Putin and Georgia

[Mark in Oshawa]

Let me explain. Georgia is in close proximity to Russia and there is a large Russian minority in Georgia, Iraq is not in close proximity to the US and there is not a large American minority in Iraq (at least there wasn't until the US sent more than 100,000 Americans over there).

Let me explain. Georgia has never threatened to invade, nor does it have UN sanctions against it for possible WMD's. (Don't let the fact Hussein didn't have any dissuade you, in 2001 the world thought he DID). I don't need Eki's book of Geography to figure this out Eki, I can grasp what your dig is. Again, we are not talking about Iraq. Stay with the tour...this Is BIG Russia invading little tiny Georgia for no reason other than Georgia USED to be in the USSR and chose NOT to want to STAY in a union with Russia. THAT is the topic. QUIT hijacking it.

[RusH]

Maybe a little advice is in order for the Georgians, play nice in Abkhazia and South Ossetia....both of which do not only have a Russian majority, but have declared independence from Georgia. Saakashvili may have to eat his tie whole if he fires the first shot....like his troops did last time.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Maybe a little advice is in order for the Georgians, play nice in Abkhazia and South Ossetia....both of which do not only have a Russian majority, but have declared independence from Georgia. Saakashvili may have to eat his tie whole if he fires the first shot....like his troops did last time.

Oh of course, because Russia is just an innocent and helpless nation while the Georgians are just a military superpower.

[Hondo]

Maybe a little advice is in order for the Georgians, play nice in Abkhazia and South Ossetia....both of which do not only have a Russian majority, but have declared independence from Georgia. Saakashvili may have to eat his tie whole if he fires the first shot....like his troops did last time.

An often forgotten fact over here due to biased reporting. Most of the USA were aware of the Russian Invasion but not that Georgia had actually started the thing.

You always want to be careful in your selection of whom to shoot at.

[Mark in Oshawa]

An often forgotten fact over here due to biased reporting. Most of the USA were aware of the Russian Invasion but not that Georgia had actually started the thing.

You always want to be careful in your selection of whom to shoot at.

Still doesn't excuse the Russians for marching in, shooting up the joint and then pulling back out. I agree the Georgians are not babes in the woods..but this is their little corner of the world where they cant along within their own borders. The Russians always seem to feel if any Slav they like is being "perscueted" they are duty bound to meddle.

[Jag_Warrior]

We lack the power and the will to engage Russia or China on a battlefield that does not affect this country directly.

And if we'd had that as a consistent foreign policy, we wouldn't be in the s###hole we're in now! WTF should we engage Russia over Georgia, anymore than Russia should have engaged us over Nicaragua?

Maybe, now that we're dialing (China) for dollars, the U.S. and its citizens will stop thinking of us as the Policemen of the World. And the countries that are devoting their revenues to improving domestic GDP and infrastructure will have to either spend that mouldy money to protect themselves... or learn to speak another language.

We can't control our border with Mexico, to keep every drug runner in the Western hemisphere from taking over our major cities. And we're supposed to give a crap about what Russia does with Georgia? The only Georgia that I'm concerned about has Atlanta as its capital city.

Besides, maybe Putin ain't so bad. I heard he was a truswothy fellow. I forgot who said this, but it sounds good.

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue."

[Hondo]

Still doesn't excuse the Russians for marching in, shooting up the joint and then pulling back out. I agree the Georgians are not babes in the woods..but this is their little corner of the world where they cant along within their own borders. The Russians always seem to feel if any Slav they like is being "perscueted" they are duty bound to meddle.

If it's ok for Israel to go into Gaza and level the place because they are taking fire from the area, then it's OK for Russia to march into Georgia when they take fire from the place.

These are pure facts on the tables arguments, If someone shoots at me, I'm coming after them. If 3 people shoot at me, I'm gonna warn them to not do it again. If 7 people shoot at me, I'm going to make sure I stay behind something substancial. If 50 people are shooting at me, I'm going to very politely ask that they limit their gunfire after 10:00pm.

[Eki]

The Russians always seem to feel if any Slav they like is being "perscueted" they are duty bound to meddle.

They seldom use military force though. For example the Russian minority in Estonia doesn't have things as good as the Swedish speaking minority in Finland or the French speaking minority in Canada, yet Russia has not invaded Estonia.

[Easy Drifter]

And off on another tangent goes Eki.

[Tomi]

The American people actually don't like war much, and I am sure no one is really gungho to send the US Marines and Army to Georgia....and I KNOW the Georgians know this....and so does Putin.

Yes for sure they know that now, but when the last conflict was on, I remember their president was using very rough words and expected help.