Georgia On My Mind

I've been thinking about the Georgia/Russia conflict since it occurred that August day. The moment the media brought us the news of the conflict and let me know that as an American I was a long lost friend to the Georgians I was skeptical. My initial skepticism came as a result of, well, look at the messenger: the media. Second, my government was telling me that Georgia was like a close play-cousin who I hadn't heard from in awhile. So, I did some digging.
The conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia goes back before 1988. In 1993 South Ossetia drafted it's very own constitution and in 1996 elected their first president. More events occurred but let's jump ahead to June 2007. South Ossetia separatists claim Georgia attacked Tshivali with mortar fire and sniper fire. Tbilisi denies this. This lead to talks which broke down in October of that same year. Later, South Ossetia, seeing that the West supports Kosovo's secession from Serbia asks the world to recognize it's independence from Georgia. This is now March 2008, and Georgia begins its push to join NATO. Confused yet? Me too.
April 2008 South Ossetia rejects Georgia's offer of a power sharing type of deal and insists on full independence. In August 2008 as we all know guns start blazin', but hold the phone the soup gets thicker.
Georgia and the U.S. have been serious bedfellows. Georgia has been a proud member of the coalition of the willing. Remember them? This was Bush's team of guys who wanted to share in the spoils of the IRAQ occupation, oops, er, invasion, er, freedom liberation movement...thingy. By definition, this means the U.S. has been training and arming the Georgians so that they could fight shoulder to shoulder against 'evil doers' (N.B. an evil doer is one that does evil).

ENTER JOHN MCCAIN

Presidential hopeful John McCain has put it on the public record that he has been friendly with and working with the Georgians since 1993. He even hired a lobbyist firm to aid him in his negotiations with the Georgians. Why he needed lobbyists and what they were cooking up is not yet known to this blogger. Now here is where it gets sexy. McCain's last visit prior to the conflict was April 2008. After Georgia attacked South Ossetia, Russia responded with a hell of a lot of force. S.Ossetia has many Russian passport carrying citizens. Russia used excessive force as a warning to Georgia as well as a statement of things to come should Georgia act up again. Bush immediately fired back at the Russians stating that they behaved as bullies. Russia obviously has more firepower and they used it. Did the Coalition of the Willing invade IRAQ with slingshots and pitchforks? Or did the U.S. use the resources they possessed? The Bush administration also said that the Russians used far too much force. Bush leveled the city of Fallujah-leveled it!

PUNCHLINE

Let's look at the time line. McCain goes to Georgia around the time that talks break down between Georgia and South Ossetia. In august Georgia attacks South Ossetia, now that they have weapons and training. But, they know that if Russia retaliates, which any fool would know they would, Georgia would suffer many casualties. However, Georgia has an ally: the U.S. The day after the Russian response Bush blasts Russia. The next day Dick Cheney goes to Georgia and hands them a check for 1 billion dollars. A few days later John McCain roars pure solidarity with the Georgians at the Republican national convention.
McCain is largely running on the national security ticket. What better way to promise a nation safety than to have one war (well two) going and another one brewing in Russia. Be I a conspiracy theorist? At times certainly. But this is easy math and I never found math easy. The writing is on the wall and I've just scratched the surface of the wall writing. Bush, Cheney and McCain are the players. They told Georgia to pick this fight. Paid them in fact, there, I said it. We need to keep our eyes open on the Georgia/Russia/South Ossetia business. We need to watch Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to listen to what we are told about Iran. And then, I beg you, find news sources OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. Find those sources and drink in the information as if it were water after a lengthy desert walk. THEN, read between the lines of these outside sources! Question everything for our lives depend on it!