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MA_TESOL

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Location: Seoul
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sojourner1

Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Why would the Russians still be looking to pick a war with the US? I thought we were over that years ago. |
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Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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It started up with Bush getting back into office. Condi Rice being a centerpiece of it, who has continued to be very Cold War-ish.
Placing more and more U.S. military bases all over the place in nearly all of the former Soviet Union countries surrounding Russia certainly has a lot to do with this over the last 5 years. |
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bacasper

Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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sojourner1 wrote: |
Why would the Russians still be looking to pick a war with the US? |
You got that backwards. Russian peacekeeping troops were attacked first.
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Georgia attacked South Ossetia on August 7. Washington orchestrated the aggression. Russia counterattacked after artillery fire killed 15 or more of its peacekeepers, and partially destroyed their headquarters. The entire Tskhinvali capital as well, a civilian target of no military consequence. Border villages were burnt to the ground. Atrocities committed. Malicious attacks against non-combatants. Western media portrayed the aggressor as victim. |
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"Georgia has a strong economic foundation and leaders with an impressive record of reform," Bush said in a statement. "Our additional economic assistance will help the people of Georgia recover from the assault on their country, and continue to build a prosperous and competitive economy."
Vice President Dick Cheney, due in Georgia on Thursday, planned to make the massive aid package a major highlight of his discussions with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Cheney is on a tour of three former Soviet republics that are wary of Russia's intentions in what Moscow likes to call its "near abroad" sphere of influence and what Cheney termed while in Azerbaijan on Wednesday "the shadow of the Russian invasion of Georgia."
"The free world cannot allow the destiny of a small independent country to be determined by the aggression of a larger neighbor," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters at the State Department in a simultaneous announcement with Bush.
She mocked Russia for its recognition of the two separatist regions in Georgia that are at the heart of the conflict that broke out last month, and for its failure to garner international backing.
"Almost no one followed suit, I might note. It isn't really an impressive list to have Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognize each other," she said.
Also in tandem with Bush, the International Monetary Fund announced it has agreed to lend Georgia $750 million for economic recovery.
The administration is delaying an announcement on some sort of punishment of Russia for its actions against Georgia and its refusal thus far to comply with a French-brokered cease-fire. However, the decision to shower tiny Georgia with such substantial aid and have Cheney talk about it in Moscow's backyard will likely be seen by the Kremlin as highly provocative, if not a punitive measure in and of itself. |
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fiveeagles

Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: Vancouver
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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BScasper; the Russian had peacekeepers in Georgia first. A little bit of a dilemma wouldn't you say? Also, they were passing out Russian passports and putting up posters with Putin as President.
Russia is obviously intent on getting Georgia back. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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[quote]Russia is obviously intent on getting Georgia back.
Hmmm...but they just removed their troops from Georgia and are back in those two little provinces.
Besides, Russia has had to shut down its stock market several times because the money was bleeding out in gushers; they have only one air craft carrier--most of their fleet is rusting in the docks; the rumor is that they send out a tugboat with what remains of their fleet in case any ships break down.
It's true Russia is not happy with the way things have been going in 'their' near abroad, but with some good diplomacy things don't need to end up in a cold war.
It's always a mistake to fight the last war. |
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soviet_man

Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:02 am Post subject: |
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The problem Russians have with Georgia (and Armenia) is not so much that they are independent - but that it gives a signal to other potential breakaway Russian provinces that it is acceptable to disregard Moscow: such as to independence movements in Chechnya, Abakazia, the Ossetias, Transnistria, the Kuril Islands, Kaliningrad and others.
So who benefits if the Russian state further breaks up?
- US capitalism which establishes more military bases to impose terror.
- Extremists from the Islamic world who extend their influence.
- The EU which sources more cheap labour and pillages oil reserves.
- An expansion of Turkish political influence into Russia's backyard.
None of the above four things are desirable to stability or indeed, common sense.
Georgia is a small, provincial, low-skilled republic of 4 million people.
Centuries of political designs on them have taught only one thing - that Russia is the only political vehicle capable of providing the strategic leadership and security that Georgia needs to survive. |
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MA_TESOL

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:30 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Ya-ta Boy"]
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Russia is obviously intent on getting Georgia back.
Hmmm...but they just removed their troops from Georgia and are back in those two little provinces.
Besides, Russia has had to shut down its stock market several times because the money was bleeding out in gushers; they have only one air craft carrier--most of their fleet is rusting in the docks; the rumor is that they send out a tugboat with what remains of their fleet in case any ships break down.
It's true Russia is not happy with the way things have been going in 'their' near abroad, but with some good diplomacy things don't need to end up in a cold war.
It's always a mistake to fight the last war. |
I think the point of the article is that they have ICBM's that can hit an 11,000 mile target...That target would be the USA |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:42 am Post subject: |
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[quote]I think the point of the article is that they have ICBM's that can hit an 11,000 mile target...That target would be the USA
You say this as though Russian ICBMs were something new. They aren't. I lived for many years 12 miles from Offut AFB, one of the headquarters of SAC. We were well aware of Russian ICBMs.
Russia is resurgent. They are taking some provacative actions. With some solid diplomacy, a new cold war can be avoided. |
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VanIslander

Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:15 am Post subject: |
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yes, Russian OCCUPATION FORCES were in the Georgian province
don't call them Russian peacekeepers ... that debases what the U.N. at least TRIES to do
the Russian military were in the Georgian province as an act of aggression against the Georgian government; the only thing that muddies the waters is the fact that the majority in that province are pro-Russian |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Location: retired
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:39 am Post subject: |
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Who cares? Russia is a drunk, aids infested crapshoot with life expectancy approaching parts of poor Africa, except for the muslims who will make up 50% + 1 in around 25 years.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-02/2006-02-28-voa77.cfm?CFID=51290915&CFTOKEN=68468258
And once the muslims control it, they'll drag whatever civilization is left there down into the gutter.
The West can easily control them. And who cares about Georgia. Just because Bushy says "freedom"? |
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sharkey

Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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russia is reacting normally, crapshoot american imperialism is surrounding it on all sides, Poland, Georgia, Baltics. I dont know why ppl are even blaming Russia, look at america and their policies.. I wish americans would wake up and realize no one likes their awful policies and their governments need to be held accountable. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:15 am Post subject: |
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America has had a free reign over the world for the last decade +. Russia is trying to use its oil wealth to cut the USA back. Star Wars/SDI shut russia down once. We could have an SDI level program to move to alternative energy and we can stop buying Russian oil if it came to that. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:29 am Post subject: |
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russia is reacting normally, crapshoot american imperialism is surrounding it on all sides, Poland, Georgia, Baltics |
Isn't this just the least bit odd? How did 'Poland, Georgia, Baltics' fall under Russian control in the first place? Did those countries ask the Russians to come in? I don't think so. It was Russian imperialism.
I don't like American bases scattered over all those countries either, but I also don't like the idea of the Russians regaining control of those countries. Maybe it isn't true, but those countries think the Russians would like to regain some kind of control. Are you saying the Russians are no threat to the 'near abroad'?
How about offering an alternative that allows the US to leave and those countries to maintain their freedom? |
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