The Defiant Ones

so much for free and balanced western journalism... Russian press is now more balanced than American

Well, unlike the two comments below, I liked the piece. Yes, it was foksy and it has a point of view. As long as journalism puts its point of view out front where we can all see it ahead of time, I can make up my own mind about whether or not I agree. Far more dangerous is the "journalism" that hides its point of view in the "facts" it chooses to present, withhold, and/or alter in service of an agenda it prefers to pretend isn't present. The thing I liked the most about the piece was its discussion of the concept of defiance,and how it might inform some otherwise incomprehensible choices. To the uninitiated, Saakashvili's decision to tweak the tale of the Russian bear seems insane. What did he think Putin et al would choose to do in response? Did he really believe whatever whispers were emanating from the halls of neocon alley that the United States would send the Air Force as back-up to his invasion? But, placed in the context of the emotional history, it assumes a strange and twisted kind of logic. And I'd like to humbly suggest to the two posters who preceded me, a compelling case for the kind of open-minded negotiations with both our allies and our enemies that Barack Obama believes are the best kind of foreign policy. It helps to know what the person sitting on the other side of the table is actually thinking when one is formulating a response.

Well, unlike the two comments below, I liked the piece. Yes, it was foksy and it has a point of view. As long as journalism puts its point of view out front where we can all see it ahead of time, I can make up my own mind about whether or not I agree. Far more dangerous is the "journalism" that hides its point of view in the "facts" it chooses to present, withhold, and/or alter in service of an agenda it prefers to pretend isn't present. The thing I liked the most about the piece was its discussion of the concept of defiance,and how it might inform some otherwise incomprehensible choices. To the uninitiated, Saakashvili's decision to tweak the tale of the Russian bear seems insane. What did he think Putin et al would choose to do in response? Did he really believe whatever whispers were emanating from the halls of neocon alley that the United States would send the Air Force as back-up to his invasion? But, placed in the context of the emotional history, it assumes a strange and twisted kind of logic. And I'd like to humbly suggest to the two posters who preceded me, a compelling case for the kind of open-minded negotiations with both our allies and our enemies that Barack Obama believes are the best kind of foreign policy. It helps to know what the person sitting on the other side of the table is actually thinking when one is formulating a response.

To bad journalism is dead at Newsweek with examples of articles like this and pro Obama (anti-captialist) editors you employee. I will remind you and your staff the job of reporting the news is the 5 Ws (Who, What, Where, When and Why) and not your personal opinion that was fed to you by some socialist professor at one of greater institutions of lower learning.

Europe should stay out of this one. Every US president needs a war and the whoever the next president is he will have to follow up the legacy of aggression against Russia. Now that the US has reached the borders of Russia and are allowing genocide and rocket shield, Europe should not support this aggression on our soil. Get US army out of Europe now!

As Fulbright wrote, "Once imbued with the idea of a mission, a great power assumes that it has the means as well as the duty to do God's work"--Barack "The Massiah" has his own "mission" to do "God's work". It involves taking away from those of us who have worked their asses off to build a better life. My parents came to this country with nothing. Now I have a nice house, cars, health care, etc becuase I worked hard and took risks. Benevolent dictators are the worst kind of tyrants bacause they never have to deal with their own consciences. They do it to "help" is because we are too stupid to do it ourselves. Please DO NOT let this arrogant man, Obama, gain power. Our freedom will be the price we pay.

I fail to see how a person who has always voted for Democrats saying that she will vote for the new candidate is a sign of "defiance." She and the "yellow dog" would vote for anyone their party put on the ballot. My county in the "red state" of Texas and although there is a GOP chapter, all local elections are settled in the Democratic primary, as no one runs onder any other group or as independent.
I would like to know a little more of the "better health care" discussion, is the problem the doctor or the need to follow the most current nationalization scheme. Remember that VA hospitals tend to be rated among the worst places to receive treatment until overhauls due to the Iraq war vets began. Still some service requests take weeks to be processed.
I do like the comment about the Starbucks-drinking readers being assumed Obama supports. I wonder if the book titles helped in anyway (The Audacity of Hope?).
I really hope that this is a blog entry, and not a sign of where journalism is going.

I think, that here work badly going to school!
Read a history and do not try to change it with the your discretion.
The next bad estimation in school.
Do not make by blockheads of your citizens!
Example: Georgia is going down.What is farther?
Do not make muck for Russia! Russia will answer to you with the unpredictability!
The result will be similar! If certainly these problems are needed for you!

Citizen of the world from Russia!

I think, that here work badly going to school!
Read a history and do not try to change it with the your discretion.
The next bad estimation in school.
Do not make by blockheads of your citizens!
Example: Georgia is going down.What is farther?
Do not make muck for Russia! Russia will answer to you with the unpredictability!
The result will be similar! If certainly these problems are needed for you!

Citizen of the world from Russia!

It is indeed unfortunate that Georgia was so stupid as to stand up against the Russian bear. Stupid and presumptuous. These people lived for decades under the tyranny of the Soviet Union. They should have known better. I don???t buy all the neocon crap about prosperity leading to freedom leading to democracy. Today our foreign policy based on the belief that people, given the choice, will always choose freedom and democracy. That is demonstrably not always true. Anyway it is none of our business.

But maybe Mr. Dickey just doesn???t appreciate that sometimes and in some places people stumble across a taste of freedom and liberty and find it to their liking. And sometimes that discovery creates an unquenchable appetite for more. And sometimes that unquenchable appetite causes people to do stupid things like defy daunting insurmountable odds to secure that freedom. Like the things our founding fathers did when they defied England so long ago. That was surely a stupid thing to do.

Maybe Mr. Dickey would do well to spend more time searching for the things that ennoble humankind and less time dwelling on the shortcomings of humans. Especially Georgians, whether they live in Tblisi or Atlanta.

This was a great article until the very end. Thanks for using your theory of crisis to give a nudge towards your agenda.

The article was very interesting until the end. Thanks for turning a theory on crisis into a nudge for your agenda.

After Russia's invasion of Georgia, what now for the West?
At least for now, the smoke seems to be clearing from the Georgian battlefield. But the extent of the wreckage reaches far beyond that small country.
Telegraph.co.uk by John R Bolton 15 Aug 2008

Saying this may cause angst in Europe???s capitals, but now is the time to find out if Nato can withstand a potential renewed confrontation with Moscow, or whether Europe will cause Nato to wilt. Far better to discover this sooner rather than later, when the stakes may be considerably higher. If there were ever a moment since the fall of the Berlin Wall when Europe should be worried, this is it. If Europeans are not willing to engage through Nato, that tells us everything we need to know about the true state of health of what is, after all, supposedly a ???North Atlantic??? alliance.

Finally, the most important step will take place right here in the United States. With a Presidential election on November 4, Americans have an opportunity to take our own national pulse, given the widely differing reactions to Russia???s blitzkrieg from Senator McCain and (at least initially) Senator Obama. First reactions, before the campaigns??? pollsters and consultants get involved, are always the best indicators of a candidate???s real views. McCain at once grasped the larger, geostrategic significance of Russia???s attack, and the need for a strong response, whereas Obama at first sounded as timorous and tentative as the Bush Administration. Ironically, Obama later moved closer to McCain???s more robust approach, followed only belatedly by Bush.

In any event, let us have a full general election debate over the implications of Russia???s march through Georgia. Even before this incident, McCain had suggested expelling Russia from the G8; others have proposed blocking Russia???s application to join the World Trade Organisation or imposing economic sanctions as long as Russian troops remain in Georgia. Obama has assiduously avoided specifics in foreign policy ??? other than withdrawing speedily from Iraq ??? but that luxury should no longer be available to him. We need to know if Obama???s reprise of George McGovern???s 1972 campaign theme, ???Come home, America???, is really what our voters want, or if we remain willing to persevere in difficult circumstances, as McCain has consistently advocated. Querulous Europe should hope, for its own sake, that America makes the latter choice.