Posted on 08/14/2008 5:49:34 PM PDT by InABunkerUnderSF
If you googled “Invasion of South Ossetia” on Monday of this week one of the sites near the top of the list was the vitriolic anti Georgian propaganda web site “war.georgia.su” which detailed Georgian atrocities and planned atrocities against the peace loving people of South Ossetia. When I first saw it, the first thing that caught my eye (other than the over the top blood dripping pro anti Georian propaganda) was that the domain name itself. It did not end in “ge” as in Georgia but “su”, the domain name of sites in the former Soviet Union.
This made me curious so I did a WhoIs search on the domain. Here is what I found out:
The organization name for the domain “Relcom Business Network” Ltd. They are located at Marshala Vasilevskogo str., 1/2, Moscow, 123098 under the name of Lubov V. Vidanova. The Moscow phone and fax numbers given are four digits apart implying that t hey are in the same office.
The most interesting thing about the domain is that it was created on June 19, 1999. Who needed an anti Georgian propaganda site in 1999? If I read the WhoIs record correctly the organization changed ownership on February 7, 2007. Did the site’s purpose change in February 2007? Finally, who is Lubov V. Vidanova and why was anyone in Russia registering domain names under .su in June of 1999?
One final thing worth noting, I also did WhoIs searches on every other breakaway component of the former Soviet Union from Moldova to Kazakhstan, looking for {country}.su domain names. There are two others – armenia.su and azerbaijan.su, both registered to “Relcom Business Network” Ltd. at Marshala Vasilevskogo str., 1/2, Moscow, 123098 under the name of Lubov V. Vidanova. Both were created on June 19, 1999. Both seem to have changed hands on February 7, 2007.
Anyone care to speculate on what the Russian’s long term military goals are in the Caucuses after it finishes with Georgia?
Maybe these guys would just join up for fun however.
Follow the money, follow the oil.
One of the advantages of being a debtor nation is that we can seize Russian assets or the assets of Russian citizens and be fairly (somewhat) immune to the consequences.
I wouldn’t want to be invested in anybody’s “Russia Fund” right now though.
I’d like to believe Russia would back off if the cost doesn’t justify the investment but at this point Putin has too much pride at stake.
My reply was sincere. I just wonder if anything (NATO) means too much of anything these days.
If nobody wants to confront Russia now, would they be any more willing to over a NATO country (besides sanctions, meetings, blah blah)? Sorry if that sounds dumb, I really don’t know.
It does seem like anything goes these days. I don’t know politics well myself. Just Georgians.
There are a lot of things that we don’t know about the region in the US, like why there is a conflict between Georgians and Armenians.
From our perspective you are both Orthodox Caucasian Christians from a region that was overrun by the Turks. It seems you should be natural allies.
If there is an Armenian region within the borders Georgia it seems to me that the people there should be granted equal rights under the Georgian constitution and Armenia should relinquish claims to the region - case closed. It looks like the small problems are getting in the way of solutions to the large problem - the Russians.
Ping.
Krauthammer had several good ideas. Instead of expelling Russia from the G8 the other seven just withdraw then turn around and reform without Russia. Drop any idea of letting them in the WTO.
Since we would like to slap them down in Georgia but don't want to go that far why hold back on non-violent retaliation? Just cut them off from any commerce or cooperation we have a say in. Bleed them white as they say and then see how Pooty's pride is holding up.
Try http://80.94.226.241 — that’s the link without the /books/ at the end; that goes to MIPP International, booksellers.
Is that the one you get to, MM?
Armenia and Azerbaijan are not happy campers together.
Agreed. Ukraine, Belarus... Poland.
MOSCOW – A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported.
Russia threatening to Nuke Poland because it wants to protect itself from Nuclear attack. These Russians really cannot stand the fact that their near-abroad will eventually become just as strong as them. When that happens a revenge on Moscow will be released that is centuries over due.
Did anyone see the Boss on TV this morning? I caught a clip. He looked pretty stern.
what do you estimate to be the cost of all your suggestions ?
The cost will probably cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives over many decades.
The cost of doing nothing now could be the end of freedom and if Russian tendencies toward aggression cannot be contained possibly the end of human civilization and a tendency to glow in the dark.
Welcome to Cold War II.
if the cost is going to be trillions of dollars, does the US government raise taxes or grow the deficit further ?
The history of the last cold war suggests both. The problem is, if we choose to go the deficit route it will cost twice as much in the long run and we’ll end up transferring more of our wealth to China, who are not likely to be our ally in this conflict.
The other alternative is of course to make a bigger economy. That’s how a certain BA in economics from Eureka College won the last cold war. The west just out grew the Soviet block until their economy collapsed.
The two best ways to stimulate growth and make a bigger economy are to cut taxes to allow businesses and individuals to free up more of their capital or to cut regulation to let them reduce their operating expenses. A good start would be to greatly reduce regulation of the petroleum industry - drill here, drill now, win Cold War II.
So the first Cold War was won; so why do you think Russia wants another cold war ?
Because they read history and play chess. The more obvious question is, why do you think they wouldn’t?
The Russians want, and feel they are historically entitled to, hegemony over Eurasia - something that was thwarted by England and France in the 19th century and the US in the 20th century.
One of the things that brought the Russians down in the Cold War I was $10 a barrel oil. The Iran/Iraq war flooded the market and made Russian exports much less valuable. Reagan forcefully opposed a natural gas pipeline from the Soviet Union to the west. The Russians started to run out of foreign currency. Incompetent generals panicked and tried to depose a weak and incompetent leader. They failed to control the means of propaganda during the coup and their whole rotten system collapsed.
Now oil is over $100 a barrel and the west, especially the US, is actively working to drive the price higher by destabilizing the Middle East and steadfastly refusing to develop our own resources. This puts Russia in a powerful economic position - if they can control Caspian oil.
If we continue to do nothing we could well find our selves in the same position as Russia in the late 20th century.
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