The Russian bear has awakened from it’s post-Soviet slumber. The Georgians find themselves in the unenviable position of being the first meal of a very hungry bear. The fall of the greater, Soviet Union was strictly a matter of economics… not an ideological collapse, as is commonly believed. I suspect that very few of the ruling class have had ideological epiphanies in the intervening years. Certainly what has ensued since the fall of the Soviet Union has not been a stunning example of the advantages of free-markets and/or democracies. The same people who brought you the KGB, re-education camps, gulags, proxy wars, expansionism and the cold war… are still there albeit 19 years older.
Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, is masterfully positioned to be the dominant supplier of Europe’s energy needs. The recent spike in oil prices, has given Russia the one thing it really lacked: cold, hard cash.
With this new infusion of cash, all of the ingredients now exist, and another incarnation of the evil empire, is about to emerge. Putin spent the better part of this decade, consolidating power within his own country and now it appears, that the time has come to consolidate power throughout the region.
Unfortunately, the Georgians somehow convinced themselves that they were ready to take on the Russians and oust them from their ill-gotten, national territory. This is not to say it wouldn’t have happened anyway… but in this case, it certainly looks as though the Georgians gave them the excuse they needed. Maybe in forcing the Russian’s hand, so early in the game, the west will be shaken from it’s post cold-war euphoria, before it’s too late.
Simply training the Georgians was obviously a mistake… maybe we showed them one too many Rambo movies. I would have to guess that the Georgian leadership allowed emotions to rule their military and political judgments. What else could make a 19000 man, ill-equipped, militia… take on a 650000 man, professional army with thousands of advanced jets, tanks and precision munitions? Whomever came up with that battle plan should be shot. This is yet another reason I would like to cite when I read the, “where is America,” comments in the news reports. You want us to put our children in that situation? American soldiers fight alongside other professional soldiers, in matters of national interests and security. The Georgian army went into South Ossetia, did some horrible things of their own (to civilians) and then went to pieces when the Russian army came to throw them back out. That is not the behavior of a professional army… we couldn’t have taught you that! God, I hope the Ukrainians have better leaders and/or better soldiers than that, otherwise, I hope you all remember how to speak Russian.
I envision a much friendlier Europe in the coming years. Our post-cold war position of, “most evil country,” will soon be replaced with the unspoken title of, “lesser of the two evils.” I kind of missed Russia all of these years… it was nice to have a sane, rational enemy who you could count on. These intervening years of fanatical terrorists and bomb-laying Iraqis, has not had the same ambiance as did the Soviet days. No one pretended to like us as they did when you were around. Being the most evil country just hasn’t given us the same thrill as it did you. I guess every ying needs it yang?
