Georgia v. Russia

Great column (as always) by Charles Krauthammer at NRO, with suggestions on how to deal with Putin and Russia.

Making Putin Pay

Boils down to the following:

1. Suspend the NATO-Russia Council established in 2002 to help bring Russia closer to the West. Make clear that dissolution will follow suspension. The council gives Russia a seat at the NATO table. Message: Invading neighboring democracies forfeits the seat.

2. Bar Russian entry to the World Trade Organization.

3. Dissolve the G-8. Putin’s dictatorial presence long made it a farce but no one wanted to upset the bear by expelling it. No need to. The seven democracies simply withdraw. Then immediately announce the reconstitution of the original G-7.

4. Announce a U.S.-European boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. To do otherwise would be obscene. Sochi is 15 miles from Abkhazia, the other Georgian province just invaded by Russia. The Games will become a riveting contest between the Russian, Belarusian and Jamaican bobsled teams. (Hee)

Russia v. Georgia

Still pretty bothered about our response, or lack thereof, to Russia's blatant disregard for any sort of external pressure or disapproval. The longer we wait to respond, the longer we allow the situation to escalate without taking any meaningful action, the tougher it's going to be to affect any meaningful change without resorting to military action.

Having said that, Bush's dispatch of "humanitarian aid" for Georgia, conveniently delivered via U.S. Navy and Air Force transport, is a decent start. Russia can't possibly attempt to seize or interfere with these deliveries, and it sends a signal that we are definitely on Georgia's side in this, not to mention flexing just a wee bit of military muscle.

I also liked Condaleeza Rice's statement, "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Things have changed." Very nicely put, answering charges that have been floated that we are treating this situation as if it's a continuation of the Cold War era, when outright battle between the Russian and American armies was unthinkable. Russia needs to know that if it comes to it, we are not afraid to put boots on the ground to protect our ally.

Albeit probably completely unintentionally, Rice's reference to Czechoslovakia also brings to mind Nazi Germany's pre-WWII invasion, with which Russia's current aggression shares some startling parallels. A once-proud nation and people, humiliated by economic collapse, rallied by a charismatic, iron-willed leader offering a return to a prouder time, using the excuse of protecting his people from aggression to invade and annex a breakaway region. Hitler was allowed to get away with it then, Putin and Russia cannot be allowed to do the same today.

What, Like a Yacht Club or Something?

US, allies weigh punishment for Russia

Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of wealthy nations and have scrapped plans for an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.

Yeah, that'll show 'em. Somehow I think the Russians aren't really in need of a "military exercise" anytime soon, they seem to have gotten all the exercise they need over the last five days. But make sure they don't hear about the kegger this weekend!

Here's a thought. Tell the Russians that the Georgians are our allies, and that any further hostilities, or a lack of an immediate withdrawl of all Russian forces will result in immediate deployment of American forces to the area.

Brings to mind a piece from The Onion's brilliant Our Dumb Century entitled "Sinatra Warns Ruskies: Knock Off This Commie Bunk or it’s Ring-a-Ding-Ding for you Bozos." The title pretty much says it all. Somebody needs to grow some balls.