THE LAST WORD

Mikheil Saakashvili : Where Are My Western Friends?

By Anna Nemtsova | NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 11, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Apr 20, 2009

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  • Posted By: Bumpkin @ 05/12/2009 8:55:24 AM

    Anarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state, as compulsory government, to be unnecessary, harmful, and/or undesirable. Anarchism is usually considered to be a radical left-wing ideology. We have radical street opposition in Georgia. The so-called radical street opposition in Georgia is the union of anarchists, because they share its ideology!!!. Their main goal is anarchy in the country and they do their best to achieve it, they refuse any talk or dialogue with the government. Salome Zurabishvili for example said that the word dialogue is a devil???s language and that they never talk in devil???s language. What kind of opposition are they? They are Anarchists!!!! Georgian Anarchists!!!! They know very well that they have no brain in any political debate they are losers, so VIVA to ANARCHY!!! Anarchy means political disorder and confusion, just like our street opposition. Anarchy means an absence of any cohesive principle, such as a common standard or purpose (just like our union of 16 opposition parties who doesn???t know what they want). Which country likes anarchists? Georgia has professional anarchists who call themselves democratic opposition. They are misleading the whole society. They should use correct terminology, they strongly believe and share the values of anarchy. So They are ANARCHISTS and not radical opposition.

  • Posted By: smansfield @ 04/27/2009 5:48:03 PM

    What a disaster. While his countrymen starve,and he jails political prisoners he spends $200,000 for Dr. Dot and American masseuse and was just caught on camera lounging around at a Turkish resort with an unidentified young woman who was not his wife. This man is deluded if he thinks Obama 's going to support him. The State Department is finished with the jerk and the country deserves new leadership. Yes, Misha, America is different under Obama.

  • Posted By: Bumpkin @ 04/20/2009 11:52:57 AM

    Mr. Putin is a former KGB apparatchik, who has called the Soviet Union's collapse the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century." The comment reveals his bloodlust and moral depravity. Moscow is seeking to restore the Great Russian Empire. It poses a strategic threat to its neighbors and to the West.

    • Posted By: St. Petersburger @ 04/21/2009 8:09:41 AM

      Bumpkim - the comment reveals no such thing. Until you can get into the head of VVP, stop pontificating and don't sell your spin to the world. There is plenty of other spin that can be sold to the world too.

      • Posted By: Bumpkin @ 04/21/2009 8:47:36 AM

        Hey Petersburger!!! Why do you hate Georgians so much tell me please??? You don???t have any problems in Russia? I doubt it??? You serve your boss Putin very well, good for you!
        Dmitry Rogozin Russia's envoy to NATO declared today Tuesday, April 21, 2009 that if NATO training will not be canceled in Georgia on 6th May Georgia will definitely lose its Statehood forever.???? How should ordinary person understand this statement of Rogozin? Direct military threat and menace!!! Russia's actions clearly indicate that its aggression against Georgia has not come to a halt for one day. Georgia is despised by the Kremlin's xenophobic elite for one simple reason - it seeks to break away from Moscow's authoritarian grip. In response, Russia is trying to destabilize Georgia.

        • Posted By: St. Petersburger @ 04/22/2009 2:20:15 PM

          Dear Bumpkin - let's not forget that the Kremilin's "authoritarian grip" was most effectively enforced by one of the most revered of Georgians - Stalin (and his cadre of helpers). So to the extent the Kremlin exercises an authoritarian grip now - it was taught by masters.

        • Posted By: St. Petersburger @ 04/22/2009 2:17:44 PM

          Bumpkin - I'm a U.S. citizen - born in New York City. One of my closest friends living in New York is from Tbilisi. Don't jump to conclusions. They just make you look foolish.

  • Posted By: megazogg @ 04/22/2009 5:50:33 AM

    Sorry, I meant - do not take any of Rogosin's words too seriously because he is just a clown, who was appointed as Russia's representative in NATO only to make West angry, so the whole deal is some kind of perverted mockery.

  • Posted By: megazogg @ 04/21/2009 9:41:34 AM

    And take Rogosin's word so seriously because he is just a clown who was apointed as Russia's representative in NATO only to make west angry.

  • Posted By: megazogg @ 04/21/2009 9:39:44 AM

    It's interesting why everyone likes to quote Putin's words that the Soviet Union's collapse was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century??? and then automatically makes a conclusion that his aim is to restore "the Great Russian Empire" (which was collapse far more earlier, in 1917, in fact)?
    I wonder, how else would you characterize this event, then one of the two world???s major and largest state (evil or good, this doesn???t matter) in the World, collapses in mere moments, bringing with it's collapse economic, political and humanitarian disasters to all of it's members, changing geopolitical map of the World so radically? I mean, if you are so dumb to understand the simple meaning of Putin???s words, then just compare political atlas of the world printed 25 years ago with the resent one.
    Such event always is a geopolitical catastrophe, no matter if it is Persian Empire, Roman, French, Austrian, Russian or Soviet, only because its influence on the rest of the World is so significant.

  • Posted By: Bumpkin @ 04/21/2009 8:48:58 AM

    Hey Petersburger!!! Why do you hate Georgians so much tell me please??? You don???t have any problems in Russia? I doubt it??? You serve your boss Putin very well, good for you!
    Dmitry Rogozin Russia's envoy to NATO declared today Tuesday, April 21, 2009 that if NATO training will not be canceled in Georgia on 6th May Georgia will definitely lose its Statehood forever.???? How should ordinary person understand this statement of Rogozin? Direct military threat and menace!!! Russia's actions clearly indicate that its aggression against Georgia has not come to a halt for one day. Georgia is despised by the Kremlin's xenophobic elite for one simple reason - it seeks to break away from Moscow's authoritarian grip. In response, Russia is trying to destabilize Georgia.

  • Posted By: nawawimohamad @ 04/13/2009 4:58:45 AM

    Georgia has got no oil, if not the US will come and invade your country, then steal the oil and at the the same time destroy your country just like Iraq. Russia is just protecting its nterests so that the US and NATO are not next door to them.

    • Posted By: John Dough @ 04/18/2009 9:09:26 AM

      You fail to understand history.. Following every war with another country we re-established that country as a sovereign state. Russia imprisoned nations after WWII by military force. We will leave Iraq to govern themselves again at some point in the near future same for Afghanistan. If we were empire building as all the leftists say most of the world would be part of the United States. The countires of eastern Europe had to wait a full generation to get their countries back and Russia did nothing to help any of those populations they exploited. We turned japan into an economic powerhouse. .

      • Posted By: Eugene10 @ 04/18/2009 4:06:55 PM

        thanks God he hasn't...

  • Posted By: Eugene10 @ 04/18/2009 4:06:16 PM

    We must admit that Mikheil is just a sadist, who didn't want to listen to his people.. he should resign and there is no doubt about that.. there is no place for tyranny in our modern world..

  • Posted By: Eugene10 @ 04/18/2009 4:04:48 PM

    Mikheil is sadist and fascist... who doesn't want listen to his people.. he must resign, and thee is no doubt about that...

  • Posted By: Eugene10 @ 04/18/2009 4:03:18 PM

    We must admit that Mikheil is just a sadist, who didn't wany to listen to his people.. he shoul resign and there is no doubt about that..

  • Posted By: lovejusticepeace @ 04/18/2009 2:52:15 PM

    It is no good dividing people . It is no good having North Ossetia .It is no good having South Ossetia. So now we have ONE OSSETIA .

  • Posted By: John Dough @ 04/18/2009 9:00:41 AM

    With the democrats in charge here you have no western friends. Just lip service.

  • Posted By: sanch0016 @ 04/17/2009 1:02:58 AM

    Dear Alien Sahakashvilli, It is time for you to wake up and smell the roses, you need to finish your journey, and fly back to Mars (TEXAS). Mr. Bush (comrade alien) is waiting for you in an Institution of Democracy that he was planning to build, as I recall he wanted you to teach there. Go teach kids some democracy that you have come up with (SAHAK STYLE).
    By the way your speech about having a lot of Georgian criminals (Vori v Zakone) in Russia, - we get it you are trying to terminate another pile of enemies of yours with hands of Russian military. Smart move but, Russians are smarter than that, believe it. And last but not least, Armenia do needs Russian support as most of small post Soviet republics do, and they do get it, but you know what you will not.

  • Posted By: sanch0016 @ 04/17/2009 1:01:06 AM

    Yes, Mr. Sahakashvilli an unknown creature from MARS
    Dear Alien Sahakashvilli, It is time for you to wake up and smell the roses, you need to finish your journey, and fly back to Mars (TEXAS). Mr. Bush (comrade alien) is waiting for you in an Institution of Democracy that he was planning to build, as I recall he wanted you to teach there. Go teach kids some democracy that you have come up with (SAHAK STYLE).
    By the way your speech about having a lot of Georgian criminals (Vori v Zakone) in Russia, - we get it you are trying to terminate another pile of enemies of yours with hands of Russian military. Smart move but, Russians are smarter than that, believe it. And last but not least, Armenia do needs Russian support as most of small post Soviet republics do, and they do get it, but you know what you will not.

  • Posted By: sanch0016 @ 04/17/2009 12:43:01 AM

    Yes, Mr. Sahakashvilli an unknown creature from MARS

  • Posted By: ArPa @ 04/15/2009 1:20:31 PM

    "Poor as Armenia" - that is really funny. Let me remin you that Armenia has bigger GDP per capita then Georgia.Georgia makes money on Armenia and still Armenian lanlocked economy has shown a lot better performance for a deacde.keep on eating ties!!!

  • Posted By: Trooper101st @ 04/15/2009 1:07:02 PM

    Wat was he thinking? The US was in 2 wars. Why did he INVADE S.Ossetia? NATO is a paper tiger, he should know now that he's on his own. The Russians will always be a belligerent neighbor, why provoke them? IDIOT.

  • Posted By: NinaKobalia @ 04/14/2009 8:30:05 PM

    I support Saakashvili and his presidency in Georgia. It really saddens me to see how the people are humiliating their country with these protests! No other civilized place does this, and if matters are of strong dispute then the only way they can be resolved is by sitting down and having talks and debates. The opposition doesn't even have a plan or an idea how to rule a country and like animals they march around chanting things. If Georgia ever wanted to get into Nato then this would obviously diminish their chances to nothing! You dont see anyone there protesting against Putin in Russia even though he's a complete tyrant! This doesnt mean people should be quiet and scared of the government but must look at the bigger picture, and see the pro's of having Saakashvili - a Georgian president for ONCE respected by other world leaders. What would the opposition do when Russia's tanks went in? Just sit back "peacefully" and let Russia rape us? Would the EU and the US come to aid to other presidents with no allies and no respect?
    Or what is the opposition planning to do about jobs and hunger? Give people money and food? FROM WHERE?
    The only way a country can rebuild itself is through time and a growing economy and this is done through the builing of buildings, roads, tourist attractions, reasearch development, education, etc. Saakashvili was implementing this and I Saw it with my own eyes. It takes time however, and not everyone will be happy or have a job right away. They sure werent when Shevanadze was the president. People didnt have any light or water, and the only people that walked the streats were criminals, but everyone already has forgotten about this. Saakashvili is passionate about Georga and its future and so far I Don't see anyone else worthy of presidency except him.
    If the people continue their actions AGAINST THEM SELVES, Im scared the fate of Georgia is not far off from third world countries. We need to put down our pitch forks like old farmers and start supporting our country like civilized beings. Stop using the excuse that the government came at people in November 2007 with tear gas! This has happened and WILL happen anywhere in the world including UK, US, and Canada, when protesters emerge, including students. Everyone is so much smarter but noone has a plan. I really hope to see Georgia once again united as they were on September 1st without all this political reform for the worse.

    • Posted By: datogubar @ 04/15/2009 12:17:17 PM

      There must be some solution to waht we see right now in Georgia, you may call it a dialooooogue or what ever, but the situatiotion can not lie as it is now. First you are telling us that Saakashvili is someone who brought the democarcy to the country but please remember that he is the one who torchured and burried this democracy right ahead of us, who passed such a big vote to him during the elections. You can argue the methods that some democratic countries over the world may use against riot or peples unrest, but belive me that there are only a few countries in the word that can afford themselves to deliberately hit protesters the below the stomac for having them more obedient, this is what really Georgian Internal Affairs ministry wanted during 7 November public unrest, which was celarly said to be a peacefull demonstartion but brought down by using non-proportionate force of the State. I would much like to put a question to yuo, is that what we really expected from rose revolution, and why the democracy which is so strong in western countries is so hard to build here in Georgia. Why and for what reason we can no longer see a purely independent media and TV broadcasting, why there is a growing pressure on some opposing to State newspapers, why there is a out of rule and very ambisious attacks over private business. I do not want to go further, this is what the democracy throughout the world stansd on, and this basics are torchured and diminished in this country. How can I convince myself to admit the decision of State on leaving Georgian writers without the place they use to gather over the decades. Can you stand against these questions, if you can I will be glad to hear your answers. I am native Georgian as you are but we seem to look on things in different ways, right now when the country faces huge problems brought by financial crisis can you tell me what the State offers to survive or at least to protect the jobs already existing. This is clear the State is very anxsious to put on legs any existing business with hundreds / thousand jobs and take over the rule, but the same time they praise the buisiness that can give some 20 new jobs. I admit to say something is wrong here, without going against the existing rule you can never reach a real truth, and shortly may find yourself at the same bench as it was in past. Whatever you saw in Georgian capital I mean those emerging houses it is a real fake, believe me it is so much unlike to have 1m2 of apartment cost to be worth of over 1200USD. NATO and other god blessings are something that Georgia deserves if it will stadily continue to further its democracy and improve ties with neighbours. This is what we have to go for, and nothing personal.

    • Posted By: St. Petersburger @ 04/15/2009 3:42:24 AM

      Sorry - but any respect Saakashvili had from world leaders was lost during the South Ossetia escapade. The title of this interview speaks volumes - "where are my Western friends?" - as Saakashvili should well ask. The problem is that he also knows the answer.

  • Posted By: megazogg @ 04/14/2009 3:54:25 AM

    Oh, come on people! This is so much funny! Stop trying to pull up some kind of "Evil Empire" mask on Russia! Georgia and her idiotic president started that needless war in 08/2008 by herself and there is no reason to blame Russia for this, constantly searching some kind of Russia's "evil plan" here. The situation was much more simple - then you have one idiot with mindless ambitions and without any talent to do anything more then talk about "democracy" and "perfect-not-far-away-future", inspired by another idiot which only can turn start wars through out the globe, messing all things possible, in the end you can always expect to have such petty results. For the sake of Georgia and her people, I hope that they will hang up Misha on nearby tree, sooner is better.
    Russia don't have any need to inspire riots or revolutions in Georgia to take down Saakashvili, we had a perfect chance to do so back in August 2008, then our Army was near Tbilisi (capital of Georgia), but we pulled out our forces.
    Oh and btw, if Georgians love their country so much, if they want to live independently in their own country, why there are so many Georgians here, in Russia? Do you know that 60% of thieves in law (this is how organized crime groups bosses called in Russian criminal culture) in Russia is Georgian by nationality? Moreover, many of Georgians are very proud of this! Go back to Georgia and work to make it better place, if you are such patriots instead of yelling on every corner how cruel Russia is and blaming it in our own faults and stupid doings, but still live here!
    As for Chechnya, why don???t anybody write of times during it???s self proclaimed ???independence???, then Chechens lived by the ???laws of Shariat???, then public executions, kidnapping, drug trafficking and slavery (SLAVERY!!! Here in European part of continent, in 90???s of XX century!!!) were common things there? Why none outside Russia remembers execution of four British journalists, then Chechen bold freedom fighters kidnapped them and then cut their heads off and recorded this on tape? Why none of you remembers tortures and barbaric executions of Russian POW? This is what you mean, then you talk about ???democracy???? How could you support in the past and continue to support in present such animals, criminals, writing about them as if they are some kind of romantic freedom fighters? This is what you support?

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