Every once in awhile the Bush derangement syndrome sufferers find themselves unable to employ self-restraint. I certainly include Josh Marshall in the list of those sufferers.
The truth is that the US screwed up here in a big way. This isn’t to excuse the Russians. But we pumped the Georgians up as our big Iraq allies, got them revved up about coming into NATO, playing all this pipeline politics, all of which led them to have a much more aggressive posture toward the Russians than we were willing, in the final analysis, to back up. So now they’ve gotten badly mauled And we have to decide whether to double down on the moronic policy (McCain position) or try to unwind and loosen this knot, walk this thing back to something like the status quo ante and then try working the whole nestle of problems in a very different way.
Are the states in question former Soviet states, and now free and independent nations? Or, are they, as Marshall seems to me to be arguing, still fiefdoms belonging to Russia?
If they are free and independent nations how is it “Mornic policy” (Mrshall’s words) to encourage them to act as free and independent nations? What Marshall seems to be proposing is not knuckling under to the former Soviet Union who for all the world is still acting like the Soviet Union putting down a rebel state within that union, as one would Lithuania, Poland, or Czechoslovakia, back in the day. And yes, I understand full well what I’m implying.
Bottom line:
The fault here is Russia’s, and Russia’s alone, who seemingly can’t get over the idea that they are no longer the power they once were, largely due to their own excesses. What Marshall propose does nothing but give deference to Russia because it might exhibit those excesses once again, as if they were the natural order of things, and acceptable.
It occurs to me to ask if Marshall would be so quick to blame America and its foreign-policy were there a Democrat in the White House doing exactly the same thing. I will remind you all that there was a Democrat in the White House pressing for former Soviet states to become NATO members not so very long ago, and that this process of getting Georgia into the world community directly, and not filtered through the dictates of Moscow has been going on for 15 years, now.
Funny how that never seems to make it into the discussion by way of the ‘blame America’ crowd. Of course there’s a large reason for that omission, with a date of “November” stamped on it.
Addendum: (David L)
We have got some little bit of military expertise here. Bit is an old armor soldier and I am old airman. The United States had no military option to oppose the Russian invasion of Georgia. It takes heft to blunt an armored attack and it takes time to lift heavy forces into theater. Recent deployments for armored units have been measured in month and not days. We have had chronic shortfalls in lift for decades.
The reason the NATO deterrent works is that the tacit premise would that a Soviet attack on United States forces would result in nuclear retaliation. Georgia is not part of NATO and there were no American troops present to serve as a nuclear trip wire.
The growls of the Russian bear have sent a clear message. Europe can be part of the Russian bloc and placate Russian interests, or they can stand up and fight. The Russian bear has growled. Europe must either prepare to resist further Russian aggreession or they can make placating the Russians their foremost foreign policy objective. Neutrality is simply not an option. There are no Citizens of the World. You can either be with the Russians or against them.
Addendum II: (Bit) Actualy, David, my brother Lee is the soldier. Or, was. 1SG, in fact, a 20 year man. I make no military pretensions.
That said, you’re quite right; given the time frames involved the US had no millitary option available to them, due to sheer logitics as much as anything else.
From a foreign policy standpoint, Russia played what they thought their best option, before Georgia become a NATO member. Notice, please, that Russia has NEVER gone against any NATO member, and likely wanted to get in there while their membership was still not a done deal. On that basis it can be said that those opposing Georgia’s NATO application are at least partially responsible for Russia’s attack on Georgia.
I think however, Russia’s not thought this through. As evidence, I cite the offer of Lithuania and Poland for missile sites. Clearly, their actions did nothing but add to the resolve of the former Soviet states to defend themselves against Russia.
Tags: blame America, former soviet states, Geogia, US Josh Marshall
