Why Russia Invaded Georgia: Payback Time From the Orthodox World to the West

As Russia sees it, Bill Clinton turned the American Air Force into air support for an Islamic revolution against the Orthodox world. The attack against the Serbian homeland was an exercise of naiveté equivalent to bombing Vatican City then wondering why Roman Catholics might be upset and stay upset. Then George Bush decided it would be a good idea to place a missile defense system in Poland, disregard Russia's advice and invade Iraq and further insult and encircle the heart of the Eastern Orthodox world.

It takes a special breed of a-historical American president who is steeped in the Protestant idea of denominationalism; wherein Methodists, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists etc., all do their thing and somehow get along, to so thoroughly misunderstand the fact that Russia is reemerging first and foremost as a country reconnecting with its Orthodox historical imperial roots. We just have no concept of blood ties, soil and holy tradition in America. Since we don't take tradition seriously we can't believe that anyone else does.

For us the bottom line is always expediency and "what works." But in other parts of the world national pride is tied to a continuity of historic tradition (as was just demonstrated so beautifully in the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics steeped as they were in Confucianism, and imperial history.)

In Russia's case its public humiliation at the hands of the United States, following the Cold War, could not have been designed better to have produced the invasion of Georgia. What's going on is the slow-motion counterattack of the Orthodox world against the West's latest crusade. Georgia is just a symbol for the counter-punch to the modern version of the West's sack of Constantinople in 1204.

Bill Clinton bombed Russia's closest and oldest Orthodox ally into submission and did so to send a half-baked and ill-conceived (utterly useless) message to the Islamic world that while we might favor Israel 99% of the time, once in a while we would throw the Muslim world a scrap. Note: America's actions in Serbia never were about halting ethnic cleansing. If that had been our motivation the same president that was bombing bridges in heart of Orthodox Europe while taking sides in a civil war, would have bombed Rwanda then (and we'd be in Darfur now) and have stopped those actual genocides. And now Russia is sending a message too, by attacking the pro-Western Georgia. And, yes, Georgia is also an Orthodox country, but it too is being used to send a message: we will hit back.

Europe may see itself as wholly secular these days but George Bush is your typical American Protestant evangelical exporting his version of Jesus as the Lord-Of-Consumerism and "democracy" to the world. In defense of his war on Iraq, Bush said that he believed that God wanted all people to be free. His idea of freedom is the interdenominational Protestant/American version.

President Bush was willing to impose this vision by brutal force of arms. Clinton and Bush both bought into the idea that America is specially called by God to "civilize" the world by imposing our version of Protestant/Western norms and/or to use an Orthodox country as cannon fodder to "send a message" with. Bush also wanted to send a message by attacking Iraq. Sure, they had nothing to do with 9/11 but hey, lets beat up an Arab, any Arab will do.

The United States and the West have been busy insulting and humiliating the Orthodox world since the end of the Cold War. We have missed every opportunity to show magnanimity as victors of the Cold War. American evangelicals invaded Russia with missionaries, because they said the Orthodox aren't "real Christians." We bombed Serbia. We treated the other global nuclear power as a younger dumber cousin. We attacked their friends. We lectured them.

Now we expect Russia to be logical about these matters and do what is good for business. But we have forgotten that not everyone in this world is ready to forgo their heritage for a fast buck. We also failed to discipline our energy consumption, and decided to have fun instead of going green while the cheep gas lasted. Thus we've been empowering Russia and all the oil states, by transferring our wealth to them in order to fuel our weekend junkets to Vegas and Disneyland.

We have forgotten that ties of faith and history have not been overwhelmed by modernity elsewhere, as they have been in America. The world is not a melting pot. Nor is every culture as frivolous and forgetful as ours.

We shop for church experiences as we shop for everything else folding religion into our consumer culture. The average American (who is religious) changes churches six or seven times during a lifetime, even changes religions. (Disclosure: I was raised in the evangelical right wing, left and in 1990, converted to the Greek Orthodox Church and also changed from a lifelong Republican to an Independent voter, who is an Obama supporter.) No wonder that Bush and Clinton just didn't get it. Religion is a game we play.

As Russia flexes her muscles we're reminded that history and religion are serious matters for some people, not just products to try then discard. We are also learning (again) that we had better know what we're doing before we interject ourselves into other cultures, say by bombing Serbia, or invading Iraq, or putting missiles in former Eastern Europe.

Apparently we still don't get it. All we can come up with is hand wringing and/or more bellicose smart ass -- "All I see is KGB in his eyes" -- posturing by the discredited likes of John McCain. Idiots like McCain have amused themselves by posturing about Russia, as if we are in any position to "do something" about a country with more nuclear weapons than we have when we can't even "fix" pitiful ragtag little Iraq in 6 years and still can't find bin Laden.

McCain is talking tough on Russia as is his mentor Bush. And these are the same men who have led the way in starting the wrong war in Iraq thus stretching our military so thin that we probably couldn't repel an attack by Canada these days. And they want to talk tough?

So why is Russia invading? It's payback thumb-in-your-eye time. Clinton attacked Serbia. Bush and NATO have humiliated the resurgent Orthodox Russia. The West has further humiliated the Orthodox world by recognizing the breakaway Muslim state of Kosovo.

America bombed Serbia and invaded Iraq using weaponry developed for the Cold War. Now Russia has taken its tanks out of mothballs and is doing the same thing on its doorstep. Someone said, "if you live by the sword you will die by the sword." Instead of more hot air McCain-style, what we need is to admit we have been very stupid about dealing with post-Soviet Orthodox Russia, and look for ways to repair the damage that Clinton and Bush have done and that McCain promises to exponentially increase.

Frank Schaeffer is coauthor of HOW FREE PEOPLE MOVE MOUNTAINS-A Male Christian Conservative and a Female Jewish Liberal On A Quest For Common Purpose and Meaning. He is also author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back

Comments

[antiprop1]

I would like to thank Frank Schaeffer for a informative post. Russia is a proud nation with a long military tradition. Lets walk in their shoes for a second. How would the Bush Administration react if Russia installed an anti-ballistic missile shield in Mexico? What would happen if Putin told Canada they would support their entrance into a military alliance we saw as hostile? I have been to Russia. The government does everything they can to constantly remind people of their suffering at the hands of German invaders during WW II. 27 Million deaths might have a way of making anybody paranoid. The humiliations inflicted on Russia as noted by Frank are very real. Putin craftily knew how over extended our military is. He knows the neo-cons can talk big but their is nothing they can do about it. If Georgia, Ukraine, and Poland listen to Cheney, they will be betrayed in the end like Hungary in 1956. I am not trying to justify Russia's actions. But we have to be realistic. The big scary bear is back, awash in petrol profits. We do not have the resources to be bellicose about confronting them. A more 'on the down low' approach is needed. We can still force them to play ball by economic pressure. The over confidence of the American public is scary. Antagonizing Russia over conflicts in what they consider their 'sphere of influence' is not good policy.

[Hollis-Greene]

TWO WORDS... 'FALSE FLAG'.

They (Yes 'They') also tried to start a conflict in Pakistan just a week ago.

Russia is completely in the right to do what they've done to protect a pro-Russian population.

We (America) may have to do the same in Alaska soon, he he.

C'mon people... our parents are still scared sh*tless at the mere mentioning of the word Communism.

This is perfectly timed.

[brikar]

Now its Americas fault Frank that the rest of the world runs into the arms America.Oh how we Americans forget our short history and when trying to create one we are knocked.But I do remember a little history of russian,along with the chinese jets, bombing Americans in Vetnam, as the French retreated again. So now we try to build a history or remember what they did to our troops there we are to forget .Not quite yet. Our history goes back further than most Americans remember Frank.How about most presidents are trying there best and it always dosent appeal to some people.

[liberalnfree]

So now Kosovo was all about Israel. It had nothing to do with Europe, I suppose. The mere fact that this continent has been the center of US security concerns for a century. Of course, we didn't intervene in Rwanda but we did in former Yugoslavia. Why the difference? It must be about Israel It has nothing to do with the casual racism of valuing European lives more than African ones. No, it all comes back to Israel, the familiar bogey man.

[SShaw490]

As much as I admire the scholasticism of this piece, it ignores an essential question, which seems to have been ignored by a lot of people: Specifically, What Happened? Who attacked who? Did Georgia raze the cit of Tskhinvali, as claimed by Gorbechev and Larzov (sp?)? Or did Russia attack the Georgia troops without provocation, and if so, how did Tskhinvali get destroyed.

So far, only the Russian side has stated, unequivically, that they moved against the Georgia forces after Georgia attacked a city in South Ossetia, where Georgia has no territorial claims and certainly no right to attack innocent civilians.

Any speculation about the motives of world leaders has to be preceeded by simply answering; What Happened? What comes before why.

[richsmith]

Go to the New Yorker site

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/08/25/080825taco_talk_remnick

The essay is a good background article. It describes the matter succinctly. Sequence - 1) Georgia rockets Tskhinvali 2) Georgian troops cross border and reek more havoc in and around Tskhinvali 3) Russian forces move into Ossetia 4) After occupying Ossetia, Russians continue into Georgia.

[Kache]

"What Happened" begins with Condi Rice publically stating a couple of weeks ago "We'll fight for our friends" with Saakashvili at her side. The comment was in reference to Georgia's desire to join NATO, something opposed by most NATO members. She meant the the US would fight against it's NATO partners in the politicing over Georgia's application. Saakashvili took it to mean something else.

The history books will probably call this Rice's biggest blunder as Sec of State (there are so many others to chose from....)

[freshnotbitter]

"what comes before why".... No, I disagree. The media will telll you what happened but not why.

The USA was established by religious refugees dedicated to the proposition that the republic could only survive by staying out of European religious wars.

Over time, those zealous for war took over the reins of government for that purpose.

At the moment they are able to call their political opponents "isolationists" although most non militarists in foreign policy today tend to be very commercially active internationally and are not isolationist at all. Indeed, the religious warriors are the ones who have most isolated America with their bad decisions.

Here is a little story for Frank (and Arianna if she is interested). I was born lutheran but grew up in a small south american town where there was no protestant church, only catholic so I enrolled in catholic cathechism. I learned prayers and of course the catholics cross themselves all the time. My first time I crossed myself first on the right shoulder then the left. My cathechism teacher immediately corrected me and I asked her what the difference was since it was a cross either way. She explained that there was a sect of Christians who were in league with the devil and crossed themselves on the right shoulder first. She said if I crossed myself first on the right shoulder, the devil would take my soul.

No, "what happened" in Georgia doesn't matter. International relations are not Tortes 101 at Harvard Law.

[SensibleJoe]

As an Orthodox Christian, I must protest this mischaracterization of the Russia-Georgia conflict as Orthodox Christian self-defense against an encroaching heterodox West.

Both Russia and Georgia are Orthodox Christian cultures, so this war is not about faith, but about politics, self-determination, geopolitical ambition and international alignment.

Russia cannot pose as a "defender of faith." Atheistic Marxism has fallen and the Church is freer there now, but the wounds of eight decades of religious persecution and forced secularization will not heal overnight. Spiritual and moral recovery after brutal erosion takes time, like the Hebrews wandering the desert for forty years between slavery in Egypt and freedom in the Promised Land.

And as in America nowadays, religious talk in Russia isn"t always religious. Both are misusing religion as cover for political agendas. When pagan persecution ceased and Christianity became respectable in the Roman Empire, many converted merely for social acceptance and advancement. The Church in Russia now faces the same "nominal Christian" dilemma, but Orthodox Christianity is about following Jesus Christ -- not a "replacement ideology" for social cohesion, ethnic identity or political statehood in the vacuum left by communism"s demise there.

An old Russian saying, attributed to Saint Alexander Nevsky, comes to mind in this conflict: "God is not in might, but in right." Would to God that all involved in this conflict took those words to heart!

But please, don't misuse Orthodox Christianity as a pretext for this latest bout of human sinfulness.

[richsmith]

I still think there is a point to this article. It may be subtle, but it's there. The countries that, egged on by the meddling of the US, have antagonized Russia are: The Czech Republic, Poland, the Ukraine, and to some degree Hungary with its adverse behavior toward Serbia. The first place the Serbs hit during the latest Balkan war was Vukovar in Slavonia, after Croatia declared itself independent from Yugoslavia. What do all of these countries have in common. They are all Serb, except Hungary. But they are also all Catholic. Having been raised a Catholic, I have been exposed to their animus toward the Eastern Church, especially during the period of the USSR.

[joanndarc]

Why "Eastern Orthodox? does the western version exist?
Russians are by far less preoccupied with religion then Americans. Orthodox Christianity is less of a religion but more of a tradition, from the historical prospective it has cased way less confrontentions with other religions then other forms of christianity.
The term "Orthodox historical imperial roots" is improper, Orthodox tradition emerged in Kiev in 988, Russia with the center in Moscow became imperial after the Mongol invasion.

[derik]

re: the idea that America is specially called by God to "civilize" the world by imposing our version of Protestant/Western norms and/or to use an Orthodox country as cannon fodder to "send a message"

This idea was called Manifest Destiny ... it is why a big chunk of Mexico is now the US. In the words of Grant (General) ... the transgressions of nations come back to haunt nations ... in his time, it was the civil war which followed the Mexican-American war where we supported the Texians who were into people property along with the other Southern states.

One day, someone will learn from all of this.

[apostate]

"We just have no concept of blood ties, soil and holy tradition in America."

Say What!? Apparently the author has never visited the South or read Faulkner.

[VikingLS]

As an Orthodox Christian I don't see this as a religious fight. I live in Russia (American) and so far have not seen this conflict, of which this is another episode in a centuries long story, expressed in religous terms. Having said that we as Orthodox tend to nurse our grudges a long long time. I an add to the list the fact that the protestant west mostly sat on its hands while the communists martyred Orthodox and Catholic clergy and faithful for decades. No one, it might be added, killed more of them than Joseph Stalin, a Georgian still widely admired in his birthplace. (And to be fair still admired by some die-hard communists in Russia.)

[joebiz]

Good post. However, I have some issues with your thesis.

As a Democrat and Obama backer, my support is for a strong America and a weak Russia (and a weak China). While I"m not an apologist for US intervention, as the world"s only true superpower we create reality. And, our reality is to have the upper hand in international affairs especially against former totalitarian states. It"s the nature of international power politics.

Meanwhile, these two totalitarian states have missiles pointed at our country.

Forget the fact that they were proto-Communists. The idea is to "manage" both Russia and China. Russia is managed by NATO and petroleum purchases for hard currency. China is managed, in part, by making it the workshop for American and European corporations.

Let's no forget that Slobo, an apparatchik, became head of a racist criminal syndicate.

[Tasies]

Got news for you; the US is no longer the sole super power. The longer you ignore this, the farther away you'll get from reclaiming such a status. Indeed, the attempts at fortifying the US's power have had the opposite effect, and the world is better off for it.

[joebiz]

We're not? We have a 14 trillion dollar economy; we have military bases all over the world; we client states on all continents; we have hegemonic influence throughout Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia (including China). What other country has this?

I'm pointing out the obvious. I may not agree with US foreign policy but that is the reality.

[joanndarc]

What makes you think USA is less totalitarian then Russia?
Just turn on your TV and here we go, a brilliantly corporate/big money managed totalitarian propaganda.
Your vision of the World is not constructive, by putting somebody down you ar not lifting yourself up.
There used to be a superpower, British Empire. What happened to it less then a century ago?

[joebiz]

We have a written constitution that allows us to be critical of our government and institutions on this blog and many others. We're the only country in the world that does not have a state sponsored religion (The Anglican Church in England, or some Christian or Muslim sect) We have freedom of political views (one can't even show a Free Tibet flag in China), freedom to question authorities, legal redress, constitutional checks and balances, and on and on.

Like I said in the previous post, the US does a lot dirty things around the world, I'm not an apologist for them. But, I prefer the American to the Chinese or post-Soviet way of life because these totalitarian states don't have the same guarantees as we do.

As for the British Empire, they did not have the political institutions we have and were over extended. We have a better version, American Empire, 2.0.

[LexLuthier]

I have read this thread from the beginning to this point. An intelligent conversation like this can only take place in a free and open society. Sorry for all the trouble we've caused for the last 7 yrs. (we've awakened and are about to take responsibility for our government again), but it really is good to be an American. I've traveled outside our borders. It really is good to be free. Thanks to all of you, from every point of view, for contributing to an enlightening conversation.

[DaveC19]

We've awakened and are about to take responsibility for our government again? Are you sure? The polls have been showing MC gaining slowly but steady . Then come the attack books and movies against O and the dodgy voting machines to peel off the remaining votes. The right wing hasn't even got warmed up yet. O wants to take the high road and not fight back hard and that will cost him.

Like moths to the flame we are again falling for the politics of fear. We just can't help it. I don't know what it is but we really want to elect Rep. presidents no matter what. Maybe one day we will get it right.

[joanndarc]

Good point! A free and open society has "not so free" and "not so honest" big money/corporate owned mass media.

[Geminess]

If that had been our motivation the same president that was bombing bridges in heart of Orthodox Europe while taking sides in a civil war, would have bombed Darfur and stopped an actual genocide. And now Russia is sending a message too, by attacking the pro-Western Georgia. And, yes, Georgia is also an Orthodox country, but it too is being used to send a message: we will hit back.

If you re talking about Clinton...that would have been Rwanda...not Dafur.

[joanndarc]

Dictatorial Iraq used to be a pro-Western too. What a pro-Western Asian country is not dictatorial???
Georgia is in Asia.

[ForRichardorPoorer]

Good Article

[larry278]

The headline of this blog says it all.