I just want to express an attitude here, not an argument, contra what some of the people Instapundit is quoting seem to be saying. God knows, the politics and strategy of the region Georgia is in are complex, and experts have to figure out how to implement policy. But, the overall policy vision, a la the Ronald Reagan big picture, should be that Russia has to be made to understand and understand right now that any attempt to overthrow the democratic government in Georgia or turn Georgia into a puppet state will not be tolerated. Not at all. Period. This means if we have to we will send B-2 bombers over to drop bombs on Soviet, oh sorry, Russian tanks and troops. And put our nuclear forces on alert. There is a reason we have more and better nuclear forces than the Russians do, and that is so they cannot intimidate us with theirs. If our policy is, we can’t stand up to Russia because they have nukes, then when exactly is enough enough?
If Russia installs a puppet regime in Georgia, that will not be the end of it. Ukraine will be next. And expect a lot more pressure on places like Poland. If Russian tanks roll back in Eastern Europe, do we say that’s OK too, because Russia has nukes? The time to stop this is right now.
Bush has made a terrible mistake by making it clear we won’t oppose Russia with military force. Richard Holbrooke is absolutely right that Rice or some equally high level person should already be in Moscow getting in Putin’s face. You wouldn’t think Bush would make Clinton look good, but there it is. Bush is making a total hash of this, like he can’t be bothered standing up for freedom this close to the end of his term. It is actually pretty disgraceful. Days matter at a time like this.
If Russia backs down the US and Europe (such as it is) on Georgia, we can also expect Iran to push full speed ahead.
The idea that Russia is not communist anymore and so doesn’t have to be worried about is a delusion. Imperial ambition and greed for power and contempt for human life can wear any costume it likes and still be much the same. Ideological systems come and go, but evil stays the same. History doesn’t end; sometimes people just take leave of their senses. Communist or merely nationalist, Russia ruled by the likes of Putin will take everything they we allow them to take. Relying on enmity between Russia and China to protect us is foolhardy in the extreme. Moreover, if we play the weak appeaser, our allies will desert us, and make their own deals with Russia.
If it is too late for Georgia, and it may well be, we need to take steps right now to assure the security of Ukaine, the Baltic states and the other formerly captive nations. This means strong commitments to stop the Russian tanks at the border. It will be hard to signal this credibly having rolled over on Georgia, but it would be most urgent to do so.
If Russia can take back Georgia, then I suppose China can take back Taiwan?
I’m all for recognizing power realities, but we have a lot of power and we should use it, and that includes the threat of military force. I still can’t believe how stupid the W administration has been taking force off the table. You should never do that.
Much as I am reluctant to say it, all this makes me think McCain should be the next president. I don’t think the world can take four years of Russians gone wild. Of course, I do hope, like Bush, that Obama is having a nice vacation.
REGARDING this analysis of the NYT coverage — I am very troubled by the tendency I suspect I see in the NYT and the BBC to cover this as if it is somehow the Georgians’ and the US’s fault that Russia has decided to plough into Georgia. I don’t doubt that Georgia has played its hand unwisely in some ways, but coverage seems to be teetering on the verge of apologizing for Putin. So what, I guess even former communists get the benefit of the doubt? Is the assumption that anything inimical to the US national interest must be a good thing? Any standing up to Russia is per se "provocative"?
GEORGE WILL is great on this, and has this brilliant tidbit on the Olympics:
This year’s August upheaval coincides, probably not coincidentally,with the world’s preoccupation with that charade of internationalcomity, the Olympics. For only the third time in 72 years (Berlin 1936,Moscow 1980), the Games are being hosted by a tyrannical regime, themind of which was displayed in the opening ceremonies featuringthousands of drummers, each face contorted with the same grotesquelyfrozen grin. It was a tableau of the miniaturization of the individualand the subordination of individuality to the collective. Not since theNazi’s 1934 Nuremberg rally, which Leni Riefenstahl turned into thefilm "Triumph of the Will," has tyranny been so brazenly tarted up asart.
Exactly.