"Do you really believe that Russia's move against Georgia is not an assertion of control over "the near abroad" (as the Russians call their border regions), but rather the first step of a campaign to restore the Warsaw Pact in Eastern Europe and, from there, bring back the Cold War's Continental standoff?"

FIRST step? Gee, I'd have thought trying to murder the Ukrainian president was a first step. Or cutting off the oil flow to various countries. Or trying to intimidate NATO allies like the Czech Republic and Poland.

The speed and ferocity with which the Russians have been able to move proves they've been planning this, and it's rather disturbing that once again, the intelligence agencies of the U.S. failed to notice something that big. Perhaps this wouldn't have happened if members of the intelligence community were more interested in doing their jobs rather than trying to undermine the duly elected policy makers of this country (a problem that precedes the Bush administration, for those about to reflexively jump on that).

As for what to do about the current crisis, I have some suggestions: recall of our ambassador to Russia (for "consultations"), ramming through a mutual defense treaty with the Ukrainians ASAP, expulsion of Russia from the G-8, and/or the deployment of several hundred Marines to Tblisi to "secure the embassy," to name just a few things off the top of my head. Oh, and the administration should issue a heartfelt "Fuck you" to the Russians when they complain. Slap them down and slap them down hard--it should have been done as soon as Putin started his antics, but too many people in this country have been laboring under the delusion that Russia is a "partner."

(Actually, I suppose Russia could be considered a partner: the kind of partner who sleeps with your wife, embezzles all the company's money, and then flies off to Rio laughing all the way, but a partner nonetheless.)

Of course, I don't really expect the Bush Administration to do anything of a particularly forceful nature, as it has already shown a willingness to screw over in the name of "pragmatism" or "realism" those who were stupid enough to believe all the promotion of democracy talk. No, they'll just make the proper disapproving noises, put on their Darfur/Tibet/Burma frowny face (Bush was already practicing today), and six months from now it'll be business as usual.

Oh well, at least I can amuse myself with the realization that with regard to this sort of situation, it's Obama who'd be more likely to be the third Bush term.

So you're advocating starting a major confrontation, possibly even a war, with Russia because some jumped up nationalist politician in their own back yard thought he could put one over on them and has badly miscalculated? Basically you want to hand control of the West's foreign policy to the president of Georgia. Are you nuts?