Wednesday
Aug132008
What the hell is going on in Georgia?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 9:25AM
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a friend of mine who spent a couple years in the Ukraine with the Peace Corps. Obviously we started talking about the situation in South Ossetia and the conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia, and her concern that the Ukraine was next on Russia's radar.
I have to say that I agreed with her, it seems to me that Vladimir Putin has spent his entire post-KGB career trying to re-build the walls that fall in the late 80's and early 90's. Since he became prime minister he has brought the Russian media back under the thumb of the government, nationalized multiple industries (most notably the Russian Oil Industry) and has continually rolled back democratic initiatives put in motion by the Yeltsin government.
While this may seem to many to be the first true act of Russian aggression in a while, do not forget that Russia has been fighting Chechen revolutionaries for nearly a decade. Add that to the fact that Moscow is the puppet master of the South Ossetian separatists and you've got something a little more sinister than you might think at first blush.
Honestly, I think that the Ukraine is the next logical move for Putin and Unity (which may as well just call itself the Politburo). If Putin is truly attempting to recreate Soviet-style influence over the region, then Georgia may very well be to Putin what the Sudetenland was to Hitler, a small war that knocked over the first domino.
I have to say that I agreed with her, it seems to me that Vladimir Putin has spent his entire post-KGB career trying to re-build the walls that fall in the late 80's and early 90's. Since he became prime minister he has brought the Russian media back under the thumb of the government, nationalized multiple industries (most notably the Russian Oil Industry) and has continually rolled back democratic initiatives put in motion by the Yeltsin government.
While this may seem to many to be the first true act of Russian aggression in a while, do not forget that Russia has been fighting Chechen revolutionaries for nearly a decade. Add that to the fact that Moscow is the puppet master of the South Ossetian separatists and you've got something a little more sinister than you might think at first blush.
Honestly, I think that the Ukraine is the next logical move for Putin and Unity (which may as well just call itself the Politburo). If Putin is truly attempting to recreate Soviet-style influence over the region, then Georgia may very well be to Putin what the Sudetenland was to Hitler, a small war that knocked over the first domino.
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