Unlike Georgian soldiers who have been repeatedly left stranded on the battlefield, asking “Where are our friends?” Ossetians are receiving all the military assistance they expected from their more powerful allies. By and large, Russia’s invasion into Georgia has been encouraged by the heavily censored Russian press. In the West, we have the luxury of using the media to debate military and political decisions. Crude historical associations not only obscure this debate, they may also force us to come to the wrong conclusions.
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The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has an entry on appeasement, and specifically says "Churchill's record as an uncomplicated anti-appeaser cannot go unchallenged."
I've been watching Russia Today, a 24-hour English language news station out of Moscow. If Russians believe it, the West are considering helping out a "genocidal" "ethnic-cleansing" "fascist" attack the poor, civilian population of South Ossetia.
CNN, on the other hand, calls up Saakashvili every time they want an update, and ignores all mention of the humanitarian aspect. CNN just asked if Saakashvili if he wasn't partly responsible, because some people say he started the offensive. Saakashvili says that's absurd. He says he only started this after 150 tanks entered Georgia. "It's our territory, they are killing our people." (The people, I hear, want nothing to do with Georgia, and would rather be in Russia)
CNN reporter claimed to be on the road from Gori to Tblisi with Russian troops at 8:20am Wednesday morning,
Posted by Josh SN on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 08:44 AM
One hopes that this story will have enough permanence in the media spotlight for the myriad unknowns to be fleshed out. Its been disconcerting to watch how many commentators have reverted to a basic Cold War mentality in analyzing this situation, Kristol as always being by far the most odious. Other outlets around the war have shown a far more tempered hand. The Asia Times, for one, and James Traub's piece in the Sunday NYT.
The Post has a piece today that reveals a little of the crucial role played by Georgia lobbyist (and McCain adviser) Randy Scheunemann which, in a different world, would raise some serious red flags about whats going on here. Speaking of irresistable narratives, its hard not to see a little "Wag the Dog" going on here.
Posted by Evan Woodward on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 11:56 AM
been disconcerting to watch how many commentators have reverted to a basic Cold War mentality in analyzing this situation
You know what Evan, I as thinking the exact same thing! Just like in the cold war, the left has come out in force to support Russian actions and blamed the West and especially the US for the situation. In 1956 the left (people like IF Stone, Paul Robeson and George Seldes just to name a few) were joyous in their praises of the salvation of Hungary by Soviet troops. Amazing how little times have changed.
And leave it to a guy like Evan to find the McCain connection.
Posted by TDC on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 01:06 PM
The left has hardly come out in force to support Russia, and I can't claim to have "found" the McCain connection. It's on page 3 of today's Post. I look forward to your dismissal of what should be an extremely damning revelation.
Posted by Evan Woodward on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 01:42 PM
The left has hardly come out in force to support Russia, and I can't claim to have "found" the McCain connection.
A quick look at the "powerhouses of modern leftist though" like Alternet, The Nation, and Mother Jones, it seems that they are falling over themselves to see who can most vigorously felate the Russian bear.
I look forward to your dismissal of what should be an extremely damning revelation
Ohhh yeahhh! What a damning connection! After all I am sure that John McCain would be singing the Russian national anthem with a gigantic photo of Soviet troops raising the Red flag on top the Reichstag. After all, there is no way that McCain would stand up for American ally unless someone on his campaign was making money off of it? And certainly the Georgian government has no need for a lobbying voice when they are being overrun?
I though journalists were supposed to look behind charges of guilt by association and not be regurgitating Hari Sevugan’s talking points? But then again he does speak for the F-in LEADER, and that in itself lends him an omnipotence we mere mortals not touched by the Light Worker couldn’t comprehend.
Posted by TDC on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 02:04 PM
Pitiful. To most rational people, its a revelation that a candidate's major adviser has been taking lobby money from a country engaging in possible crimes against his own citizens. Its a revelation to discover that influential Americans have been encouraging that country to do battle against a much larger enemy with a history of ruthlessly crushing its smaller neighbors, when the US has no intentions of backing them up with military force.
Russia's actions are certainly deplorable, but several reports have Saakashvili igniting the powder keg with his attacks on civilian infrastructure in South Ossetia. On a Newshour report last night I saw footage of Georgian citizens cursing their own leader for bringing the wrath of Russia's military upon them. Other reports have citizens asking where the American assistance was. These are real questions that need answering.
You know, its possible to have a viewpoint of the world that allows one to draw conclusions without "fellating" one of the parties involved. It requires a multitude of viewpoints offered up by intelligent reporting unfettered by useless old paradigms. This conflict is particularly difficult in that regard because there is no party involved that is entirely in the right.
Your bloviating about the "light worker", whatever exactly that means, is misplaced here. Obama's response to this blow-up has been only a bit less troubling than McCain's. His pointing out, however, that McCain's major foreign policy adviser has a complicated relationship with one of the involved parties is certainly warranted.
Posted by Evan Woodward on Wed 13 Aug 2008 at 02:26 PM