Althouse: Finally, a post about Georgia.

August 18, 2008

Finally, a post about Georgia.

(Via Wonkette.)

I'll have a post on Pakistan when Musharraf eats an article of his clothing on camera.

20 comments:

Peter V. Bella said...: Any president that would eat his tie on camera deserves to have his country over run.

As to Georgia, let the Russians have it. When are they gonna invade Plains and arrest Jimmy?; 8/18/08, 10:26 AM
MadisonMan said...: Bizarre! And having seen that, the rest of your post makes sense.; 8/18/08, 10:28 AM
Host with the Most said...: This just in:

Musharaff has signed with Steve Wynn to headline in Vegas as an Elvis impersonator.; 8/18/08, 10:37 AM
Eli Blake said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/18/08, 10:42 AM
Too many jims said...: If the McCain campaign had a different view of the Georgian President they could use this clip and the conflict against Obama by saying that "This is what you get when you leave your country in the hands of a smart, ambitious, Ivy-league law grad who is too naive to understand how the world works."; 8/18/08, 10:44 AM
Eli Blake said...: Q: What is worse than failing to confront tyranny?

A: Confronting it with an empty quiver, and then getting your bluff called.

This is the price of 1) having our army overextended and bogged down in Iraq, and 2) having cast aside the need to keep our relationships with our allies as a priority. Now we could use both a credible military option (or at least a deterrent) and some real international support, but we have neither.

So every time Bush makes some vague threat about how this will 'harm future relations,' the Russians laugh at our impotence and burn another Georgian village (they blew up a railroad bridge this morning.); 8/18/08, 10:46 AM
Freder Frederson said...: A: Confronting it with an empty quiver, and then getting your bluff called.

That can't be right! George W. Bush is one of the greatest presidents in history, and Condi Rice one of the most brilliant Sec of States (she should be our first black president). I know this from reading this blog.; 8/18/08, 10:59 AM
Paddy O said...: A: Confronting it with an empty quiver, and then getting your bluff called.

There is no credible military response to Russia. It's all nuclear stained. Everything is a bluff.

What's not a bluff?

Poland getting missile defense.

Ukraine being supported by Germany for inclusion in NATO.

Russia is causing problems, but they are still going to leave. You think Russia would have left 20 years ago? They wouldn't have to, of course, because Georgia was so assumed to be unimpeachably Russia's.

Now we're actually debating whether a former Soviet state is within the umbrella of the US. That is absolutely, historically, incredible. Poland is so entirely Western now it's not even an issue.

And Russia is flailing.

I'd say the US isn't toothless at all, just that some folks can't see nuance and only understand actual warfare as the only possible response and punishment.

This did not end well for Russia. Even if they are absolutely still quite strong along their own immediate borders.; 8/18/08, 10:59 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: Little Kid: Mr. Jimmy, Mr. Jimmy, the Rusians are coming. They got them there tanks and everything? Mr. Jimmy, Mr. Jimmy, please come on out.

Mr. Jimmy: What’s that you sayin boy, the Russians are a comin?

Little Kid: Yeah, Mr. Jimmy. With tanks and rocket launchers, and lots and lots of soldiers.

Mr. Jimmy: Well, let’s go out and welcome them in. They must be hungry. I’ll get Miss Rosalind to whip up some grub for them. I’ll bet they need homes too.

Little Kid: But Mr. Jimmy…

Mr. Jimmy: Don’t you sass me boy! This here is Georgia and we are peaceful hospitable people. Be proud. Now lead me to them there Russians so I can give them a proper Georgia welcome.; 8/18/08, 11:08 AM
bearbee said...: It's all about oil.

This is a 2004 interview with the author of
The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia in which he discusses the coming battleground in the Caspian region over oil pipeline routes. 52 minute audio

Fukuyama and Kagan had a recent Bloggingheads dialogue touching on Russia; 8/18/08, 11:24 AM
AllenS said...: He's not eating his tie. He is trying to hide his voice, because he's making a lewd, crank phone call.; 8/18/08, 11:26 AM
bearbee said...: And then of course there is Ray Charles .; 8/18/08, 11:33 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: AllenS said...
He's not eating his tie. He is trying to hide his voice, because he's making a lewd, crank phone call.

Or there is an intern under the desk!; 8/18/08, 11:55 AM
Roger J. said...: Eli and Freder--go back and read some of the deterrence debates that are now close to 50 years old.
There is no full quiver--except of nuclear weapons. From a conventional standpoint, there is no way to bring heavy divisions into the Caucasus in a timely manner in the amount needed. Its all about the nucs, folks. A nuclear power can get away with a hell of a lot more than not, and from a geostrategic standpoint, we havent got any significant interests in the caucasus. This should have been a European response, and they failed. And the US isnt about to sacrifice a US city for Tiblisi.; 8/18/08, 12:02 PM
Chennaul said...: That is weird-but clearly the guy is stressed out beyond belief.

I've tried to get caught up on the politics of the region and it is truly complicated.

Listen-seriously-it's all good fun to laugh but this guy is-if he has half a brain- in fear for his life.

Putin has a very personal dislike for him.

And, anyone half way interested in the future of stability in the world that would involve the US military has to have noticed the poisoning of enemies- like Viktor Yushchenko .

Oh and by the way-you want complicated?

In case ANY supporters of Obama are churlishly enjoying this at the expense of the few Republicans who give a damn about this-SAAKASHVILI has more in common with Obama than you think-he has been monetarily supported by George Soros for a long, long time. {but you aren't going to learn something like that from NBC or Andrea Mitchell...}

Might make some wonder why Obama's "stance stiffend from Hawaii-on Georgia"....{as was quoted on one of the news networks}; 8/18/08, 12:28 PM
Fen said...: How pathetic. Russia rapes Georgia, and our "give peace a chance crowd" can only kneejerk anti-Bush sentiment. Not a single "peace" rally shouting "no blood for oil", not even a harsh word for deliberately targeting [waves to Eason] and killing journalists.

The "anti-war" crowd? What a bunch of phoneys.; 8/18/08, 1:02 PM
vbspurs said...: Anyone care to guess where Mushy settles into exile?

The man who maybe-possibly was behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, was America's staunch friend (kinda) and who had something like 12 attempts on his life as President isn't exactly going to jump on his John Deere and mow his lawn in Karachi.

Shortlist Exile Places:

Riyadh - The Saudis can keep him safe, but he is not a Wahhabist. He once said, "Just because a man doesn't grow a beard doesn't mean he's not a good Muslim." As slaps go, a fairly big one to the Mullahs.

Cairo - Cosmopolitan, and Mubarak would quell opposition to him, but is it really safe?

London - Suicidal.

Paris - Problematic, but maybe somewhere in Provence like Baby Doc.

Washington, D.C. Heh. I mean, he DOES want to return to Pakistan one day, to rule. This choice would rule that out.

And don't doubt for a minute there will be a reverse coup one day, and he'll be back in charge.

That's how they roll in Pakistan.

Cheers,
Victoria; 8/18/08, 1:18 PM
vbspurs said...: Oops, forgot to put the "OT" and to quote Host with the Most as my inspiration for my post on Musharraf. Sorry!; 8/18/08, 1:20 PM
Anonymous said...: Correcto, paddyo.

No one confronted Russian tanks in the '50s or '60s either, and for the same reason.; 8/18/08, 4:40 PM
blake said...: We need a fashion consult on whether that was a good tie to eat or not.

For your next diavlog with Givhan.; 8/18/08, 5:04 PM