Woody wrote:Russia backed down after Dubya told them what was up

^ Actual WSJ headline

"This war," barked a stocky young man at a military recruitment centre in Vladikavkaz, the North Ossetian capital [in Russia], "is absolutely a war between Russia and America. The biggest mistake was in underestimating us. Now you'll see what happens."

The North Ossetians, who used to live harmoniously next to Georgian neighbours, are being caught in this wave of anti-Western hysteria. Edik Ikaev, a chef from Vladikavkaz, said: "It's strange, because I've lived around them all my life, but I'm just so angry at the Georgians. If they let me fight, I will."

. One trainer admitted that South Ossetians were blaming the Americans for providing the Georgians with their arsenal and planning for the attack on the breakaway province. "We certainly supplied them with weapons and I wouldn't be surprised if the guys back in DC knew what was going on," he said. But shouldn't the US be helping its ally in its hour of need. "I feel a bit bad about that, but hell we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan we can't fight all the world's wars."

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg has a seven-point lead over former Republican U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, 48%-41%, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.

A new Quinnipiac University poll released early this morning shows Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie are in a statistical dead heat in the 2009 race for Governor. Corzine leads Christie 41%-40%.

"Every four years this state has moments where New Jersey looks competitive, but it is important to remember that a Republican hasn't won statewide since 1997, in the meantime all 49 other states have," Pindell said.

Phan In Phlorida wrote:You forgot about the pipelines... Running through Georgia are the only oil & nat gas pipelines in the region that aren't controlled by Russia.

And Russia is PO'ed at the US for pushing for Georgia's membership in NATO... Russia has warned the West against pressing NATO up to its borders. Because Georgia isn't a NATO member (yet), the US and other NATO members have no obligation to defend Georgia.

Russia has regained some of its swagger due to its energy riches and wants to increase its reputation as a world power, a reputation Russia really cares about. Because of this, the US does have some leverage, as Russia desires to become a member of the WTO.

As a sidenote... on CNN right now is a woman from Georgia... holy $#@%!, is she smokin' HOT!

Philly the Kid wrote:Russia launched a counter attack to stop the Georgian assault and went beyond the region in question to stop possible long distance attacks into the region.

Philly the Kid wrote:I heard Michael Claire speak to this this morning on radio interview. I'm no Russian defender in the big picture of world dynamics, but the mainstream spin may be off base and there is a lot more here than may meet the naked eye. Iran, Turkey and Georgia all border up to Russia and there is a lot going on there. Bush/Cheney surely have something up their sleeves, even if they did not instigate it all right now, they are surely ready to seize the opportunity. Isn't there a pipline running through the Caucuses? Odd to me, that this happens during the Olympics no less.

The world is a mean ugly violent place with imbeciles running govts, and controlling military resources. Innocent people die.

dajafi wrote:This situation offers a timely reminder of why the neocons shouldn't be allowed within a 500-yard radius of foreign policymaking.

It also gives one a new appreciation for the bipartisan foreign policy consensus of the Cold War, at least the latter two-thirds (Kennedy thru Reagan) of it. Taking it as read that Putin's an evil prick, and that Georgia probably holds the moral high ground here, nonetheless it was intensely stupid, with human costs that are now proving tragic, for the Bushies to butter them up with hush-hush promises of NATO membership and the rest, and imply that we would side with them in their deeply contentious territorial disputes.

And McCain's bellicosity in this situation, given how characteristic it seems of his general approach, is very, very frightening. He's actually making Bush look pragmatic and realistic by comparison.

Laexile wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote:I heard Michael Claire speak to this this morning on radio interview. I'm no Russian defender in the big picture of world dynamics, but the mainstream spin may be off base and there is a lot more here than may meet the naked eye. Iran, Turkey and Georgia all border up to Russia and there is a lot going on there. Bush/Cheney surely have something up their sleeves, even if they did not instigate it all right now, they are surely ready to seize the opportunity. Isn't there a pipline running through the Caucuses? Odd to me, that this happens during the Olympics no less.

The world is a mean ugly violent place with imbeciles running govts, and controlling military resources. Innocent people die.

You say you're not a Russia defender, but you imply that the U.S. may have been responsible for the situation and that this is part of some plan. Why do you always assume the US has done something wrong?