nice fantasy you wrote, except it bears no realtion to the premise of the article.

>>The US did everything it could, as best it could, under the circumstances

NO!!! afer scoring the foothold in Georgia, it should have make sure, ruthlessly if needed, that the Georgian goverment would not fall to any Russian bait, and would not engage in suicidical frontal attack on S. Ostia. had the situation be reversed, Putin would have never let this happen, because, unlike our deluded leaders, he is realpolitic 100%, the bastard.