Editor's Choice on Best Georgia Comments

4.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 7:50 am
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This piece makes no mention of the fact that Georgia invaded South Ossetia last Friday and began shelling Tskhinvali, deliberately reopening the wounds from the Georgian-Ossetian war more than 10 years ago.Saakashvili has no one to blame but himself after attacking an independent people who have as much right to self-determination as anyone else. Calls to defend Georgian sovereignty are inapposite, because while Russia has become a frighteningly autocratic state since Putin's rise to power, it is not about to conquer Georgia, which by the way does not include South Ossetia or Abkhazia. Those states, whether officially recognized by the West or not, are Russia's allies, and its reaction to Georgia's attack should come as a surprise to no one.
— R. Smithy, Tysons Corner, VA
Recommend Recommended by 97 Readers
7.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 7:50 am
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Really, I want to understand why the Russians should take the warnings of another country, especially ours, seriously. Russia has the military might, revenue stream and iron will to do as they see fit to protect its borders and interests. They see Bush as two-faced playing hypocrite, which he is. And he knows that no serious military or economic challenge is possible. Seriously, I get a very bad feeling about this. Rice will go to Russia and wag her finger, and Putin will listen impatiently, then ignore her. Bush's goading, glad-handling and empty words have unleashed the brewing storm. There will be more rain on the Bush Parade. And more tears for Europe and beyond.
— BenM, Chicago, Ill
Recommend Recommended by 111 Readers
65.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 8:19 am
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Among the casualties of the Saakashvili aggression is our news media's honesty. From the very beginning of this conflict the US propaganda machine blamed the Russians. However, in both the short term and long term buildup to this conflagration, the Bush administration had acted the role of instigator, first by providing weapons and training to the Georgian army and second; by encouraging the puppet regime to believe that the US will support them if things don't work out. Witness the departure of 1000 US marines from Tbilisi just one week before the attack on South Ossetia. Was that a coincidence? Hardly. The foolishness of western aggression in Serbia is also revealed. The Russians warned that The recognition of Kosovo as an independent state by the West of the NATO occupied province of Serbia will create an ill-advised precedence. I am certain that we are witnessing the results of that fatal step. Mr. Bush has no right to talk about territorial integrity of sovereign nations. He attacked several sovereign countries without provocation, attempted to re-encircle the Russian Federation under the cover of NATO. It is not too soon to see him go!
— Steve Lukacs, Livonia, Mich.
Recommend Recommended by 30 Readers
87.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 8:30 am
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The Georgia situation is quickly developing into a defining moment in the relationship between Russia, its neighbors, and 'the west'. The only acceptable outcome must be that Russia retreats behind its border, that an international peace force guarantee the safety of all parties in southern ossetia and abchasia, and that four party negotiations start seeking a diplomatic solution for Southern Ossetia and Abchasia between georgia, south ossetians and abchasians, russia, and the west (USA and Europe). The lack of proper response, and the lack of any serious preparation on our part, implies we have been sound asleep and have been abruptly shuttled back into a reality we don't want to acknowledge. It is high time for the USA and Europe to pick up the pieces of what has already been wasted the last week, and to very quickly make clear to the russians we cannot admit what they are doing now. The following days will be decisive for Europe's future for the next quarter century: either Russia starts behaving like a well-mannered nation, or the cold war has to be revived. Europe's energy dependence on Russia which we've developed the last 20 years makes this all the more difficult, and adds one more reason to quickly invest worldwide in renewable energy. A world depending on the arab nations for energy is bad enough, a world depending on arab nations and a czarist-expensionist-style russia is a nightmare.
— Erik De Koster, Brussels
Recommend Recommended by 8 Readers
102.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 9:32 am
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Lessons to be learned:1) Free markets don't neccessarily solve strategic national security problems, i.e. energy and financial flows.2)All European countires bordering Russia should be paying Finland for lessons:a) The Finns have one of the larger professional armies in Europe. Europeans have been obliquely complaining that it's focused on fighting the Russians. We now know why.b) The Finns are not basing their security on the help of others.c) Note to the Georgians, the Finns also don't provoke the Russians and are 1 - 0 against them.3) To paraphase an older NYT editorial: At least when you get a Republican president you should get fiscal responsibility. To this I would like to add: At least when you get a Republican president, they should make defending America's strategic interests paramount.4) We should be learning from the more pragmatic states that finance and energy are national security issues and not just something left to free markets.
— John, Jackson
Recommend Recommended by 8 Readers
117.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 10:20 am
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The invasion of Georgia by Russia is likely the most significant international challenge the United States has had to confront since 9/11/01. I am doubtful of the U.S.A.'s political resources at this point in time, and so are a few other countries. History teaches us that diplomacy must be practiced from a position of some moral standing, and negotiation is most effective from a position of strength. Both of these elements seem to have been squandered by the United States in just 6 years. Without it we are placed in the undesirable position of a scorning bystander.I would not be at all surprised if China is watching this in between games thinking,"Should we take Taiwan this year?"
— Jason Wolffe, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Recommend Recommended by 11 Readers
169.
EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)
August 14th, 2008 12:04 pm
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In the 1080's we won the Cold War by outspending the Soviet Union, who's economy and political system was unable to keep pace with the West and provide for citizen's needs internally. But we appear to misunderstand how we won that contest. Our revenue stream was reduced through tax cuts, we expended billions on Iraq, and increased the burden of energy costs to American industy and citizenry while seting in place a massive cash infusion to the oil exporters like Russia.According to the CIA Factbook, Russia exports 5 million bbl daily--almost $600 million income daily (at $120/bbl) or over $200 billion income annually. They now have a surplus of 3% of their GDP. And have Western Europe tied to their oil and gas pipelines.If only we had used the "peace dividend" to work on energy independence and not tax cuts and foreign misadventures.
— John Rusche, Lewiston, Idaho
Recommend Recommended by 6 Readers