The United States accused Russia yesterday of waging a campaign to cripple Georgia’s ability to defend itself in the future.
As American military transport aircraft landed in Tbilisi to strong complaints from Moscow, the Russian Army undertook search-and-destroy missions on Georgian soil, defying the ceasefire agreement brokered by President Sarkozy of France.
Tanks and soldiers continued to occupy Gori despite promising to leave by yesterday. A Georgian military base in the city was destroyed and the Georgian Ambassador to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe accused the Russians of laying mines before a withdrawal.
The Pentagon vented its anger with Moscow by cancelling two joint naval exercises involving Russian ships. In a clear sign that the Georgia crisis was escalating into a broader superpower conflict, the US reached agreement with Poland last night over the controversial missile defence shield.
The liberals better wake up. This is no more than good old fashioned power politics and classical Russian imperial expansionism. We can resist it now or later, but the price will go up accordingly.
The Russian Bear has awakened from his hibernation, and he’s hungry and ready to gobble up not only the rebel provinces, but Georgia as well.
I find Russia’s behavior appalling. I also find it hard to fathom how conservatives can fault Russia’s behavior about respecting territorial boundaries and yet support the Southern Cone’s unwelcome venture into another Anglican province (U.S.). That behavior seems very hypocritical to me.
#3, “Russian Military = Southern Cone Bishops” is quite the hysterical hyperbole.
#3, that has to be a joke.
Jeffersonian:
Two provinces in Georgia don’t want to belong to Georgia anymore. They want to belong to Russia and their leaders are currently in conversation with the Russian government. Georgia moves in to maintain order / regain control, Russia moves in, destruction ensues, and many of us rightly condemn Russia and demand she get out and respect territorial boundaries.
Churches / Dioceses in the Anglican Province of the United States (TEC) don’t want to belong to that province any longer and are in conversation with the leaders of another province to come into the USA’s province and practice oversight. If we were in another age, violent religious war would ensue. Now we just sue. But destruction follows, nonetheless.
What’s hypocritical is that the same people who are in favor of the latter, condemn the former. And if it’s a joke as you ask, it’s not funny.
I’ve been to Georgia. Part of my family comes from Georgia. They’re a beautiful people whom I’ve come to know, love, and respect. What Russia is doing in Georgia is not right. What the Southern Cone is doing in the Anglican Communion in the U.S. is also not right. To support territorial boundaries in one scenario and not the other is, again, not right. The same principle holds and thus my charge of hypocrisy.