SO WHAT'S GOING ON IN GEORGIA ANYWAY?

What's going on in Georgia? Aside from the Atlanta Braves having a season reminiscent of the 1980's, the Atlanta Falcons being embarrassed by Michael Vick, the continued drought and former Georgia representative Bob Barr running for president as a Libertarian, not much.

The little country of Georgia which sits on two continents on the other hand…

Georgia has had an "off and on again" existence since the 11th century. It always seemed to succumb to various empires around it; the Mongols, the Ottomans, the Persians and finally the Soviet Union. Georgia was engulfed into the Soviet Union in 1922. It gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of communism. Georgia has been a rather unstable region for the past millennia.

South Ossetia has been attempting to break free from Georgia since the early 20th century. A year before Georgia declared its independence from Russia, South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia and held its own elections. The Georgian Supreme Soviet declared the elections illegal and cancelled the results. Since 1918 these factions have been killing each other over ones desire for autonomy and the others for power. Abkhazia is another territory which has sought its independence from Georgia. In 1992 Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia and the fight has been going on since. Georgia was able to obtain its independence from Russia, but for some reason forbids South Ossetia or Abkhazia the same privilege.

Russia has supported the autonomy of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and has provided them with Russian peace keeping forces. Georgia has declared both to be Russian occupied territories. The Bush Administration has been courting Georgia for admission into NATO and has declared the country to be a friend of the U.S. One must wonder if the pipelines carrying Black Sea and Caspian Sea crude are the real reason for the love.

In June and July of 2008 both Georgia and Russia began a contest of "saber-rattling" and muscle flexing. Georgia with the aid of the U.S. began military exercises, allegedly to prepare Georgian forces for an Iran invasion. At the same time Russia started military exercises of practicing the movement of personnel and armored units into South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In early August Georgia and South Ossetia began trading pot shots at each other until on the seventh; Georgia invaded Tskhinvali, the capital city of South Ossetia. Georgia sent more than 15,000 troops into South Ossetia apparently wanting to end the long-time quarrel with one fell swoop. However, they also ran into the Russian peace-keeping troops stationed there. With only around 500 troops they were easily defeated, but the slaughter brought down the wrath of the Russian army. By the eighth, one day later, Georgian troops were seen running for their lives deeper into Georgian territory. Russia was not content with bloodying Georgia's nose; they went on to royally kick their ass. A cease fire has been brokered for the time being by France president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Various talking heads have stated that Russia was not acting in self-defense or in the defense of the South Ossetian people, but is preparing to annex the territory into its empire. How can they say that? They can't. Could Russia say the same thing about the U.S. invasion of Iraq? Yes. Of course the puppet government of Iraq would deny they are a part of the U.S. Empire, but they are a puppet regime…what are they suppose to say? The U.S. doesn't recognize the secession of South Ossetia and Abkhazia any way so it has no alternative but to pity Georgia and accuse Russia of fragmenting the small nation. Don't forget, the U.S. government has not approved of secession since it broke free from the British Empire. Some of the states down south attempted to secede from the U.S. union and were thwarted by Lincoln in his war of northern aggression. Not to mention both territories ally themselves with Russia and not the West, they can't have more allies than the U.S. now, can they?

This is in no means a defense of Russia. Russia has already proven they can be very heavy-handed and brutal when it comes to territories they truly want—see Chechnya for example. It would appear, for some reason, the world has two giants both posturing for a fight. The Bush Administration has been thumbing its nose at Russia by wooing Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia with promises of NATO membership and even signing a missile defense deal with Poland which would place U.S. missiles in that country. What did Bush expect Russia to do, sit on its hands and watch as the U.S. built a wall around them? As for the reason why Russia supports the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia? Russia is a sovereign nation and can support or despise whomever it pleases, and it doesn't answer to the U.S. as to why.

When it comes to the goings on in the Southern Caucasus, the U.S. should mind its own damn business. When it comes to the relationship of Russia with its neighbors, again, the U.S. should mind its own damn business. Until the U.S. can control its own desire to fulfill the foolish "manifest destiny" it should avoid bad-mouthing other countries in search of the same thing. One thing the U.S. government has a surplus of is hypocrisy...

"In war, truth is the first casualty." ~Aeschylus

"War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man." ~Napoleon Hill"

We have war when at least one of the parties to a conflict wants something more than it wants peace." ~Jeane J. Kirkpatrick

"Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man" - with his mouth." ~Mark Twain

"Patriots always talk of dying for their country and never of killing for their country." ~Bertrand Russell, attributed

"You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time." ~Albert Einstein