McCain Immaturity in Foreign Affairs: Georgia Russian Conflict

With ego and showmanship, Republican John McCain showed his lack of experience in diplomacy with sweeping commitments to Georgian President Saakashvili when he told him, "that I know I speak for every American when I say to him today, we are all Georgians.''

Such unequivocal statements are misleading on at least two levels.  First, not all Americans support Georgia in this conflict. This is a complicated issue of borders and secession that go back over five hundred years and covers almost the entire history of the Russian Empire.

While it is clear that any Russian move against Poland, the Baltic States or Asian nations are clear signs of Russian aggression and imperialism, the situation in Georgia and Ossetia is not as clear cut.

Secondly, we must understand that the Georgians very cleverly manipulated the Bush Administration with its commitment of 3,000 troops in Iraq. When the rest of the rational world was putting as much distance between themselves and the American lie in Iraq, Georgia stood with us with the third largest contingent there, as they curry favor with NATO.

It makes no difference that both McCain and Obama are clearly opposed to Russian aggression. What does make a difference is that McCain has signaled to Georgia that we will stand with them, unequivocally. That is a commitment we do not make to even the British or the Australians.

Comments

[Sven]

Bush, in 2005: "The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy, but you will not travel it alone. Americans respect your courageous choice for liberty. And as you build a free and democratic Georgia, the American people will stand with you."

Bush, 2008: "You can't spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes! You f'ed up - you trusted us!"

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/08/11/world/11ticktock_CA0_ready.html

[Henry Dubb]

Has not Obama made the same declaration. Both Obama and McCain co-sponsored a bill supporting Georgia's inclusion in NATO. This is central because aggression against any NATA country commits American troops in defense.

[gus]

Soglin, what planet do you live on? You're a clown.

[Jon]

There is one good thing to come out of this. When President Bush heard that Russia was invading Georgia, he ordered troops removed from Iraq to defend Atlanta.

[Bob Keith]

When one sits in a tidy Television studio in New York, Atlanta, or Washington with minions dusting your face with make-up, it must be easy to concoct bull...t about how the world operates. I have been caught up in the mantra paradigm (like many it would appear) that one should not mention that the remaining languishing "Super Powers" from the old "Cold War" era still have the ability to fry the world with nukes - but of course, we are not suppose to talk about it.

In the Suez Canal Crisis in '56 the Russians took on Hungary. During Tet in our Viet Nam era those same Russians stomped on Czechoslovakia with tanks. During our Iranian embassy hostage crisis they invaded Afghanistan. Now they invade their old "State" of Georgia during the most controversial Olympics in E-Generation memory. "Ahh, dude I don't get it," you say. Then you will be just fine having your silhouette being burnt into a building wall at one million degrees on State Street, in Anytown, USA - if the neo-cold-war is defrosted and things get ugly.

The current power brokers in the U.S. suggest, "This is the 21st Century and invad'n another country just ain't right." Well now, we've got a bucket load of street creds (Iraq) ain't we?

I perused the headlines on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and, ABC. Low and behold, it is business as usual. Nonsense times "2" monopolizes the headlines - celebs in jail, love children, cheating politicians...

The country of Georgia says, 'Hey, we sent 2000 troops to the 'Coalition of the Willing' for your Iraq thing, Mr. George!" Oops, George Bush, now what? So Ol' Bush is send'n humanitarian aid to Georgia via our Air Force as them damn Ruskies invade. Ahh, what if one of those planes gets shot down? We ain't suppose to talk about that, damn you Bob!.

Just a thought. While we all bask in Favre and that - "Swimming Dude," - we could be on the brink of a quasi-World War III. But if it happens, I am confident most of us will be blind to it anyway - like a child stepping on a twenty-five year old rusty land mine from some past war many of we good citizens missed as well.

Maybe then...see you in the after life, banal comrades.

Bob Keith
cooldadiomedia.com

Look, Abkhazians and Ossets need help against the Georgians. The US and Europe are not going to help even though it is the moral thing to do. Why? There is an important pipeline going through Georgia. So they have asked the Russians to help. Russians agreed. Why? There is an important pipeline going through Georgia.

McCain says we are all Georgians. John, do you know what means? That means we go around and try to get rid of all ethnic minorities.

[Henry]

Look, Abkhazians and Ossets need help against the Georgians. The US and Europe are not going to help even though it is the moral thing to do. Why? There is an important pipeline going through Georgia. So they have asked the Russians to help. Russians agreed. Why? There is an important pipeline going through Georgia.

McCain says we are all Georgians. John, do you know what means? That means we go around and try to get rid of all ethnic minorities