This war is about a few different things, but primarily, it is Russia telling the west to back off.
First of all, this is the Russian response to the West’s recognition of Kosovo. By recognizing an ethnic enclave and overturning established borders, a dangerous precedent was set. Do you know how many Kosovos there are out there? S. Ossetia is just the first one we’ll hear about.
Of course there is an oil factor. The pro-western Georgian government came to power in one of those velvet revolutions…with plenty of support from BP who has recently built a pipeline from Baku, through Georgia, to a port in Turkey. This route was chosen to avoid building the line on Russian soil. Russia sees Georgia as a proxy of Western oil interests, so it is using its proxy in S. Ossetia to fight back. Russia expects to control the oil going through the pipeline…the Caspian is its backyard, and historically, well within its sphere of influence.
Most of all this is about Russia telling the US to back off with the missile “defence” shield and eastward NATO expansion. Georgia should not be let into NATO. If they were a member, Canada, Britain, the US and all the rest would be obliged to defend them, which means we’d currently be at war with Russia. Are we willing to sacrifice Canadian troops in order to ensure that Georgia gets to keep a renegade province?
Russia is the world’s best chess player. Putin is more shrewd than anyone in the West. Ethics aside, from a geo-political standpoint, Russia has just made some brilliant moves.
finally, a sensible view on this, as opposed to “ohh, those bad commies, they started a war”…americans are quick to judge anything ‘russian’ as bad, forgetting that the government of Georgia, is a puppet of current Bush administration, and the guns they are using to shoot russians, peacekeepers, and regular citizens, are paid for by good ol’ US of A.
Comment by russian33 — August 11, 2008 @ 10:05 am
Most of the independent gas stations in my part of NY state have been bought out by a Russian oil company. It’s a good thing that Hugo Chavez has the cheapest gas in town.
Comment by bittershaman2 — August 11, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Alex wrote:”Russia is the world’s best chess player. Putin is more shrewd than anyone in the West. Ethics aside, from a geo-political standpoint, Russia has just made some brilliant moves.”
A good summation overall,I think.
It follows.
Seems to Me though that Pootey-Poot is playing
poker,raise the stakes until the U.K. runs pissing itself and then swoop in and take all the chips or pipeline,winner take all.
Many Americans feel negative thoughts toward the
Russian Republic and no wonder,with all the money spent on propaganda over the last half century.
Many Americans are also ignorant and are unable to understand that there are often he-ewge differences between foreign governments and its peoples,since the lickspittles here cozy up to our own extremist’ or in deed any major power faction i/e the military,the klan,jesus or even
corporations and their CEO’s.
Who knows?,if they massage that scrotum long enough some of that Holy spoo might just rub off.
DNA tests have shown that my own ancestors came from Romania as far back as it can be traced.
I have embraced the rich diversity of cultures in my ancestry to the best of my abilities and refuse to hate any for their origins but rather take people as individuals with Their own agenda’s.
I am particularly struck by the music amd its similarities to gaelic and celtic traditionals
and I believe it to be the basis of these and bluegrass,and no matter what the instrument it is just fun to play but the violin is my favorite.
Spacebo,Tovarisch!
Daasvedahnyah.
or therebouts.
Comment by Rainlander — August 11, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Russia hasn’t been too shrewd in dealing with Chechnya.
Afghanistan didn’t work out too well for any concerned either.
They want their Superpowers back. And more oil.
Billions for war and no money to discover an alternative for oil.
Comment by bittershaman2 — August 11, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
Da, Rainlander, and I think you nailed it. Since the Romans and other groups ran wild over the European continent and the British Isles and Ireland for a thousand years or more, everyone from that part of the world has connections to one another, as well as Mediterranean Africa and Asia Minor.
The Russians just made a fool of Junior — not that our GOP-friendly Big Media will report it as such. With our military at the breaking point and tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan, we don’t have the muscle to pose any kind of a threat to Russia, and neither does the UK, and Putin knows it. This is, as the article touches on, a raw grab to control the oil pipeline and bring in money to the cash-starved Russian ‘Republic’ — actually a dictatorship run by Vlad and his pals.
Next, Putin will move to defend Iran from attack, gaining influence there and cutting off Bush’s limp saber rattling. Well, there’s a good side to everything.
Comment by RS Janes — August 11, 2008 @ 7:03 pm