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I do have a big question: what is the deal with the EU flag appearing behind Saakashvili when he's on TV? I mean, why not throw a NATO standard up there too while he's at it, and scare the crap out of everybody even more? Or a 51-star US flag? I mean, huh?

Ha. "Save me, I'm European!"

(Does he not realise that we all hate each other here?)

NATO and Saakashvili have made no secret that Georgia is going to join NATO. As unpleasant and repressive as Putin's mob are, I sympathise their mistrust of NATO and its members. The argument of that "New Cold War" article above is quite convincing.

There might be some truth in the idea that he erroneously thought that expressed "support" from the US, GB and NATO would be translated with military support for his expedition were it to go awry. But Russia called his bluff. If he did think NATO would step in, I'd say he was delusional.

I therefore think that he was banking on Russia just complaining bitterly, but deeming military intervention too risky. If that's the case, again he made a catastrophic blunder.

As an aside, in the admittedly limited reporting that I've seen, I have not seen any photos from Tskhinvali, where the carnage seems to have been concentrated. This gives a little weight to this idea of nowadays there being no news without any pictures - that threatened 1,500 dead currently has the status in the BBC reports as an afterthought.

Currently, the main images of conflict are those of damaged apartments and civilian wounded in Gori. Horrible, but without balance - the reports from Tskhinvali describe it as "destroyed".

Rick Reuben wrote:

Dr. Geek wrote:Looks like my prediction is taking place sooner, and at a more heightened state, than expected.

30 Years: The economy continues to tank.

Dude, if the economy is 'continuing to tank' 30 years out from now, I would say that we have an economy that only Mad Max can relate to.

This shit with the breakaway republics began right after Gorbachev. Predicting that Russia would strike back at some of them is like predicting war in Lebanon.

Shh, shh, shh.

Let me gloat for once.

Although I can't say whether or not Georgia's actions towards South Ossetia were wise, neither can I understand why it's okay for Russia to forcibly put down separatist movements within its own nation and not alright for other nations to do the same.

I did not hear any kind of news since Wednesday afternoon so I'm absolutely shocked to learn about it. Situation about Georgia and Russia was dense recently, but I did expect this to happen.

Reports about two thousand people killed already and people in Georgia ditiching their houses.

Just saw a video from Russian Jet attacking BBC crew.



I think this is the end of Georgia as an independent country, there is no way international community will put any kind of serious pressure on Russia so they're allowed to do whatever they like there, and that's a terrible news for all the people there.

Schadenfreude wrote:Although I can't say whether or not Georgia's actions towards South Ossetia were wise, neither can I understand why it's okay for Russia to forcibly put down separatist movements within its own nation and not alright for other nations to do the same.

Go and fuck yourself. According to this logic entire region, with my country (Poland) included is a 'separatist movement'.

I think that was a reference to the Chechen war there, EC.

Yeah, I probably overacted anyway.


But, Boris Yeltsin announced every region that was under Soviet occupation and was forced to be in the USSR is free to declare independence. So starting a war with Chechenya for doing exactly this was simply wrong.

emmanuelle cunt wrote:But, Boris Yeltsin announced every region that was under Soviet occupation and was forced to be in the USSR is free to declare independence. So starting a war with Chechenya for doing exactly this was simply wrong.

I would still like to see proof for some kind of general desire for or claim to independence in Chechnya. Obviously, you are not going to give a whole region away because some maverick cowboy with a knack for adventure claims it as his.

Playing the blame game is mostly non-productive in situations like these, though. Georgia has its story, but when Russians look at a map these days, generally what they see is this:



EDIT: And then there's this picture:

Shit.

BBC wrote:Russian troops have entered Georgia from the breakaway region of Abkhazia, reaching the town of Senaki, officials from both Russia and Georgia say.

Well, Cheney's tough talk certainly did the trick.

The IHT published a pretty good overview of the origins of the conflict.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/10/ ... 0traub.php