Posted on 08/13/2008 5:19:40 PM PDT by Kaslin
Energy: Russia's bloody invasion of a smaller neighbor whose territory includes a vital oil pipeline has left many people wondering: What can we do? Plenty, it turns out including some things right here at home.
It has continued its brutal assault, with news reports that Russian troops have started looting, raping and savagely attacking Georgian civilians.
It's clear former President Vladimir Putin, not his handpicked successor Medvedev, is calling the shots. Putin's made no secret of the fact that he wants to depose Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and set up a pliant puppet regime, giving him de facto control of Georgia's oil pipeline the main conduit to Europe from the oil-rich Caspian Sea that's not on Russian soil.
Why would Russia do this? As we note elsewhere on this page, roughly a quarter of Europe's energy comes from Russia. This tightens Putin's stranglehold on Europe's economy and gives him all the diplomatic leverage he needs.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
WHOO-HOO!!! I loved this one.
anything short of these is giving in to the russians.
Like Georgia.
Pu-leeeze, there are no slammites in this picture. Every body involved are orthodox Christians and they are not going to rape and loot eachother over oil.
The successor of Artaxerxes, Varanes, or Bahram, though he had subdued the Segestans, one of the most warlike nations of Upper Asia, was alarmed at the approach of the Romans, and endeavored to retard their progress by a negotiation of peace. His ambassadors entered the camp about sunset, at the time when the troops were satisfying their hunger with a frugal repast. The Persians expressed their desire of being introduced to the presence of the Roman emperor. They were at length conducted to a soldier, who was seated on the grass. A piece of stale bacon and a few hard peas composed his supper. A coarse woolen garment of purple was the only circumstance that announced his dignity. The conference was conducted with the same disregard of courtly elegance. Carus, taking off a cap which he wore to conceal his baldness, assured the ambassadors, that, unless their master acknowledged the superiority of Rome, he would speedily render Persia as naked of trees as his own head was destitute of hair .... The ministers of the Great King trembled and retired.
A refreshing take on the Russia question. But incomplete. But it makes me wonder: is Russia going to drive Europe to us or drive Europe (the one that is more interested in economic stability than in regional security) away from us? If Russia really has western Europe and to a certain extent eastern Europe under her thumb because of her ever tightening grip on the flow of oil, then what can we do about that? Drilling in North America might benefit Europeans a little bit but not much, and there will be no revolution in oil alternatives that will turn the tables. The only other competitor for oil is the Middle East. And what are we going to do about Georgia whenever the dust settles?
Seriously, all that is nice, but its parlor diplomacy that doesn’t have the impact we need to overcome what just happened.
The image that will turn all of this on its head, is the image of a truck convoy carrying American humanitarian aid from the Black Sea coast into Tblisi. The image of American sailors ashore off-loading the supplies, the marines pulling security detail while they do it. The people watching as the trucks come rolling in. The Russian soldiers standing by and watching us do it.
Those are the images that will undo everything Putin has accomplished and most importantly undo the damage he has done to our alliances all over eastern Europe.
We need more tangible actions, a tripwire force in the Ukraine for instance. Immediate NATO membership for the Ukraine and Georgia as an example if we really want to confront the Russian actions.
Moving the Olympics is also problematic. Do we have the influence on the IOC to get that done? We are talking tough and sending Rice to Paris, but the Russians seem to have moved past this stage to the old axiom that power flows from the barrel of a gun. This is a tough one because our options are limited and Russia has the strategic advantage.
Read the sitrep carefully. It is the irregular Home Guard units of South Ossetia that is doing the looting and attacking of Georgians who lived in Ossetia. If irregular forces fighting longside of US forces did that, the whole world media would be crucifying the US commander. The lesson I take from this war is not that Russians are fighting with Georgians (that has been happening for 1000 years), but how the world treats the US (holds us responsible during the looting of Baghdad) while nothing is utter about the behavior of irregular Ossetia forces under Russian command. LESSON LEARNED - WORLD IS NOT OUR FRIEND, TIME TO PULL STAKES AND TAKE CARE OF HOME.
The chicoms have shown they can't be trusted. Displaying what everyone's known all along - their deep rooted commie philosophy of 'end justifies the means' in pure 'olympic' fashion for the entire world to see. Complete with fake fireworks, Milli-Vanilli performances, and censored news.
Oh, don't forget. Those same thugs are looking for permanent residence in our neighborhood.
Not all christians are christians and not all muslims are muslims..
Give it South Korea. I’m not sure if their is a suitable winter mountain area in Georgia to hold a winter olympics, plus to do one from scratch would easily cost 6 to 10 billion dollars. I don’t think Georgia has that kind of scratch laying around right now.
South Korea as the country that was in the lead to get it this time, Russia’s bid was in dead last place. That was the situation until Putin arrived a week before the decision was made to the IOC HQ with bunch of briefcases of money and the same fake promises that China promised to get the games.
Losing the 2014 winter olympics would absolutely crush Russia. Getting it was one of the crown jewels of Putins reign as president.
Yank their olympics and kick them out of the G8. Thats where I would start. Blocking them from the WTO would also be a good call as well.
Russia shuts down all energy to europe, and they bankrupt their own country overnight. Russia knows this.
If by "slammites" you mean Muslims, who said there were? Do you actually believe that anyone who originates from a country generally considered "Christian" necessarily has Christian values, and is therefore incapable of atrocities?
Was Stalin a Muslim?
“It is the irregular Home Guard units of South Ossetia that is doing the looting and attacking of Georgians who lived in Ossetia.”
In Putins stealth annexation of South Ossetia, he gave them all russian passports, which thus gives them Russian citizenship, which thus makes them Russians who are looting, raping, and burning.
How would you react if Canada started handing out passports to all of Maine and Wisconsin claiming that the land used to belong to them historically, started arming gangs and criminals to expand their turf and start attacking the police, and built some military bases and airstrips there claiming it was to keep the peace?
Would the US just sit back and let that all continue?
I know that kind of a stretch considering the size of our military, but still, same scenerio.
“Cease fire” - run for your life!! Very sad.
And the Cossacks (you know those Orthodox Christian pillagers), Ossetes, and Chechens (Sunni Muslims) paramilitary unites ethnically cleansing Ossetia of Georgians are sure to act nice.
Stalin was a Georgian atheist. I’m not sure that makes your point.
“Russia shuts down all energy to europe, and they bankrupt their own country overnight. Russia knows this.”
I suspect they would cut the deliveries to certain countries and not others to set the Europeans against each other. The Italians and the Germans, for instance, do not seem to be inclined to confront the Russians. The Italians, in particular, are counseling against any overt actions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.