ANNE APPLEBAUM on Russia and Georgia.

And read these thoughts from Roger Kimball, too. “When Russian tanks and troops poured into the separatist Georgian province of South Ossetia yesterday, it was not, as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, part of a ‘peacekeeping mission.’ It was part of an imperialist mission whose undeclared goal is to reabsorb the whole of Georgia–West-leaning Georgia with its critical oil pipeline supplying energy to an increasingly thirsty Europe–into mother Russia.”

UPDATE: More on Georgia at Small Wars Journal. Plus, more at Foreign Policy. Also, Blackfive.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Is this a “3 A.M. moment?” Thoughts from Tom Maguire and TigerHawk.

MORE: McCain on Obama on Georgia. Though it should really be “toes the line,” not “tows the line” — that’s a pet peeve of mine.

STILL MORE: Here’s a backgrounder on South Ossetia that Michael Totten recommends.