Good Article On Waning American Power

From the Guardian UK Job well done GW!!!

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.

Salon Gets It Right

No surprise that Salon and The UK Guardian are sister papers that often share articles with each other. Juan Cole provides a great analysis and good little laundry list of how Bush's recklessness and hypocrisy have altered the way the world works and how it has ultimately weakened us. Times are a changin'!

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.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

Great article in the Guardian today by Ian Black who is always spot on. It talks about how Russia is, after a long period, finally playing from a position of strength and dictating the terms for the first time in a long time. They have the energy resources that heat up Europe, energy independence for themselves, a formidable military, and a big voice in international affairs (see Iran, N. Korea, Palestinian/Israeli negotiations) etc. But what I find more important here and my point of the day is...wow...how the mighty US has fallen. When can you last remember another country moving into another country backed by the US with no fear of American retaliation with the exception of "hey, we like...totally strongly disapprove of that"? That is what Russia has just done. They have gone into Georgia who have been HEAVILY backed by the US and feared no response. What a change of affairs. The Russian Bear is back. However, Russia's flexing of it's power has more to do with the fall of American influence. This is the real development in my opinion. For the first time in a long time the US comes from a position of weakness: in terms of value of our currency, our moral capital because of the Iraq debacle, our energy dependence to the Middle East and Russia, and our HUGE debt to China. Even countries like Bolivia and Venezuela are openly talking shit to us. Wow. The America monopoly of the "Super Power" title is slowly wading. This is a New World Order. And...who do we have to blame in large part? GW Bush. Thanks shithead! Can Obama save us? The task is too large and Obama cannot change what is now becoming a snowball effect. Besides, my better instincts tell me that he is not THAT much different that most Democrats and will not deviate that heavily from what we have seen so far. He will just do it with more style and grace. So learn Chinese people because we're going to be seeing a very different world in the next few decades. "Have the terrorists won?" Perhaps...this all started post 9/11 right?

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.