Fracking Hilarious Picture

As you know I have a little bit of an interest in the whole Russia/Georgia/Osettia situation. I still firmly believe that while Russia was wrong to go into Georgian territory, Georgia and specifically Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili brought this on themselves. The result was a thorough smackdown by Russia. I think this picture of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili says it all. It looks like he just got out of an interrogation room where all they did was bitch slap him for a few hours while wearing a pink tu tu.

Edjumacate Yourself

I know, enough about Georgia/Russia already. But if you're interested in educating yourself more on the topic, the Guardian provides a really simple guide to it all. I wish more American newspapers would do stuff like this - you know, actually educate you on something besides just giving you the surface information.

Georgia, Russia and Ossetia

I am never surprised at American media bias, but the way the US and the Western press are covering this story make Russia out to be the bad guy. It is classic Cold War thinking that by no surprise McSame is jumping on as such. It is more complex than what I am about to make it, but think of this...Georgia went in and attacked a city in a separatist region with a populace that disproportionately identifies more with Russia and Northern Ossetians than it's oppressive owner Georgia and killed 2,000 people including Russian peace keepers and Russian citizens. Russia responded, heavily to the attack and have now made Georgia's attempt at flexing it's muscle looked like a deeply flawed decision. Georgia is now crying fowl saying that the Russians here are the instigators where all evidence points to the contrary - there is of course a lot of gray area here. Imagine how the US would respond if US citizens were killed in the same manner? But the way the US press is covering this, you wouldn't even know that Georgia made the first move here. Russia is just too easy to paint as the bad guy. Why do they do this? Because there are American interests in supporting Georgian that have NOTHING to do with Freedom and Democracy - does this tune sound familiar? Why do the CIA and Mossad train Georgian troops? Why is the US flying Georgian troops back from Iraq. Why was Georgia part of the "coalition of the willing" in Iraq. Could it have something to do with the massive oil pipeline that runs through Georgia? It is cynical to say that this is about Freedom and Democracy and protecting sovereignty. As if the US has any credibility on the subject after Iraq. All I am saying is that there is more than meets the eye here and taking the West's reaction to this at face value would be a big mistake. As always the foreign press looks at this very differently, I encourage you to read this and this, two very good articles from the UK Gaurdian, whom I consider to be one of the best and most balanced papers in the world.