ANOTHER INSTA-POLL:

UPDATE: Meanwhile, some thoughts in response to the “blame America” analysis:

Let’s sort something else: the U.S. did not encourage Saakashvili to confront Russia. The idiocy of such policy is not within the realm of possibilities even for this administration. The U.S. policy toward Georgia has remained constant from the 1990s to the present. It was about supporting civil society groups, strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and fighting corruption. It was also about seeing after a strategic region, which hosts an alternative energy route to Europe. But it was never about encouraging Tbilisi to confront Russia. . . .

It is true that the U.S. has supported and continues to support Georgia’s membership in NATO, although the policy now is bound to be reevaluated. At the Bucharest Summit in Romania this spring, the U.S. and other members of the Alliance argued that Georgia be given a Membership Action Plan (MAP). When Germany and France balked, the result was a vague promise of future membership.

That was a mistake, and sent the following message to Russia: (a) Moscow has a veto in the Alliance; (b). Europe – or at least its main continental powers – will not involve themselves in a distant conflict between Russia and a neighboring state. Coupled with the justification of Kosovo, Russia felt emboldened to act against Georgia knowing that it has been, in effect, left outside the European security framework.

Read the whole thing. (Via Fistful of Euros).

ANOTHER UPDATE: More on the oil angle.