Georgia

The history lessons that the leader of Georgia attended may have given him a distorted concept of valour. Giving the Russian army an excuse to invade seems rash at best. Risking all for territorial integrity, why?

Russia used to control all sorts of countries that became independent of the USSR last century. Of course there are going to be territorial disputes. There is an obvious need therefore to monitor the collapse of large empires, and follow it up with border certification, acceptance by both sides that the border will be honoured. By enjoining a Russian enclave, Georgia actually had the opportunity to make peace with its giant adversary. All the other satellites are anxious that Russia not be allowed to overrun recognised borders militarily. There is merit in that concept, certainly.

Is the Bush reponse to Russia the right one? Somehow, it seems irrational to involve America so rapidly. It is not like Georgia had joined NATO just yet. So why is GW Bush basically rattling sabres? It seems political in the extreme. But is it correct?

It does seem that it is true that Georgia sent its troups in first, apparently the Georgians started to excercise military force in Ossetia before Russia crushed their army in no uncertain terms. One has to wonder, if an invader of similar scale attempted a landing in Florida, what would the USA do in response?

The "new world order" achieved by Bush's daddy has recklessly and systematically been destroyed by the actions of the second Bush administration. The American right has a chance to reconcile with that legacy before they start launching holus bolus into Obama. But then is the shooting of the Arkansas Democratic Chairman by a disgruntled sacked employee of Target the actual cost of the Second Amendment? That we are all essential free to be equal if anyone can have a loaded gun, anywhere?

The American state is allowed to enact laws decided by its own democracy. But Disturbing Trends has questioned if the USA is in fact a democratic country? Are the people allowed to make any kind of rational decision as to what happens next or are they a victim to their own hysteria and need to be controlled? Is the predictions of 1984 by George Orwell not already evident and accepted in the same way that the citizens of Germany were taken in by the rise of Nazism?

If America destroys the hope in the Obama campaign and do not enter into a fresh New Deal phase, then, under McCain - we see America entering a more severely military face off with Russia. The current opportunity Russia took to punish Georgia is limited by the simple fact that if they do not now respond honourably, then paranoia will be rife.

The fact that Bush/McCain wanted to have nuclear weapons in Georgia is why Russia has invaded Georgia. Given a good excuse, they are likely to get away with it if they are honourable.

If they are not, like in the 1968 that Condi Rice alluded to, then they will set the world on edge, and Obama will get drowned by the paranoia - such is the hopes of the Bush reaction. It is political, afterall.

Funding Untruth

It is real nice to learn that Exxon Mobil has been funding "authorities" to create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) about the stark reality of climate change. Burning carbon is causing unusual growth in global warming which, if not reversed or at least limited - will cause untold damage to the future world. It is very irresponsible to keep at it, even after it is fully accepted that something has to be done to reduce pollution. The greatest gift of the Olympics being in Beijing is that no outdoor endurance or speed records are likely to be broken - it may be the most difficult games to breathe in since Mexico City - but that was due to elevation and low pressure making rapid breathing more difficult. Beijing has to virtually shut down (90% of its motor fleet are disabled for the games) in order to allow its think smogs to clear enough for the needs of performance athletes. If they become sick inhaling too much industrial level pollution, and can not compete, it may just convince the world that pollution is the real enemy of humans, that climate change disasters can be circumvented if we take pollution far more seriously. It is just as serious as climate change and global warming and will als kill us. Allowing the unrestrained growth of pollution is socially detrimental and false economics.