they decided the camel's back had been broken, and resorted to military force to assert control of South Ossetia. Essentially, they decided to fight the bear on their own, hoping their buddies would step in, and unfortunately for them they figured wrong. They made the mistake of taking on a major state actor on their ( Russia's ) terms.