Georgia On Our Mind: Russia’s Imperialist expansionism
MARKO Hoare on Georgia:
This is not a case of Moscow supporting the right of national majorities to secede - the Abkhaz have no majority, not even a plurality, in Abkhazia. Nor is it a case of Moscow supporting the right of autonomous entities of the former Soviet Union to secede - Moscow has extended the same support to the separatists of Transnistria, which enjoyed no autonomous status in the USSR, while denying the right to secede of the Chechen Republic.
This is simply a case of naked Russian imperialist expansionism. It is Georgia which is fighting to establish its independence, and Georgia which deserves our support. Georgia is a staunch ally of the West; the third largest contributor of troops to the allied coalition in Iraq. A Russian defeat of Georgia would be a tremendous setback for the West’s credibility and moral standing; it would increase Russian control of our energy supplies and encourage further Russian acts of aggression in the former Soviet Union.
We cannot afford to back down before this act of Russian imperialist aggression. We should defend Georgia with all the means at our disposal. We should send troops to bolster her. We should threaten Russia with sanctions. Heroic Georgia is fighting our fight; she is defending the freedom and security of democratic Europe.
We will do nothing…
Amen.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Well history repeats itself with Russian imperialist expansion….. point is who stood up last time?
August 11th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Georgia may be a staunch ally of the West etc etc, but that doesn’t make them any less foolish for attempting to shake a big stick at an historically aggressive neighbour several times their size. What have they actually achieved in all this? or more to the point, what have the South Ossetians lost…? or the Georgians who have been bombed out of their homes…?
nobody in their democratic right mind would condone the way Russia conducts itself in these situations, but the Georgians knew what they were getting into - did they seriously think that Russia would just do nothing, especially when its help was requested by the South Ossetians, who - as a majority I understand - actually do want to be allied to Russia…?
the Russians are indeed going overboard in flexing their military muscle, but they are making sure that this situation will not arise again and probably hinting in a not-too-subtle way to Georgia that - if they wanted to take it back (Georgia, that is), they probably could.
the Georgians, whether you agree with their “right” to annex South Ossetia or not, would be very foolish to ignore the lesson.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Are you aware of the facts coming to light that Georgia had US and Israeli military advisers.
Trying to get to the pipe line.
Not enough for Iraqs oil.
The Russians are well aware of the greater implications.
And George Bush warns them straight after being photographed patting a volleyball players arse on the beach.
Who is this moron.
Give me Putin any day.
Give me China as well.