Pushing Russia’s Buttons

CONDI RICE has accomplished NOTHING in her tenure. A waste of air...

The Russians are rebuilding, re-arming with petro-dollars. We have pushed them too far. NATO has proven to be a "paper tiger" and Putin knows this. The tripwire will be Ukraine, where there is a large Russian pop. in E. Ukraine. Wat will NATO do? NOTHING. Iraq has drained the US military, and in A-stan only a few members actually fight. Germany, Italy, Spain refuse to deploy the number of troops needed to conduct offensive ops there. They won't fight. We better re-think the missle defense system in E, Europe. If the Russians cross into Ukraine, only the UK and France [yes, the French] will fight alongside us. Air power is the key, but it does not take and hold territory. We are taking on too much, with too little.

It is just amazing that Russia would even be a problem now. Isn't Condi Rice the "Russian" expert from Stanford and what kind of relations has this administration been developing with the Russians in the last 8 years ? While we are so focused on this election, the "administration" is off doing God know what with the Russians and nobody is focusing in on them in the last few days of George's reign. I don't trust them , they have lied and you the media better start covering what they are really doing before they leave office

I have only one major correction to this article. It is concerning the following statement: ???The Bush administration has only stepped up this policy???it is one of the few areas where there has been real continuity between Clinton and Bush?????? Actually, it is Bush senior we have to thank for this reversal in Russian ideology. Bush senior supported Boris Yelstin over Mihkail Gorbachev desire to create a Euroasian version of the European Union after he destroyed the Soviet Union. By placing a puppet like Yelstin in office, Bush senior layed the groundwork that sparking a sense of humilation Russians feel now.

We saw this coming. It is very similar to what is going on in the Middle East. We destroyed the dream of a ???Great Palastine??? now we destroy the dream of a ???Great Russia???. Both have some to bit us in the butt.

I loved the comparison between how we appease China over one small island nation but pushed the Russian bear into its cave only for it to come back out kicking and screaming. It would be nice for our top DC foreign policy guru???s too: 1) finally guesse something right or 2) finally get hear when they see issue like this boiling under the surface. I, for one, believe the truly intellegent ones were either fired by Bush junior for their ideology or like FEMA have a Bush puppet driving the wheel.

a very nice article. This is first time I see someone try to understand Russia. You cannot keep on blaming Russia for everything when there are so many problems here, in the States. I am not even talking about European Union that cannot ensure that "non-citizens" (read Russians) become citizens. I do not agree with the way this conflict has been handled on all sides, but this war is very popular in Russia and Russian people are very tired of being held responsible for all the world's mistakes.

YES there is no excusing to put U.S on a silppray in deeply russia places . YES there is no excusing to killed more of American troops outsid US after the Iraq and afghnistan war . YES there is no excusing to America to have filling as beger force more than the life its silve this extending to every place depended on only the war and the troops it is suicide of American nation - there is no excusing to America to be the last new nation in the world and to be the first in the end

YES there is no excusing to put U.S on a silppray in deeply russia places . YES there is no excusing to killed more of American troops outsid US after the Iraq and afghnistan war . YES there is no excusing to America to have filling as beger force more than the life its silve this extending to every place depended on only the war and the troops it is suicide of American nation - there is no excusing to America to be the last new nation in the world and to be the first in the end

This is just what the Mc Bushes have been waiting for...America is stupid if it lets the Republican party get away with such Bull...we should be smarter than to be malnipulated like this...McCain has dementia and the RNC will be running this country with a door man at the helm...McBush....we need to stop this..nonsense..tell the truth

Across the history we`ve seen:When a nation acquire much power it becames agressive and by its own acts finish collapsed.USA is writing the same again,invaded Iraq with no reason since there were no mass destruction bombs,
create own world maps in schools,have an exemple of "democracy" prison in Guantamo,how many families are dying,starving and suffering at this moment in consequence of USA acts know?Are you writing the same history?...

By Rodrigo Maia a Brazilian shoe seller

Across the history we`ve seen:When a nation acquire much power it becames agressive and by its own acts finish collapsed.USA is writing the same again,invaded Iraq with no reason since there were no mass destruction bombs,
create own world maps in schools,have an exemple of "democracy" prison in Guantamo,how many families are dying,starving and suffering at this moment in consequence of USA acts know?Are you writing the same history?...

By Rodrigo Maia a Brazilian shoe seller

As i see it, both Russia and U.S will continue to flex muscles cos there just cannot be only one superpower.(China flexes too, but little short in height !) Politics is such that both parties keep checks on each other and maintian stability. One coin, two sides. Problem is Georgia awoke a sleeping bear.

The United States Is in part responsible for this desaster. NO (1) Winning the cold war, Was a matter of "out spending, Not the defeat of a Nation. Yet the US has responded'as if It (the US) Won a grate victory, Not true! No(2) The US speeks peace to thear face' And aplys presear from behind. No(3) The US can put missle sites just about any place around the world' Why must it be in Russah's Face? US arregance will only harm the cause of peace. We(the US) Call ourselvs peace keepers,when in reality we are telling the world, WE'RE Going to be in Controll. No(4) Russa has done the same thing the US did in Cuba' Is it rite for us'and wrong for Russha?

???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????, ???????? ???? ???? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????? ?? ????????????, ?????????? ????????, ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ??????, ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????. ?????? ???? ???? ??????????????, ?????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?? ????????, ???????????????????? ?????????? ?????????????????????? ?? ????????, ?????? ???????? ?? ?????????? ?? ???? ?? ?????????? ???????????????????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ??????????. ?? ??????????, ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????????? ?? ?????? ????????????. ?? ?????????????????? «???????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????, ???????????? ????????????».

Okay you are U.S. citizens promo brains, if you do not see beyond his nose and believe everything that you write supposedly free media, which are subordinate to U.S. security services. You do not say why the U.S. invaded Iraq, Afghanistan wants to invade Iran, all dealing in oil and not about what democracy speech here may not be. I think my message will live long and remove it. And remember "if you want to make you respect, respect others".

In the meantime, Russia has made similar allegations against Georgia, some of which may be backed up by witness reports.

Despite Western governments' public statements of support for Saakashvili, some Western diplomats now privately say that the Georgian leadership or military made a serious and possibly criminal mistake last week by launching a massive barrage against the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, which inevitably led to major civilian deaths and casualties.


Russian officials have said 2,000 people were killed in the Georgian offensive, a figure that has not been confirmed independently. But it is indisputable that large numbers of civilians were killed in and around Tskhinvali.(Reuters)
We're Americans.

We like to divide up opponents in any conflict into Good Guys and Bad Guys. Since reality tends to be more complicated than that, we can easily be misled by politicians and media pundits whose personal agendas are served by telling us which are the Good Guys and which the Bad Guys.

Russia has agreed to "stand down" (NYT); and Georgia has apparently filed a lawsuit against Russia in in the International Court of Justice for ethnic cleansing. (Newsmeat; Examiner.com) But Russia made similar claims against Georgia when it went into South Ossetia. Is either side telling the truth? Are both?

Both sides have traded accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Russia has accused Georgia of killing more than 2,000 people, mostly civilians??? The claim couldn't be independently confirmed, but witnesses who fled the area over the weekend said hundreds had died. (Examiner.com)
During the course of trying to fit together the pieces of the media jig-saw (speaking of trust, lack of), a number of quotes snagged my attention.

Yesterday, Vladimir Putin said:

"The Ferocity in which the actions of the Georgian side were carried out cannot be called anything else but genocide, because they acquired a mass character and were directed against individuals, the civilian population, peacekeepers who carried out their functions of maintaining peace." (BBC News Key Statements)

some example of USA "independent" press:
http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=H8XI2Chc6uQ
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-60920

You just dont listen to the TRUE story...