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  • TUESDAY AUGUST 12 2008 5:30 AM

More Bush Failure

The situation in Georgia is deteriorating rapidly. For those of you who have had your heads shoved up your asses, here’s a recap and some history from Redbstrd. Georgia has been a tinderbox for years and the last thing one needs during a tinderbox situation is the simplistic, one note diplomacy of George Bush and company. He fucked the pooch on this one, plain and simple.

Historically, this is a very fucked up situation.Think Israel and Palestine. Georgia has been opposed to their aggressive Russian neighbors for centuries. And two regions inside Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, are opposed to aggressive Georgia rule. In the end, the regions don’t want to be a part of Georgia, so they looked to Russia for help. Georgia invaded the capital of South Ossetia this week and Russia responded by invading, too. The conflict has now spread to Abkhazia and beyond. That’s the incredibly simplistic summary of a conflict that has been going on since the late 1700s. You want more, read this. Oh, and don’t forget about the oil. Seems every conflict in the world includes oil as part of the equation.

We should be concerned about what our part in this mess is and how to make sure we don’t do more damage.

The Bush administration encouraged Georgia president Mikheil Saakashvili to apply for NATO membership. This really couldn’t have been a more ignorant stance to take. During a time of increasing nationalism in Russia, that reminds some of past fascist rulers, encouraging a Russian border country, with a history of conflicts, to join NATO is completely moronic. Oh, and Russia said they would not allow it.


Both Putin and his successor as president, Dmitri Medvedev, have reserved their starkest rhetoric for this subject. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has threatened that Georgia's ambition to join NATO "will lead to renewed bloodshed," adding, as if that weren't enough, "we will do anything not to allow Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO."


No, shit. Anyone who had bothered to read any history of the region would have known that, but we are talking about a president who didn’t know the difference between Shiites and Sunnis when he invaded Iraq. Nuance and intelligence are the enemies of George Bush.

Bush has been giving weapons and training to Georgia for several years, while he pushed for the country’s entry into NATO. Europe said, “No thanks,” because they are not fucking morons. They knew if Georgia was allowed into NATO, it would mean war with Russia, which is exactly where we would be now if our retarded president had his way. We would be at war with Russia, obligated by NATO treaties to send troops to defend Georgia. Sound good? That’s how stupid Bush and his people are.

Now, throw in the fact that the U.S. has invaded two countries in the past seven years, and we actually don’t have the ability to take a stance against an aggressive Russia. Bush invaded Iraq by using false intelligence, lying to the UN and the American people. It’s kind of hard for a guy who killed someone, standing with blood all over his hands, to call someone else a murderer, without everyone looking at him funny. Also, any military or other support we could have given Georgia is being used in two wars. And Russia knows that.

But, it’s not like some in the Bush administration aren’t calling for the U.S. to jump into this fight. Colossal dipshit and the greatest threat to America since the Japanese, Vice President Dick Cheney, would like us to get in this fucker.


Cheney spoke Sunday afternoon with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. "The vice president expressed the United States' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Cheney's press secretary, Lee Ann McBride, said.

Cheney told Saakashvili "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community.”


Oh, good. Call up the president of Georgia and act like you are president of the United States, dick. What a completely insane promise to make. What the fuck does "not go unanswered" mean? Judging by past Bush administration responses, that ain't good. But then, these are the same neo-con idiots who have wreaked havoc on the world, so it can’t be a big surprise.


At an emergency session of the United Nations' Security Council, the U.S. alleged Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili "must go."

"This is completely unacceptable and crosses a line," said the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Zalmay Khalilzad, who made the allegation.


Okay. Line crossed. What do you propose, genius? The people of Georgia are expecting our support because of this EXACT TYPE OF LANGUAGE over the years.


One soldier, his face a mask of exhaustion, cradled a Kalashnikov.

“We killed as many of them as we could,” he said. “But where are our friends?”


Not coming. Not actually your friends.


When they met Western journalists, they all said the same thing: Where is the United States? When is NATO coming?


It's not and we're in Iraq and Afghanistan.


“Tell your government,” said a man named Truber, fresh from the side of the Tbilisi hospital bed where his son was being treated for combat injuries. “If you had said something stronger, we would not be in this.”

He had not slept for three days, and he was angry — at himself, at Georgia, but mainly at the United States. “If you want to help, you have to help the end,” he said.


Sorry about that. How about a mint?


“Write exactly what I say,” he said. “Over the past few years, I lived in a democratic society. I was happy. And now America and the European Union are spitting on us.”


It's called being on the other end of Bush foreign policy. Kind of a bummer, huh?


“The biggest problem here is you, your country,” he said. “You said that the Soviets were an evil empire, but it’s you that are the empire.

“Not you personally, of course,” he added. “But your government.”


Smell that? It’s smells familiar, kind of like the Shiites rising up against Saddam Hussein under the first President George Bush, after he encouraged them to fight, after he insinuated they would be aided in their battle, after he stupidly made public statements he should not have made. They were slaughtered, just as the Georgians are being slaughtered today.


It was he who in February 1991, as American forces were driving Saddam's troops out of Kuwait, called for the people of Iraq to rise up and overthrow the dictator. That message was repeatedly broadcast across Iraq. Eager to end decades of repression, the Shiites arose.

But then George H. W. Bush blew the whistle. Things had got out of hand. What Bush had wanted was not a messy popular uprising but a neat military coup -- another strongman more amenable to Western interests.

But the Bush administration didn't just turn its back; it actually aided Saddam to suppress the Intifada.


Bush I basically told the Shiites we had their back and they were slaughtered, while our soldiers were forced to watch, unable to engage. Now Bush II has done the same with Georgia and the result is not surprising.

John McCain, of course, wants to make the situation worse. Old School believes the situation escalated because NATO didn’t vote Georgia into the organization. Uh, yeah. That would be true, I guess, in a world where Russia didn’t say the exact opposite.


"I urge Nato allies to revisit the decision," McCain said. Echoing his past support for removing Russia from the G8, he urged the US to convene an emergency meeting of G7 foreign ministers.


Hey, World War III! How you been? John McCain actually wants us to do the exact opposite of what should be done. Just to summarize, he wants NATO to vote for a war with Russia. Because, you know, that’s what happens when you bring a country into NATO who is at war with Russia. Johnny wants to play “bluff” with Russia and hope they would back down. You know, the Russia that is going through a bout of insane nationalism and knows the U.S. is incredibly weak militarily. Hey, draft age guys, you up for it, or what?

Oh, and please don’t pay attention to the fact that McCain's top foreign policy advisor was a lobbyist for...Georgia.


John McCain's top foreign-policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, is a leading expert on U.S.-allied Georgia -- and was a paid lobbyist for the former Soviet republic until March.


It’s interesting. A McCain win could mean World War III, but any destabilization in the world only helps McCain because of his military background. It’s weird, but somebody predicted a more unstable world as part of his future election breakdown. And hey, he also predicted the surge would be a success! Who would have thought with all that paying off of the enemy and whatnot….

FearTheReaper is a writer, actor and stand up comic. You can read more of his blathering on his blog, Stop All Monsters.

 

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Comments
Rude_Ruca

Rude_Ruca

I'm lost
December 2004

AUG 13, 2008 04:04 AM

MessyJesse said:

Rude_Ruca said:
Well, thank you for addressing this. I am affraid FTR is never really quite sure of exactaly what it IS that FTR wants. Poor guy
frown



Well we all know what you want though, that is clear... to make us all sick from your uninsightful and meaningless drivel. Did you even read what FTR wrote? Seriously though, can you make a post that consists of something more than a petty ad hominem?



can you? lol. and a damn GOOD, hearty LOL at that! Thanks! biggrin

Rude_Ruca

Rude_Ruca

I'm lost
December 2004

AUG 13, 2008 04:07 AM

prix said:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

hah well...
these are all opinnions and everyone's entitled to their own I suppose...even the canucks.
yes, I am pro war & conservative and I see nothnig wrong with being the biggest superpower for the time being and doing what superpowers do best..it's just the natural state of things. Find a superpower/imperialist nation in the history books that got along with everyone by sitting down and having tea and marshmellows over a camp fire.
sure, sucks to be the guy/gal/country on the receiving end, but you know what, too bad for them, I like it here and I support my nation 100%





vote McCain btw kiddies tongue



I certainly plan to!!!! wink

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

AUG 13, 2008 04:24 AM

prix said:
yeah well it's the natural course of history, my opinion doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things, regardless of what it is...certain events are still going to take place and people that will direct them aren't me...I have neither the ability nor the aspirations to be the one trying to change things


Hooray. You've gone from all strident and pro-war and conservative and yay yay vote MaCain!!! man

to

Passive-aggressive apathetic I-can't-change-anything (but, hey, still vote McCain!) man.

If you're emblematic of the mindset of the typical Republican voter (not saying that you are, but just if), no wonder that party is in such a state of retardation.

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

AUG 13, 2008 04:25 AM

Rude_Ruca said:

prix said:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

hah well...
these are all opinnions and everyone's entitled to their own I suppose...even the canucks.
yes, I am pro war & conservative and I see nothnig wrong with being the biggest superpower for the time being and doing what superpowers do best..it's just the natural state of things. Find a superpower/imperialist nation in the history books that got along with everyone by sitting down and having tea and marshmellows over a camp fire.
sure, sucks to be the guy/gal/country on the receiving end, but you know what, too bad for them, I like it here and I support my nation 100%





vote McCain btw kiddies tongue



I certainly plan to!!!! wink



Because prix makes such a compelling case! lololol omgz!

Gnos

Gnos

Eagle River, AK
April 2008

AUG 13, 2008 04:45 AM

in response to Twisted Angel:
I agree. I find it hard to believe that Georgia is carrying out an ethnic cleansing campaign and that 10,000 people showed up in the capital to support it. It seems like (from the surface) Georgia has been swept up into nationalism, over an Issue that has been on the backburner for over a decade. I don't think theres a whole lot of risk in the U.S. entering the conflict, even Cheney and McCain couldn't be that naive. But economic sanctions on Russia could undue almost 10 years of diplomacy.
Normally I would disagree with you on the South Osetians, and emmigration, but since (as far as I can tell) they're goal is to reunite with north Osetia which is russian controlled. then why not just become Russian. Offering dual citizenship seems like a slap in the face to Georgia considering the oppression Russia has imposed on them throughout history.
as far as Abkhazia I still don't have much information.
And for our involvement. Georgia is an ally, and our government sure doesn't want them pulling anymore troops out of Iraq, not to mention the pipeline. And the special interests with major corporations. I am glad to hear about the ceasefire, (though there are already residual mortar attacks apparently from both sides.) But I am curious what the terms of this ceasefire are. What will happen with the talk of excluding Russia from the G8? if it is true that this pipeline is the only one not traversing through Russia. If these sanctions are imposed then these pipelines theoretically could be shut down, If NATO intervenes. That is going to slow down the economy of the entire region and ultimately the world. Lots of people start dying when that happens.

Skeletone

Skeletone

Lowell, MA
May 2008

AUG 13, 2008 05:07 AM

MessyJesse said:
I'm not saying that your worldview is ultimately irrelevant, but rather that other people should feel free to post their own opinion regardless of whose toes they step on. You simply cast aside people's opinions as bandwagon jumping.



People -are- free to post as they wish here. I'm not a moderator and regardless of how fed up I get with some of the anti-U.S. bullshit that gets posted here sometimes, I have absolutely no power to stop people from posting it (and nor would I stop them, even if I could).

Secondly, being able to post your own opinions also includes calling something out for being bullshit or whatever.

motorfirebox

motorfirebox

Pittsburgh, PA
March 2004

AUG 13, 2008 06:05 AM

Trevallion said:

FearTheReaper said:
What I see. Been that way for a while.



Don't get bent out of shape dude. We still don't expect you to respond to criticism. I'm sure it took less time to imbed that screen capture than it would have taken to compose a reasonable response that didn't include the words shit and fuck fifteen times.


what's funny is that he goes around obsessively clicking comments from people he's ignored, just in case one of the ignored comments is directed at him. the purpose of this exercise: making sure they know he's got them on ignore.

Adroitbeing

Adroitbeing

I'm lost
September 2003

AUG 13, 2008 06:15 AM

prix said:
hah well...
these are all opinnions and everyone's entitled to their own I suppose...even the canucks.
yes, I am pro war & conservative and I see nothnig wrong with being the biggest superpower for the time being and doing what superpowers do best..it's just the natural state of things. Find a superpower/imperialist nation in the history books that got along with everyone by sitting down and having tea and marshmellows over a camp fire.
sure, sucks to be the guy/gal/country on the receiving end, but you know what, too bad for them, I like it here and I support my nation 100%



vote McCain btw kiddies tongue



You could help validate your position in this argument by taking the time to learn to spell, invest a moment to actually keep pace with the historical account of this administration's failures when juxtaposed to others, and expand on your apparent desire to do nothing but pound your chest and call for the killing of more people.

mingol

mingol

Singapore
July 2005

AUG 13, 2008 06:19 AM

coyotemike said:

prix said:
umm so seriously, why is Bush getting blamed for this one? I mean sure he's not the greatest president of all time, but damn, why lay every event at his feet? He's not the only one in the world that makes decisions you know....
he's had one of the toughest periods as a president, any decision that he would of made would of been met with great opposition; I for one support him 110% and hope we carry on with John McCain as the next president.
but I guess that's the new liberal world view...hope it fades away from this country for good..


Ok, lets see if I can break this down.

1. You don't understand history.

2. You have poor reading comp. skills.

3. You have no clue about the realities of world politics.

4. You don't understand the simple facts about Bush (he hasn't had "one of the toughest periods as a president..." He CREATED the period.)

5. You don't believe in presidential responsiblity.

6. You're in favor of WWIII.

7. You dismiss what you don't understand.

8. You fail.


Just as an aside, is this how you grade your students' essays? Because that would be pretty awesome.

Adroitbeing

Adroitbeing

I'm lost
September 2003

AUG 13, 2008 06:19 AM

CaptainTripps said:

MessyJesse said:
I'm not saying that your worldview is ultimately irrelevant, but rather that other people should feel free to post their own opinion regardless of whose toes they step on. You simply cast aside people's opinions as bandwagon jumping.



People -are- free to post as they wish here. I'm not a moderator and regardless of how fed up I get with some of the anti-U.S. bullshit that gets posted here sometimes, I have absolutely no power to stop people from posting it (and nor would I stop them, even if I could).

Secondly, being able to post your own opinions also includes calling something out for being bullshit or whatever.



Too true; but it's not at all like calling out a duck from the weeds. We like to see facts and sources to substantiate one's shrill whine. It also helps to witness one's ability to investigate and consider the facts before pointing to your "America, Love it or Leave it" bumper sticker.

Coyotemike

Coyotemike

USA
May 2006

AUG 13, 2008 06:40 AM

mingol said:

coyotemike said:

prix said:
umm so seriously, why is Bush getting blamed for this one? I mean sure he's not the greatest president of all time, but damn, why lay every event at his feet? He's not the only one in the world that makes decisions you know....
he's had one of the toughest periods as a president, any decision that he would of made would of been met with great opposition; I for one support him 110% and hope we carry on with John McCain as the next president.
but I guess that's the new liberal world view...hope it fades away from this country for good..


Ok, lets see if I can break this down.

1. You don't understand history.

2. You have poor reading comp. skills.

3. You have no clue about the realities of world politics.

4. You don't understand the simple facts about Bush (he hasn't had "one of the toughest periods as a president..." He CREATED the period.)

5. You don't believe in presidential responsiblity.

6. You're in favor of WWIII.

7. You dismiss what you don't understand.

8. You fail.


Just as an aside, is this how you grade your students' essays? Because that would be pretty awesome.



It is tempting, but not really something I would try. Besides, I try to teach them to only write about things they have at least some small amount of knowledge about.

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

AUG 13, 2008 06:41 AM

CaptainTripps said:
some of the anti-U.S. bullshit that gets posted here sometimes



Oh, really? Got any examples to offer? I don't mean anti-Bush examples, I mean anti-US.

Coyotemike

Coyotemike

USA
May 2006

AUG 13, 2008 06:43 AM

TheFuckOffKid said:

CaptainTripps said:
some of the anti-U.S. bullshit that gets posted here sometimes



Oh, really? Got any examples to offer? I don't mean anti-Bush examples, I mean anti-US.



Some folks can't seem to separate anti-president and anti-policy from anti-American.

TwistedAngel

TwistedAngel

United Kingdom
December 2007

AUG 13, 2008 06:49 AM

Bill_the_Cat said:

prix said:
hah well...
these are all opinnions and everyone's entitled to their own I suppose...even the canucks.
yes, I am pro war & conservative and I see nothnig wrong with being the biggest superpower for the time being and doing what superpowers do best..it's just the natural state of things. Find a superpower/imperialist nation in the history books that got along with everyone by sitting down and having tea and marshmellows over a camp fire.
sure, sucks to be the guy/gal/country on the receiving end, but you know what, too bad for them, I like it here and I support my nation 100%



vote McCain btw kiddies tongue



Making enemies is not the way to remain a "superpower". That's why all those other superpower/imperialist nations are, well, history.



i really wish Russia, as it is now, would either take that on board or go on a permanent fucking vacations into the annals of history.

Ascanius

Ascanius

USA
October 2006

AUG 13, 2008 07:12 AM

coyotemike said:

prix said:
umm so seriously, why is Bush getting blamed for this one? I mean sure he's not the greatest president of all time, but damn, why lay every event at his feet? He's not the only one in the world that makes decisions you know....
he's had one of the toughest periods as a president, any decision that he would of made would of been met with great opposition; I for one support him 110% and hope we carry on with John McCain as the next president.
but I guess that's the new liberal world view...hope it fades away from this country for good..



Ok, lets see if I can break this down.

1. You don't understand history.

2. You have poor reading comp. skills.

3. You have no clue about the realities of world politics.

4. You don't understand the simple facts about Bush (he hasn't had "one of the toughest periods as a president..." He CREATED the period.)

5. You don't believe in presidential responsiblity.

6. You're in favor of WWIII.

7. You dismiss what you don't understand.

8. You fail and then get expelled for writing "would of".



Fixed

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