Uncle Sam's assault charges

[flamingsword]

America is addicted to oil - even George W. Bush says so. But now we are an addict that robs other countries at gunpoint to support our habit. And Russia, the neighborhood kid that always competes with us and follows our dumbass lead on the one-upmanship, is following our example with Georgia.

Good gods, you guys, we're that country. I love US, but maybe it's time we stopped using wisdom as a dump stat.



Also: many thanks to luckyckljw for the link to the most thought-provoking article on world politics I've read this year. It describes the whole wicked problem aspect of things quite well.

Comments

[luckyckljw.livejournal.com]

Quite welcome, though I must admit real thanks goes to my History prof., who assigned it for class.

Merely One Facet

[lord-of-entropy.livejournal.com]

While the great game considering spheres of influence over oil production & distribution is certainly an element of the conflict in South Ossetia, it is a background draft to what had been a smouldering bed of coals for sometime. Beyond the "defending our people & our friends" aspect of the conflict (any good PR campaign risks becoming true in the mind of your own citizens if nowhere else), Russia is clearly going to see Georgia as having rolled-up in their grill (http://duckofminerva.blogspot.com/2008/08/plea-for-sanity.html).
This is particularly true after a leader who has repeatedly stated his intent to reclaim S Ossetia stages an assault within 24 hours of claiming to want to negotiate a cease-fire to the brush warfare that had been taking place. Beyond the unsettled debate over how to tell if Georgian forces have withdrawn from Ossetian territory (if you can't fix a border how do you cross it?) this is the perfect excuse for Putin to not accept Saakashvili's offer while Putin pursues his own domestic agenda (winning a war is always great for further cementing one's political capital).
I'd also note we haven't even mentioned Kosovo yet.
Georgia decided to try and shortcut the long hard slog of dealing with a demographic group that determinedly rejects one's rule/government with a sudden mass use of military power. They failed to seize & block Russia's access to S. Ossetia and are now reaping the whirlwind for their error. That Dubya & McCain have either actively encouraged or failed to dissuade Georgia of the believe that we'd cover their bet is yet another failure of diplomacy & statecraft by this know-nothing administration.

[queenofhalves]

but maybe it's time we stopped using wisdom as a dump stat

*falls over laughing*

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

<♥> I knew my geeks would catch that bit. Glad you like it. :D

[jeremysbrain.livejournal.com]

"Addicted to oil", you say that like its a bad thing. Without oil our country would kind of suck.