Realpolitik really T's me off considering from what I've seen of it in the history I've read it almost never truly helps the common joe shmoe until after they've been dragged through the mud for long periods.

It may be extremely over idealistic but darnit until someone can show me even one example of how or why Russia is suffering from these small countries actually changing, other then in it's collective head(ohwoes me, remember the good old days) I still can't see what excuse they have for their current actions other than to bully their way with the world community.
This need not be a "game" between peers as the entirety of its basis stands to be addressed equally as effectively through other methods rather than Brute force.
The fundamental maxim of politics is that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. This is because the power to destroy something (or someone) is absolute power over it. And that power is zero sum and relative. If you have not read the Melian Dialogue, I recommend it. I think it's dangerous in politics to somehow suggest that its about anything other than power. "Brute force" is simply the oldest, (generally) most effective means of excercising power. So my reading of the Russian-Georgian conflict is this: whether or not the Russians actually suffered from some material threat is not as important as 1) Russia's perception of the threat and 2) the power to destroy that threat. I would suggest that the Russians are more capable of playing this game because their politicians/policymakers have a different set of domestic incentives (read: more power) than their American and European counterparts.

it's not gonna be much fun having to watch over ones shoulder day and night for fear that someone somewhere might figure out how to get around the restrictions and thus lessen their vulnerabilities to the pressure.
I would argue in contrast that states are inherently paranoid because they suffer from a general lack of certainty of others' intentions and capabilities. So there's more incentive in having power and working to keep it than to share it with others.