Comments on: Report From Georgia

By: Clint

Clint — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:50:08 +0000

Hah! I didn’t know that tidbit of history. Good to know.

And: Figures.

By: Stacy McMahon

Stacy McMahon — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:24:29 +0000

“But of course, militaries tend to be pissing contests for countries. “I can shoot mine farther.” Stupid human nature.”

I remember sometime back around GHW Bush’s military buildup, some senator was quoted saying “if we can go anywhere and do anything, we’ll always be going somewhere and doing something.” He probably didn’t know how right he was. The US first established a powerful standing military after the War of 1812, to make sure the British and others would never again step foot on American soil. Almost its first act thereafter was to fight the French at sea and on foreign soil (known as the “quasi-war” )

By: Clint

Clint — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:15:50 +0000

I like how you put it in analogy form. That’s the mental equivalent of a soundbyte! Basically, everyone is acting crazy. This is also kind of another argument for making militaries only strong enough to defend homelands, and not strong enough to invade multiple countries But of course, militaries tend to be pissing contests for countries. “I can shoot mine farther.” Stupid human nature.

By: Stacy McMahon

Stacy McMahon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Yep, the emerging consensus seems to be that Georgia::Ossetia as Russia::Georgia. So Saakashvili can point his finger at the mirror, for sure. I’ve got another article from Asia Times that makes a convincing case for Ukraine being next on Putin’s list. I’ll probably post it tonight or tomorrow.

Also, Poland jumped on the US missile shield bandwagon the day Russia went into Georgia, and that’s a serious country with a real democratic government that doesn’t make decisions on the basis of one hothead taking silly chances.

By: Clint

Clint — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:10:16 +0000

There are plenty of reports as well saying that Georgia basically started all this. Ethnic cleansing in Ossetia. And America has 1000 special forces in Georgia, providing training and material support. Russia has captured U.S. Humvees being used against them, we have demanded that they return our military equipment. There was the girl on Fox News talking about how the Georgian soldiers were the ones doing all the killing — but they made sure to abruptly cut her off as soon as she did that.

It’s definitely deeper than the basic American media is reporting. It’s not just Russia acting crazy…