EDIT 8/21/08: Typo – Thanks John!
I don’t think there are many people in the United States, or even in the world, who are not aware that Russia has invaded Georgia – a former Soviet (Russian) Province. Georgia is one of our most loyal allies. Russia has no right to be invading Georgia. They are offering weak excuses for why they have done this – claiming that they are “protecting” Russian citizens. (I can’t help but wonder why the Russian citizens are staying when apparently they could leave if they wanted to.)
The Flash Point: South Ossetia
The portion of Georgia that Russia has invaded is called South Ossetia. In South Ossetia there have been “rebel” “separatist” groups active. These groups are being directly supported by Russia. Russia hasn’t just stopped at occupying this sovereign territory of Georgia, but just yesterday they bombed the capitol city of Georgia as well, and earlier this morning Russia sent even more air-bombing raids on Georgia. The fighting is only getting worse, and already hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians have died – along with presumably a fair number of military troops on both sides, and separatist “rebels”.
Russia Takes More Land
Russia has also decided to station their destroyers in the Black Sea outside another Georgian territory. This area of Georgia is called Abkhazia. Another report was in the media yesterday that stated Russia was sending 9,000 more soldiers into this province – again presumably to “keep peace” (how does one keep peace with bombing raids).
This is not Peacekeeping
This is no peacekeeping mission as Russia is trying to make the world believe. Let’s at least be honest, Moscow – this is what is called war and you are waging it on a free nation that is allies with the United States. Our own president back in 2005 promised the President of Georgia our support in threats against it. I’m obviously not privy to know what is going on behind the scenes in the Pentagon, but publicly condemned Russia’s violence & Vice-President Dick Cheney has come out saying that there may be severe consequences for Russia if they do not end these attacks. Right now, President Bush is flying back from China to deal with this situation in Washington, D.C..
Please help us – Georgian President
Published today is a letter from Georgia’s President imploring the help of the United States. There is already talk among Georgians that we have left them unprotected, and unsupported. That we should be doing something already for their civilians lay dying due to Russian bombs.
The Defense of an Ally
As much as I dislike war, and violence I can’t help but think that in order to be an honorable nation we must step up and defend our ally. I can just hear the libs and isolationists now (imagine a whiny kid voice here): “You’re calling for war – you like war – you want people to die…” Well, I’ll tell you what – WAR is what is going on right now in Georgia – one of our closest allies. Someone who helps us when we need them. A country that helped us in the War on Terror by sending the third largest contingent of troops.
We would not be going to WAR, we are coming to the DEFENSE of a very small nation, that is just getting on its feet – FREE for the first time since being controlled by Soviet Russia, and finally beginning to prosper. Do you believe in real freedom for people? Then you must recognize that Georgia is the innocent player in this. It is Russia that has brought this to our door…
All of you who continually complain, “The world hates us”; do you really think they will have any more or less respect for us if we turn our backs on our word to an ally? Think about that for a minute. Good relations include coming to each others aid, and this doesn’t exclude when a country is attacked. If anything – especially in a new country – it is perhaps most important.
Was “The Bear” Only Hibernating?
Russia’s leaders had to have known that attacking Georgia would put her allies in a position of having to come up against them. I wonder if this was part of the plan overall – help Iran hold pressure against us while they take back some of their former captive nations. Several Eastern-European nations have also offered support to war-torn Georgia stating that they well-remember what it was like to be a “Captive Country” under Soviet rule – it doesn’t sound like they are convinced, and frankly neither am I, when Russia says it has put it’s goals of domination to rest. The Presidents of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, & the Ukraine have all said they are standing with the Georgian President against Russia whom they all see as the aggressor in this crisis.
As John McCain once said, “When I look in Putin’s eyes I see three things; K. G. B. “. Putin is definitely up to his “old tricks”. His training in the Communist machine has not gone unused. Instead of the Communist Party, the leaders have merely become ruling oligarchs, and instead of the KGB doing the dirty work, the Russian mafia is said to be more active than ever.
Russia has also been helping Iran to continue building its nuclear program – despite the threats from Iran’s leaders that they want to “wipe Israel off the Map”, and all sorts of variations on the theme of “death to America”. Was this part of their plan as well? To get the US focused on their friends the Iranians, and refusing to help in Iraq all because they were planning to “re-“annex their former Soviet States? Did they think our country would be too torn by internal strife over the Iraq war to be able to rouse the public into helping defend our ally? I hope I am wrong in my suspicions, however, I do not trust the Russian Government, and I feel for the Russian people, and all the other innocent people who are suffering because of the greed of others…
No Blood for Oil
A lot of liberals seem to think that the United States is fighting a war for oil in the Middle East right now. However, we are going to be leaving Iraq eventually. They are going to own their own country – to elect leaders and develop business & education & do everything else a thriving community does. We are not going to “own” their oil, nor are we going to occupy them forever – what we are doing right now is teaching them to be able to stand on their own – and it’s working…
Russia on the other hand is not attacking Georgia with these eventual intentions. Georgia is already sovereign and free. Georgia elects its leader according to their own laws. Russia has attacked the capitol of Georgia, and is fighting on the side of separatists (or maybe a better term would be domestic terrorists). They are directly interfering with the affairs of the sovereign Georgian government with a legally elected President.
History Repeating
Another view of these developments by more than a few people around the web: Russia invading Georgia, is akin to Hitler invading Poland in 1939. This is Putin & Russia’s “Sudetenland”. I wonder if the allies of Georgia and freedom will come to the aid of these people, or if we will again stand by and watch as Europe gets gobbled up by a country that is violently overthrowing their neighbor. The Russian Government has already warned the Ukraine as they have released information that alleges the Ukraine with helping Georgia right now (I say allege because I haven’t been able to verify if this is true or not, if it’s being reported by anyone else).
The Personal Side
It scares me that our country may be closer to war with Russia than at any time – perhaps since the Cuba Missile Crisis. My daughter is coming “of age”, and if there is a new draft (or if she decides to volunteer) I won’t be too thrilled with the prospect of her serving – however, I would be immensely proud of her, and thankful for her sacrifices for the rest of our family, community & country, as well as the cause of Freedom & peace in our World.
I can’t personally think of any way we can avoid what may be to come unless Russia backs off.
A Prayer
May God bless the Georgian People, and may God Bless the USA and all her allies. May God give our President and our government the strength and wisdom to make “all the right moves” at this dangerous time…
Take care of each other, everyone!
~ Michelle K.
PS – This post will be updated with links shortly.
Liberty Rocks 