“This issue is MEANINGLESS to North America and the USA and our citzenry. Totally and utterly meaningless.”

“Sure, we backed Georgia and their leader screwed us by attacking first, but really this is of little importance. We have much bigger issues to focus on as a nation.”

Anyone who believes the issue of Liberty for our friends and allies around the world is “MEANINGLESS to North America and the USA” has failed to earn and maintain the right of liberty and freedom for themselves. All other issues of major concern are always dependent upon the prior existence and maintenance of peace, liberty, and freedom.

Let’s put to rest once and for all this monstrous lie which claims “Georgia and their leader screwed us by attacking first.”

The South Ossetian armed forces, who Russia claims as their own citizens, and the Russian armed forces attacked Georgia first. In fact, advance units of the Russian 58th Army had already begun covert operatiosn with the South Ossetian forces and killed Georgian civilians before Georgia’s advance into South Ossetia, Georgia’s secessionist district. Georgia reported the impending Russian invasion preparatons more than a week before it began, and Georgia appealed for help as the early covert Russian invasion operatiosn began days before the Georgian counteroffensive sent Georgian force into Sotuh Ossetia.

Georgia responded to the invasion of the 58th Russian Army by advancing into South Ossetia for at least two reasons.

First, it was well known that the South Ossetia seperatists would use the cover of the Russian invasion and consequent fog of war to “liquidate” or perform and “ethnic cleansing” of the remaining Georgian communities in South Ossetia. The South Ossetians have made no secret of their intentions to eliminate the Georgian communities in South Ossetia. The Georgian forces hoped to shield the Georgian communities from ethnic cleansing by the South Ossetians long enough to either gain protection from the international community or long enough for at least some of them to evacuate out of South Ossetia.

Secondly, the only place a small force like Georgia’s could hope to temporarily block a major Russian ground invasion across the Caucasus Mountains and into the central plains of Georgia was the road junction for the only major road leading across those mountains to Russia. This road junction was in South Ossetia, so Georgia’s only hope of delaying the Russian invasion forces was to move into South Ossetia to the junction of the road networks at Tskhinvali.

The Russian invason planners knew the Georgians would be forced to either stay south of the South Ossetian border, where its smaller forces would be quickly flanked, surrounded, and captured by the Russian 58th Army before they could withdraw behind the protections afforded by the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, or the Georgians would have to advance into South Ossetia to block the road exits from the Northern Caucasus Mountains. If the Russian invasion could be delayed long enough at Tskhinvali, Georgia stood some chance of denying the Russian invaders an opportunity to flank, surround, and capture the bulk of the Georgian army in the valley and plains around Gori before it could withdraw to stronger defensive positions in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in defense of Tbilisi. The Russian invasion planners used this knowledge to plan their media propaganda campaign and diplomatic campaign for discrediting any Georgian defensive responses to the Russian invasion.

Russia’s current propaganda is the same propaganda technique used by the Soviet Union/Russia for the invasions of Czechoslovakia 1968, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.

So, please stop disseminating the lies which further victimize Georgia for attempting to defend itself against this premeditated and pre-planned invasion and despoilation of Georgia by Russia. Remember, the Russian 58th Army were able to arrive in major force at Tskhinvali within one day of the arrival of Georgian forces only because they had already massed in assembly areas along the border and crossed the Georgian border before the first Georgian soldier could cross into South Ossetia on the road to Tskhinvali. The Russians invaded first, and the Georgian advance into South Ossetia was a necessary and vital defensive response to that Russian invasion of Georgia.

With all due respect I think you may be being overly optimistic. If the US and NATO choose to withdraw and allow the former Soviet Republics to fall back under Russain control what I wrote above is spot on. NATO is finished and, at best, the US is finished as a major power. At worst, the very survival of the country is in grave danger, however, we may be able to minimize the damage and limit this to a “black eye.” The only way to do this would be to fast track membership into NATO for Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics. At this point, we would have to convince them that we are serious and will not betray them. With these new NATO allies we might be able to establish a defensible perimeter against Russia. Of course Russia will not like this. Doing any thing that makes Russia unhappy is a very risky proposition.

I think a better option would be to provide assistance to the Georgian resistance. If they are successful, we may just be able to give the Russians a black eye and turn this into a strategic defeat for them and a strategic victory for us. This is even more risky than fast tracking NATO membership for for former Soviet Republics. Of course virtually anything that is worth doing will entail a degree of risk. Generally the more worth while something is the more risks there are involved with it. The flip side is there are more opportunities with a risky propositon.

IF NATO and the US are going to establish a defensible perimeter or if we are going to assist Georgian resistance fighters, the US and other NATO countries are going to have to vastly improve their military capabilities.

If we fail here, this means we fought the Cold War for nothing. Of course maybe we no longer want to be a major power. If this is the case, perhaps Russia and China will not see us as a threat and they will leave us alone.

I marvel at the timing of this. Russia picked a perfect opportunity to provoke Georgia and Georgia picked a very challenging time to respond to the provocation. With the US in the midst of an election season Mr. Putin knew that any kind of US response would be very difficult for them to muster. Had the US chosen to assist the Georgian military in a meaningful way other than with the occasional tough rhetoric the media would have been hysterical with rage against the United States for “escalating the conflict” or something to this effect. Such a situation would make the election prospects for politicians who supported tangible help for Georgian extremely problematic.

Finally, we are not powerless to thwart Russian advances, however, it will be extremely difficult. Do nothing and we wasted everyone’s time by fighting the Cold War. The Cold War is back on. Will we rise to the challenge? Do we want to? Right now it seems like we don’t want to? If this remains the case, get ready for a world that is dominated by Russia and China. Is this desireable? I don’t think so but we will not know for sure unless it actually happens.

Sure, we backed Georgia and their leader screwed us by attacking first, but really this is of little importance. We have much bigger issues to focus on as a nation.

Right-wingers and conservatives should listen to Pat Buchanan on this issue, not the Neocons who are tied to Israel which just so happened to have $1 billion invested with Georgia.

Let Russia have their own Monroe Doctrine just like we do. Now that Russia is no longer Communist, but run by White Christians, it doesn’t make sense that we should be enemies. We should work on forging ties to another First World nation and make them an ally. I see that Neocons are hell bent on making Russia an enemy, I think Neocons fear that the USA and Russia and Europe might come together and screw up the Neocon dream to see us all disintegrate via immigration.

Relax, dude. This is a black eye, not a severed artery.

I’m afraid I agree with much of what you say. I think this is a case where everyone overreacted - including the Georgians who miscalculated the Russian response. This is not to blame them for the invasion but it showed poor statecraft on Shaashvili’s part.

I am not so sure that the NATO membership isn’t going to be hurried along - especially in the case of the Ukraine who is really under the gun now. But we’ll see how bold NATO wants to play it with Putin. Could be they’ll just pack it in and let the whole region fall back into the Russian orbit.

ed.

More often than not, regional conflicts between old enemies involve so many menial complexities and subjective cultural influences that it makes them difficult to understand and follow. For this reason, I’d rather defer the analysis to those who have …

Unfortunately, at the moment I am unable to ban anyone since I can’t get into my WP C-Panel. But I have banned their comments and only allowed those above to set an example for any other Jew hater who shows up.

ed.

That’s right, you don’t see. You don’t see what you don’t want to see. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have past and present associations with organizations and individuals whose funding were and are traceable all the way back to the former Soviet Union and present day beneficiaries of Russian governemental and political monies.

Well, actually, the Democratic money man Republicans most like to hate, George Soros, is the guy who sponsored Rose Revolution that put Saakashvili into power (unfortunately, that seems not to be such a big credit).
But anyway, what is the casual link between world going into the Kinda Frozen War state and American electorate wishing to vote for Obama?
Oh, you are talking about behind-the-scene nefarious influence, about some secret schemes and the old leftist loyalty to the Russia, even though it’s a right-wing quasi-fascist state now? I’d like to know how the Knights Templars, International Jewish Cabal, Illuminati and Reptilian humanoids fit into the scheme, and how the Communistic influence forced Bill Clinton to humiliate Russia in Serbia.

McCain’s bellicosity is ridiculous. Putin knows we won’t do anything. So all McCain is doing is blustering. He’s acting like a loudmouth blog commenter while wrapping himself in presidential stagecraft.

If anyone has disqualified himself in this 3 am situation, it’s McCain.