Of course it bloody did! What, it’s just going to fly 2000 soldiers home at US expense but not sell them a few guns on their way home?
As for WWIII and comparing Putin to Hitler (even in a blatant trolling)
1) Saakashvili was an idiot to think anything else was going to happen. Russia outright said it would give military support for Ossetia/Abikhaza when NATO supported Kosova independence from Serbia. I think there are major differences (eg. 5 million people vs 70,000) but many don’t. The promise/threat was made, Saakashvili tried to call their bluff, Russia doesn’t bluff.
2) Russia almost certainly isn’t willing to jeopardise the massive oil/gas pipeline that runs through the heart of Georgia with a war. Russian stock market lost 2% the first day of fighting and chances are that pipeline would get taken out pretty quick smart if actual war broke out.
3) If it is right to isolate Russia because it supplies terrorists somewhere, it is right to isolate the United States because it does it a heck of a lot more. Remember the USSR would almost certainly have destroyed the Taliban and Afghan Mujahideen if they hadn’t been continually supplied by the US (US supplies reached 70,000kg/year of weapons and millions in cash into Afghanistan in the late 80s, early 90s). And arming very bad people has flow on effects. Like empowering the Taliban to take Afghanistan and provide a safe haven for Al Qaeda, to permit a certain attack in 2001, causing us to attack exactly the same people ‘we’ supplyed, making us look not just like hypocrites but idiots. Plus Jundullah (Islamic terrorists in Iran), the KLA (Islamic terrorists in Kosovo), the PKK (Kurdish terrorists in Iraq), Tibetan terrorists via the Dali Lama and his brother, Hussein, Pinochet, on and on. State sponsoring terrorism must stop – is mustn’t stop for everyone else.
4) Anyone who thought that the fall of the USSR meant Russia would or should no longer be a world power is an idiot. Russia is the largest country on earth, has the most gas, second most coal, top ten in oil, most timber, seventh largest economy and growing, ninth largest population and is one repaying debts like no one else (most of the top ten economies are constant borrowers). The entity known as Russian Federation has direct roots 1000 years old, a major player for 1000 years, longer than virtually anyone else who still exists except France and China. And it has been one of the most influential sources of science and art for this whole time. Anyone who thinks Russian won’t, or shouldn’t, be a world power is deluding themselves.
Putin and some of his directions are worrying. Very worrying. But as Gary Kasparov has said, if Russians can’t force their own country to have free and fair elections, they probably aren’t ready for them. It isn’t our place to evict, nor is it helpful to try because that can ONLY cause Russians to close ranks behind someone they might otherwise be persuaded to see in a negative light. Slowly slowly engender lasting change in a surprisingly unrevolutionary culture prone to harsh rule (catching monkeys has nothing to do with it).
Let us not forget the ‘goodguy’ of the world has, in the last decade, abandoned all objective criteria making it ‘better’. Killed more people than any other country, launched wars of aggression against the expressed will of the world – the exact definition of a Rogue Military State. There is nor power and no standing to dictate better behaviour until the US demonstrates better behaviour. Not simply because there is no moral high ground but because, for the last decade, they have actually been WORSE for the world than Russia.
That can change. And need to soon. Not just so the world has an example of good behaviour by a major power but because the US completely missed the boat 6-7 years ago when the world began to turn. Another 8 years of short sighted stupidity like we’ve seen will unquestionably topple the edifice.
Judge it!
Capricorn
Most Popular