Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post

3) A major issue in all of this, which remains unanswered, is what the hell were the Georgians thinking? No matter how much they might have been in the "right," it was a foolish move doomed to failure from the start. To what extent did US security assistance, and (rather foolish, in my view) efforts by Washington to promote Georgian membership in NATO play a role in fostering unrealistic expectations of Western support? Should the US have picked up on Georgian preparations for this offensive?
In attempting to review the situation-
Is or is not SO a part of Georgia, if it is then why would anything they are doing not require at the least Russia to notify the international community of what is happening and what it intends to do about it.
1- this would be indicative of actually giving a darn about the Ossetians
2- It wouldn't necessitate an IO compaign, propaganda blitz, and large scale cyber attacks

4) Policy responses need to think about the long term, and also recognize the need to factor in how things look from Moscow (even if we think Moscow is mistaken). [/QUOTE]

If policy is to become that any country who has a certain amount of former citizens within a population in a different sovereign country feels that it is unhappy with the ways it expats are being treated it is ok to just bulldoze your way in and light up the place.

The implications for this worldwide I sure anyone could readily see wouldn't be good for anyone.

As far as how they look from Moscow-

As of a short while ago:
They were a major part of several international organized leadership groups with a lot of sway in how things should be handled around the world.

They are making money like crazy with their exports.

They were given an opportunity to be the peace broker and big brother figure to Iran in their quest for nuclear energy vs nuclear weapons

They have been able to take part in major military and academic exercises with nations from around the world

They have had the opportunity to bring in many economic projects which could have helped to continue revitalizing their nation

Noone has violated their territorial borders

Etc

Long and short One would hope they might be revisiting exactly how they look at it