South Ossetia does not matter to the US. Russia deciding to act “now” with oil revenues and create a military empire of Eastern Europe (and perhaps more) against what in Europe is mainly border guards and police, incapable of arresting violent criminals in their own country much less fighting off foreign invaders, does.

Russia if it wanted to, could seize pretty much most of Eastern Europe and perhaps also Germany and even France. The pathetic state of military affairs there is that bad.

Drawing a line somewhere against Putin’s desire to reconstitute Stalin’s slave empire is important.