whiskey;
With respect, especially considering your frequent and perspicacious (that was tough to type) comments, I disagree with the general tenor of your posts, if not the facts. True, Bush’s options for action are limited and the “political” is a real factor in what the President can (or will) do. I disagree that he is lazy or unwilling to fight. I think he has shown he is capable of making both the politically popular and unpopular decision, and, he IS still the President.
I’m afraid you are correct that Georgia is already lost…it is harder to undo a deed than to keep it from happening to begin with. However, Russia could use a too strong reaction on our part to split apart our European alliances, something you seem to think a done deal. A more measured response could have the opposite effect; Russia’s aggressiveness is a good issue to use to rally our allies. This would serve our national interest much more than immediately liberating an overrun Georgia. (This is probably a poor analogy to use, but in some revisionist histories of the second world war, the appeasement of Chamberlin let Hitler show his true colors and bought some important time, for at least England, to rearm…perhaps enough to be prepared enough for the Battle of Britain…please, I’m NOT recommending appeasement, but, nothing is static).
Comments here have made mention of insurgent warfare against Russian occupying forces – I think our successes taming insurgents in Iraq belie a sophistication which I doubt the Russians could master. Additionally, with our (and others) help, we could make the bed the Russians have made quite difficult to lie in.
$145 a barrel for oil is bad for us, but I am not sure that particular monetary value means as much to the Russians – how important is the relative value of the dollar to them? I think the price of oil is still pegged to the dollar, but is that where the value lies for the Russians, at least relative to raping Georgia?
It is a dicey situation, but I think the US has historically done quite well in that turbulent area along the edge of chaos in spite of our slavish obeisance to stability displayed during the Cold War. In fact, “stability” has not always done us well.
regards
lensatic compass