Georgia (no not the dirty south version)

[chavez]

Any thoughts?

Seems to me that the Russkies are testing the world here. I don't like it.

Seeing as Russia is quite friendly with Iran, China, and to an extent NK, this is just not good.

I am certainly not going to take sides, as the Georgians are possibly responsible to an extent due to their dealings with Ossetia. But the Russkies are using force to enter a sovereign democratically controlled nation, without real provocation.

These are dangerous times, on many levels.

[jryoung]

[J-Ro]

chavez, Seriously, we need to do something now. Unfortunately our military is spread so thin because of Bush's personal war that we will just have to get used to them being there. I'm not sure how they will keep their vodka cool in Hotlanta though.



















RIMSHOT!!

[nmballa]

It definantly is not a good thing. I think the georgians quite frankly asked for it. The South Ossetian's they attacked all carry russian passports, meaning they are russian citizens. Russia retaliated when their citizens and ally were attacked. Georgia should have left it alone. Basically their arrogance got the best of them. And furthermore what the hell were we thinking scooping up their troops and dropping them off back in Georgia. If the tables were turned we would have seen it as an act of war on Russia's part. Georgia opened this can of worms. I think they basically are facing up to the music now. Unfortantly alot of innocent people will be caught up in this.

[chavez]

J-Ro, I'm really afraid that this will cause a global shortage of peach cobbler. Oh the humanity!

Seriously though, yes. Apparently the military (aka the Navy) is moving some pieces around to stir up sh*t.

The scary thing is this could escalate to a CMC style standoff in a very rapid fashion. And as mentioned, a large chunk of our military assets are in use. At least they are in a strategically favorable location, but still...

[oshensurfer]

chavez, While it worries me a bit, I think this is more likely just an exertion of will by the Ruskies to be in the West's face that they are in control of how they conduct themselves, not the West.

It is just unfortunate they are killing people and invading a sovereign democratic nation to prove that point.

[microman]

Honestly it's hard to get a good idea of what is happening apart from the obvious reported on the news. Russia does seem to be using this as a chance to push back against what it sees as an increasing Western influence in the area, and Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili seems to be playing the West sympathy card hoping they'll intervene.

Russia has been moving backward from a democratic POV for years now and their oil wealth gives them the power to do so without much interference.

[jt09]

[chavez]

Well, I'd expand on that and say this has everything to do with OIL and Putin wanting to control every last drop he can.

[jt09]

oil is on everyone's brain right now, but georgia was set to be voted in as a NATO member. w/ putin's vehement opposition to the missile defense shield, he REALLY didn't want that right up next to him.

[8824]

Does the EU still like us?

Maybe it's time to become really friendly with Canada and Mexico!








I agree with almost everyone so far! WOW!

[Tbonez]

The last time I heard we have a bunch of our SF guys in Georgia training their military..This means that Americans are probably dead from this crazy fiasco..

[Tyler T]

I haven't followed this much as I just got back from a 2 month vacation, but I did see coverage of it in Madrid and I will say, after seeing how news is reported in Europe, we Americans are receiving some seriously watered down news. I sat in amazement as I watched 3 people get shot and die in the street while their comrades dragged them into the back of a pickup truck leaving giant blood stains in the street where their bodies were dragged. Can't say I ever saw anything like that on the news in the states.

My older roommate who served in the navy told me that they showed footage like that during the Vietnam War and haven't done so since. Why not? Shouldn't we be seeing what's really happening in situations like this?

[nmballa]

Tyler T, how are the europeans reacting to this? Is Georgia seen as the aggressor or is Russian viewed as the bully? And how was your trip? Guess couch surfing worked out for you since you didn't end up chained to someones basement wall with a ball gag in your mouth

[joebananas]

Does anyone else feel cold war II coming on?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/world/europe/16poland.html?hp

Russia reacted angrily, saying that the move would worsen relations with the United States that have already been strained severely in the week since Russian troops entered separatist enclaves in Georgia, a close American ally. At a news conference on Friday, a senior Russian defense official, Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, suggested that Poland was making itself a target by agreeing to serve as host for the anti-missile system. Such an action “cannot go unpunished,” he said.

[chavez]

joebananas, or worse.

This whole thing is bad, bad news.

Most American idiots think only the Olympics is going on right now. This is a huge GLOBAL problem that need be cleaned up, quickly!

[joebananas]

chavez,

The thing that scares me is that since Poland is a member of NATO doesn't the US along with the other nations have to come to her aid?

[microman]

[oshensurfer]

[joebananas]

[microman]

[jt09]

[jt09]

this was posted by a south african chick who lives in texas, married to an ex-marine. he suffered some kind of injury in iraq and they are both in the oil biz somehow. she's a bit nuts and opinionated (she runs oil hands, so she's not afraid to talk shlt to a man, or cuss him down - it's an epic battle about 2x a year when she lights someone up). however, she's from south africa and very familiar w/ military heavy issues and is very well informed on this kind of stuff on the international level. take what you will from her post, i just thought i would post it here for a different viewpoint.

i may have to edit a couple of times as i pulled it straight off a board that embeds youtube, so i'll need to make sure i get all of those. you HAVE to watch the videos - if nothing else they are pretty damn funny.

[bjeremi]

I noticed the shoe thing as well when I was reading an article in Time.