It always looked to me as though the U.S., and to a degree the E.U., felt it was their responsiblity to reshape the successor states after defeating the Soviet Union.

I'm not sure Russia didn't look upon this as America trying to take advantage of their weakness and impose a new political-military reality in which Russia was to be surrounded by nations controlled by the United States and its military through NATO.

My bet is this administration felt Russia wouldn't confront us over this region, and Russia calculated we are concluding the Iraq war and would return to our preimenent postion in a few years.

Remember, we have been thrown off balance in the unanticipated length we have been in Iraq, and our shift in foreign policy to that region, during which time Russia has regained its balance as a regional player.

What's amusing to me is under the so called New World Order, all the desk bound analysts argued that only non-nation states, like al-Qaeda (we'll throw in N. Korea as a non serious state) would be a problem in the 21st century, as any serious nation would be a participant - - surprise!

I have to work this in for future thought. I wonder if Iran isn't taking a look at how Russia worked this out? Many felt they had decided they had lost their chance to dominate Iraq. Might they now be reconsidering this?

Funny thing though, we need to get out of Iraq, but we also need Russian help with Iran. How this comes back around to Georgia is astounding to me.

I guess this is what one article I read calls the "The Real World Order." : - |

A thoughtful response. Doesn't it show that the world is still operating on 1914 principles? In spite of the catastrophes of the last century, the supposed "opinion leaders "of the present still believe this metastable gimcrackery will bring peace and stability. It reminds me of the Japanese story of the "47 Ronin", who believed that the feudal system could be made to work, if onlyeveryone did their duty. It is magnificent, but it still won't work. We have 2 choices: either a voluntary world government, based on shared responsibilities and principles (not good guys and bad guys), or no doubt more likely, continuing our drift towards one country conquering all. For a preview, look up the "Warring States" period in ancient China. disigny

This is about the oil in the Central Asian and Russian land...its about the West believing they have some God given right to rule over everyone else, as Bush has basically claimed again and again. In order to rule over everyone, they need to control that oil, and Georgia and the Black sea is the way to that. Oil is how they run things now. Of course, they fear Russia ruling over everyone.

I believe they are wrong; I believe that this is like Spain vs. England on the New World...Spain wanted the gold, and thought it would give them the power to run eveyrone else; England wanted to liberate people from old backward production and cultural relations and to build new economies...and who the hell won, OBVIOUSLY?

Right now, the state owned petrol companies are outgunning the private ones by miles, and these pedantic little ideologues think that is socialism, when capitalist countries have very often done the same thing in given circumstances; they resort to using religious fanatics for a social base and rule a mere device off the table, and that is just exactly what Spain did, only with lower technology.

Of course, if I don't lie down and prattle the nonsense these neocons like Bush, McCain and Rice are spouting, I'm supposed to be a commie and unpatriotic, but I think I am far more patriotic than they are, and smarter by a damn site too, even if I am a nobody and old.