We Need to Step in Boldly on the Russia/Georgia Conflict.
Posted on August 13, 2008
Bush scolded Russia with harsh words today. Of course, these words will probably be ignored just like the U.N.’s impotent condemning statement. Meanwhile, tanks rolled through the region wrecking havoc and bloodshed. I know I’ll probably be labeled a war hawk for this, but we need to make a military showing. If nothing else, we at least need to communicate that this option IS on the table. Georgia has been an ally in Iraq and is thriving to become an independent Democracy. Russia has been faking it with their KGB puppet master, Putin.
At a time like this, it is vital for the leaders of the West to stand together and make clear that this aggression will not stand. This is no time for weaselly statements of moral equivalence claiming that Georgia brought this war on itself or that Russia’s response is merely “disproportionate” — as if there were a “proportionate” level of aggression that would be justified. Whatever the details of the clash that began last week between Georgia and the breakaway, pro-Russia province of South Ossetia, there can be no excuse for Russia’s invasion. The presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland were on the mark in their demand that “aggression against a small country in Europe … not be passed over in silence or with meaningless statements equating the victims with the victimizers.”
Unfortunately, we will probably continue to play by Cold War rules and refuse to do anything but talk. Hopefully, enough pressure will make Russia back off, but we may watch a Democracy get swallowed up by a thug state in a thin disguise. Shame on us if we let that happen.
Ed Morrisey disagrees, and offers a different opinion.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Communism, News, military
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10 Responses to “We Need to Step in Boldly on the Russia/Georgia Conflict.”
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I’d be more inclined to call Putin the ‘puppet master’ than the puppet.
Honestly, I don’t think we’re going to do jack, other than talk. Bush did send humanitarian aid, via military transport. Hope there were a few rocket launchers and anti tank thingy in there too. Food and medicine won’t help if the population is dead.
I think we need to grap a squadron or so Marines and place them around government buildings in a “defensive” posture. Then see if Russia continues to attack.
WW III, here we come!
:/ I don’t think the Russians will care if there is a US flag on the shoulders of the Marines. But if such a thing is done, they better have some serious back up!
Yeah, I agree there’s a WWIII on the horizon, but it’ll just be an expansion of the one we’ve already been involved in for quite a while, and we just didn’t realize it.
A better strategy would be to make the Georgians the 21st century version of the mujahedeen which fought the Soviets in the 80s.
Drop pallets and pallets of weapons, ammo, night vision, shoulder fired missles, and food to them.
It ’s not necessarily America’s fight..
The Georgian pres was begging to get into NATO hoping it would buy the USA’s protection…then when it looked like he was not going to get it he pulled the stunt of uprooting civilians.
Unless you want to go kill a few thousand Russian troops and a whack of civilians because Putin is thumbing his nose at America then what’s the purpose?
Some people are NOT worth the trouble and President Saakashvili is one of them.
The Georgian people are screwed.
It’s time to leave Europe to the Europtrash IMO.
But if America MUST DO something they should start bucking up Ukraine.
Yes, and look how well that sort of inaction turned out in 1939.
If you believe that the US was right to intervene on behalf of the Kosovars in Serbia in 1999 the you can’t oppose the Russian intervention on behalf of the South Ossetians in 2008.
Same situation.
The US should have never intervened in Serbia’s internal affairs in 1999, and definitely should not have agreed to recognizing an independent Kosovo earlier this year.
Whether Georgia is independent of Russia or not is as irrelevant to US national interests as whether or not Catholics in Northern Ireland live under British or Irish rule.
Pat Buchanan is right on this one.
If the democracies of western and southern Europe are so nervous over the re-birth of Russian nationalism and economic might of old Moscovy then let them take the lead.
When the French have Mirages in Tblisi and the Italians have paratroops in Gori and the Germans are landing their marines on the Black Sea coast, then maybe – just maybe – the US should consider playing a junior role in this NATO excercise.
Otherwise, let Europe (never more prosperous or at peace than they are today) defend Europe in the 21st century.
America can’t do it all.
Oh, and can please – please – stop with Third Reich analogies????
Why, oh why, must every foreign policy issue inevitably end up with the “villain” being compared with Adolf Hitler.
Khaddady in Libya, the Ayatollah in Iran, Noriega in Panama, Castro in Havana, Saddam in Iraq, Hugo in Venezuela, Ahmadinejad in Iran, etc etc etc….always with the Hitler comparisons and references to “Munich 1938″.
Good grief.
I remember during the Kosovo-Serbia War of 1999 (a war that never really got a proper name, did it?) the Western press was calling Milosevic “another Hitler” while the Serb and pro-Serb press were calling Clinton, you guessed it, “another Hitler”.
If anything, Mr. Putin is no Hitler, but more a Bismark, if anything.
But I guess drawing comparisons between Georgia in 2008 and Denmark in 1866 wouldn’t raise as many eyebrows as raising the specter of Auschwitz.
Uh…. I wasn’t comparing anyone to Hitler. I was referring to the inaction. Standing back and watching the Europeans do nothing? I don’t feel too comfortable with that scenario.
No, we can’t do everything, although there sure are a lot of people around the world who believe we should, when it suits THEIR needs. And those who feel every time we do what they expect, we’re in the wrong. But what are they doing to stop ANYTHING? Nada.
Appeasement doesn’t appease.
I definitely agree with you, as I have been saying the same thing since this war began. Let us play with words. This is a war. Which side are we on, George W. Bush??? Remember? We are on the side of the free or the side of the terrorizing commie bastards…
Oops. Let us NOT play with words…