I’d guess that most of America is paying more attention to gas prices and the approaching end of summer than they are to the seemingly sudden outbreak of a real shooting and killing war between Russia and Georgia. The tv news did show some pretty spectacular nighttime rocket barrages, but beyond that, I think this is a non-starter for most folks right now. This one makes me nervous though.
I wish they were paying more attention. The old hardcore Soviets are ascending, and Russia is not the broken down old Cold War country most Americans seem to think it is. I keep remembering George Bush’s comments about looking in Putin’s eyes and seeing his soul
I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.
It’s too bad the President only saw what he was looking for. Mr Putin and Russia weren’t then, nor are they now such close friends or trusted partners of the U.S. But even more troubling than Mr Bush’s apparent lapse of caution there is the seeming willingness of the two Presidential hopefuls to get tangled up again in the affairs of other nations when American interests aren’t directly at stake. For as quickly as Obama wants to depart Iraq, he seems quick to want to stand up to Russia over Georgian sovereignty (hey, Big O, America’s sovereignty first, eh?) And John McCain has not been shy of tough talking about Russia. Do they truly think getting involved with Georgia is in America’s interests?
For any U.S. president, current or future, to give so much as a second’s thought of committing American blood and treasure to the defense of a tiny Caucasian country that few Americans could so much as point to on a map is ridiculous and unforgivably reckless. It would raise the prospect of restarting the Cold War, and completely poisoning our relations with a country that happens to possess both a large quantity of nuclear weapons and a permanent spot on the UN Security Council.
Wake up America. You’re going to be voting for a new President soon. It might be wise to watch the world and actually pay attention to who these men are, instead of wasting time and energy inventing new presidential seals, secret hand signals, and doing celebrity videos for YouTube.
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