Bush's Chickens Come Home to Roost

The Russian invasion of Georgia and the inability of the United States, NATO, the United Nations -- not to mention Georgia itself -- to do anything about it has cast into sharp relief one of the most disturbing consequences of recent American policy in the world. Having focused obsessively on the threat of terrorism -- and not simply on terrorism, but terrorism conducted by radical Islamic fundamentalist groups such as al-Qaeda, the United States and the administration of George Bush have de facto ignored a series of other pressing global issues. It's been said that governments and countries fight the last war; in the case of the Bush administration, we've fought the last war several times over, with strategic incompetence. As a result, our future security has been seriously jeopardized.

It goes almost without saying that the challenge posed by religious-motivated terrorism is a real one, and it is likely to remain a real one for many, many years. But however much the attacks of September 11 jolted the United States out of its complacency about security, those attacks do not define the entire global system, nor will the United States be permanently secure even if everyone associated with those attacks are permanently removed from the picture. To put it another way, even if al-Qaeda evaporated, even if Iraq becomes a liberal democracy without an army and Afghanistan a poppy-free tribal confederacy, even if Iran suddenly abjures its interest in nuclear weapons, the world will not become "safe." Human events are fluid; the international system is constantly morphing; and the mark of wise leadership is to recognize that there is no one single template for a complicated world, and that it is as important to attend to the new and unforeseen as it is to the old and predictable. Today and in the future, there will be and already are challenges that have nothing to do with radical Islam and the Arab world, whether those are traditional security threats such as Russia or non-traditional ones such as the globalization of capital and accelerated global warming.

Granted, that's a tall order for any government bureaucracy. But the Bush administration has acted as if all the threats reside in one corner of the world, and has actively sought to eliminate those. Not only has it failed in that aim -- an unrealistic one to begin with -- it has been forced into a position where it can only react, and weakly, to events in other parts of the world. Sometimes -- as in the case of North Korea -- that has proved to be a plus, but as we see now with Russia and Georgia, it is much more likely to be a minus, highlighting not our supposed strength but revealing a series of glaring weakness created by the architects of our current polices.

Bush, Cheney and the rest were obsessed with American strength, power, and manliness. They have instead helped hobble the United States and rendered us largely toothless in our ability to respond to acts of naked aggression. We have a powerful military on paper that is stretched needlessly thin on the ground; we have a powerful moral foundation rooted in our history that has been dangerously compromised in our present; and we have a mantle of leadership in the world that is frayed almost beyond recognition. The events in Georgia over the past few days are a terrible reminder of how much we have lost, and how quickly, because of a few years of misguided and incompetent policies.

Comments

[TRIATHLON]

BUSH GREEN LIGHTS WAR IN GEORGIA (PART TWO)

At the same time at the order of the Imperial President George Bush (3) Battalions (2000) Georgian Aggressors who had been trained in Iraq, by United States Armed Forces were flown from Iraq to Tskhinvali, to aid in the fight against (UN) Peace keepers and New Soviet Russian Citizens.
Georgia de facto, members of (NATO) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization by decree of the Imperial President of Military Industrial Complex of the United States. To be protected by the Military Industrial Complex of The United States.

The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy, but you will not travel it alone. Americans respect your courageous choice for liberty. And as you build a free and democratic Georgia, the American people will stand with you.... [T]he sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected -- the territorial [sic] and sovereignty of Georgia must be respected by all nations. (The Imperial President George Walker Bush)

If that's what he said in public, you can just imagine what the Imperial President of the (MIC) was saying in private to Georgian President Saakashvili about the Russian forces that have been encamped in and controlling Georgia's breakaway province South Ossetia since the breakup of the Soviet Union?

[TRIATHLON]

BUSH GREEN LIGHTS WAR IN GEORGIA (PART ONE)

Who gave the green light to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to launch an offensive War against the capital city of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia? Who gave the green light for what became a debacle for Georgia? The Imperial President of the (MIC) Military Industrial Complex George Walker Bush of course.

Israel with the knowledge and support of the (MIC) and the Imperial President has been selling arms to the Mikheil Saakashvili Government, With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself with New Soviet Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to Iran and Syria.

While at least (2) Battalions of Blackwater Inc. (1800) Mercenaries and the United States Military has had up to (2) Two Battalions of United States Army (1,650) troops conducting joint exercises with the Georgian Aggressors. The United States Army Troops were pulled out soon before the attacks on Tskhinvali, but the Blackwater Inc. Mercenaries remained.

Two days after the aggression of Georgians against the (UN) United Peace Keeping Troops and documented New Soviet Russians Citizens, and the entry of Soviet Troops to restore order, foreign fighters, including Blackwater Inc. Mercenaries were found among the dead of those fighting against New Soviet Russian Troops, in Tskhinvali .

[anandakos]

Russia has won a victory in Georgia which is potentially devastating to the United States and could lead to the quick unraveling of NATO unless we are VERY careful how we react. We need to take a breath and think strategically as they obviously have. The hawks are correct that they have won it by goading Saakashvili until he freaked out and poked them in the eye, but by taking Georgia's military apart so utterly while killing relatively few citizens they have avoided widespread international revulsion. Putin is obviously a master strategist.

While blame is a useless exercise, if any one person in the US is likely to be the nexus of the proximate error leading to that victory, it is Randy Scheunemann. And next in line would be his patron John McCain for his ceaseless cheerleading for Georgia. Joe Biden should immediately convene hearings to question Scheunemann and his partner Michael Mitchell under oath about their communications with President Saakashvili over the past year. If they have made implicit promises of US aid beyond what is legally required by treaty, they should be prosecuted for running a rogue "parallel State department".

[anandakos]

Continued...

Others in the line-up would be Bush and Cheney for establishing the pre-emptive war precedents that Putin and Medevdev used so skillfully. For wearing out the army in Iraq. And of course for being arrogant jerks in general, Bush's surprisingly sagacious interview with Bob Costas not withstanding.

For readers who know my politics it might come as a shock that I would definitely put Bill Clinton in the line-up, too. He egregiously blew the opportunity to bring Russia fully into the world community when its citizens were positively disposed toward the US and the west while listening to Robert Rubin and other Wall Streeters who stole Russia blind as they poured drinks for Boris Yeltsin. Worse, he broke Bush Senior's promise to Gorbachev not to push NATO up to Russia's borders.

A pox on all these houses; as a result of their short-sighted greed and narcissism Georgia and its important energy channel from the Caspian region are lost. But now what to do to protect the Baltic states and Ukraine from an expansionist and strengthening Russia? It has most of Europe by the freezing balls since they depend on it so utterly for natural gas and so simply cannot support direct economic or military retaliation against Russia to keep the western oriented former satellites free at this time.

[coyote4]

Bravo. Good analysis.

[anandakos]

Continued 2...

If we in the US want to keep our freedom long-term and that of our friends and allies in Europe we need an immediate and steep reduction in US oil consuption to free up African supplies currently consumed by the US for their use, to replace Russian supplies. That MIGHT allow them the latitude to stay in NATO as we rebuild our ability to fight a large conventional war if need be to protect eastern Europe while squeezing Russia's economic growth by reducing its oil income.

The way to get to that reduction is a $4 or so/gallon tax on transportation fuels to bring our pump price to rough parity with Europe's. Coupled to it should be a refundable tax credit equaling half of the revenue raised in any one year and phased out for people with income over some to be determined level, a quarter allocated to high occupancy vehicle operators (transit, van, and carpool) in cities, new subsidized rural and "far suburban" van service and rail freight capacity expansion and the last quarter to pay for recruits and material needed to bolster the military.

Some very nice side-effects of such a reduction in consumption are that the dollar would rapidly strengthen from the reduction of the trade deficit, crude prices would fall squeezing Iran as well as Russia, and long-term alternative energy changes in transportation necessary to maintain a livable atmospheric carbon level would be strongly accelerated.

[Chbronze]

The Russians don't care if Bush is President or if Truman is President when they invade, this is not the first time this has happened. Mistakes were made yes, but when Russia sees an opportunity it doesn't matter who is in power. This has been planned for a long while.

[realpolitic]

It is said that if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. The Bush administration looks at the whole world through the prism of terrorism. Islamic fundamentalism is a small part of the world at large, although a real concern. It is because of their myopic, linear, inflexible approach that the Bush administration has failed in so many ways diplomatically, economically, and furthering civil liberties.

[peterg76]

What "focus on terrorism"? The focus has been on war profiteering and oil.

[bayside]

Georgia should not have listen to george and invaded..Sadamn listened to george and invaded kawaitt thinking we would have his back. Now they know, Dont ever listen to george and company these are not nice people.

[PioneerKing]

SPOT ON!

[Michale32086]

@S1mon

}}}}}}}}}}}}}
They'd laugh in your face. NATO can't even beat an army of tribesmen armed with handguns and improvised bombs, and you think the russian army would back down on it's own border?
}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Well, considering that Russia has stopped their hostilities in Georgia less than a day after the US told them to stop, I would say that Russians ain't laughing..

Michale.....

[knighthowl]

True, they appear to have stopped. But would they ever have begun if our army was still intact and not strechted to the breaking point? If our treasury was not sapped from a foolish war for nothing?

[repearwo]

Russia has told us to take a hike. Bush telling them to do anything is all show on his part. He heeds Russia more than Russia needs him.

Bush and McCain are largely responsible for the whole affair. More of the "kick ass" attitude of the US when it is our ass that is in danger. The US has pushed for Georgia to join NATO when the other members of NATO do not want that yet.

We have not learned the lessons of the Cold War. All countries have a right to protect their national interest and that includes Russia. Georgia borders Russia so what happens in Georgia is of Russian National Interest. We have obsessed over tiny Cuba for almost 50 years, why would Russia not be concerned about Georgia?

Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. We must change the way we do business in Washington and the world..

[TRex86]

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

[SonnyBono]

And another West Wing fan heard from - or are you a lawyer?

[Caddisfly]

Well Michale the Russians have already gone back on the offensive this morning. Putin is not afraid of what we might do (not that we can do anything to stop them, within reason anyway.). Bush 's path over the last 7 years has left us looking like punks on the world stage. The Russians now know we will not be able to do anything to stop them fron regaining any of thier old possesions in the Baltic and Eastern Europe, short of starting a global confligration. A tip of the hat (sarcasticly) to the neocon incompetence we've been duped into embrasing.

[rwt1138]

Actually the US told them to stop immediately. They stopped when they were finished. Unless your argument is that the Russians decided that Bush really meant it the 7th time, I think we can rule out US influence on their decision.

One thing I think is reasonably certain, NATO won't need to order chairs for the Georgian delegation. That membership is on permanent hold.

From what information is available so far, Russia just reminded the Georgians what neighborhood they live in. More to the point, they sent a message: your western allies are great in theory, but useless when the rubber hits the road.

I would expect that Saakashveli will wait a few weeks until things settle down and resign; alternately, he will begin toeing a much more pro-Russian stance.

You are right about one thing, the Russians aren't laughing. This is a deadly serious business.

[Tommygun264]

Putin played on Georgia's overinflated sense of self-importance, which had been bolstered by the US (Georgia's Army wears US Army surplus uniforms, carries American M16 rifles and flies American-made drone aircraft) goading Georgia by supporting the break-away provinces and Georgia took the bait by initiating hostilities and giving Putin the excuse he needed to justify moving in and crushing the infrastructure of the much smaller nation. Russia ran the con, but the plan could not have been successful if not for Georgia's greed. Meanwhile the US played the role of unwitting dupe as the weapons dealer and now is left to rattle an empty scabbard because all of our military might has been squandered in the endless occupation of Iraq. McSame's answer to every problem is to go to war half-cocked and assess the situation later. Putin has made it clear that he is ready, willing and able to mount a limited tactical nuclear strike if the US sends troops into the conflict. We need an intelligent President, an eloquent, even-tempered leader who can use diplomacy first, thereby saving our military resources for times when war is truly the last remaining option.

[bobbuck]

Bush, Cheney and Co. are war-mongering failures.
Not only have they invaded Iraq against international law, they are also responsible for the loss of more Iraqi lives than Saddam himself (and in a 6 year time frame), flagrantly ignored the Geneva convention by detaining indefinitely whoever they want, from wherever they want and for as long as they want, for whatever reason they want, and to top it all off have said to the whole wide world "torture is ok, we use it!!"
And good ole' John McCain...hahahaha...has backed everything the magnificent 4 (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfawitz) have done, supported them all the way!
Does John McCain realize if the US of A endorsed torture during the Vietnam war, there's a dang good chance he wouldn't be here!
John McCain is using a 2 pronged strategy.
While sledging and trashing Obama with anything he can lay his arthritic hands on, he's attempting to distance himself from the Bush Wackers which can only mean one thing...his support for the Bush regime was a lie... 2 faced in my book, what do you think?

[All4One08]

Simply said, Bush is a complete failure, period! Bully politics, and ignorance has made the world a much less safer place
!
World relations matter, diplomatic relations matter, intelligence matters!

[jteschke]

The author seems to think a military response would have "saved the day". May be a more rational US policy would have kept Georgia in line. After all, it's not a real democracy since 96% voted for Saakashvili in the last election. May be it's time to pull in the military horns. Bankruptcy is dead ahead if this does not happen.

[Faith101]

Everybody should be able to see now that go it alone cowboy diplomacy never works. We have crippled our standing in the world. And anybody believe McCain has a handle on this better think again. That man is a hothead. We need Russia to keep Iran out of mischief. McCain is just like Bush. They simply lack diplomatic skills. Bush should have acted more like Bush Sr and created more of a coalition before even going into Iraq. This whole situation is just a big mess.

[rsaillant1]

Faith101:

You fail to fully reason out your argument when you say that if Jr. had followed his father's
technique, that being the organizing of a strong coalition of nations prior to invading Iraq, everything would now be rosey.

The reason he could not have have the backing of a greater coalition is, simply stated, those who would not back us, realized from day one, that it was an illegal, amoral act of aggession on a sovereign nation. But, failing that, he blundered on, creating the big mess to which you refer.

[Harod]

Bush had to fight the wars Clinton refused to fight becaue the left doesnt believe in pre-emtive war, other wise we may have wrapped up Iaq and Afghanistan by now and regardless expelling the Russians with a Desert Storm style attack should be considered a last resort..

[JoeBlough]

Pre-emptive war is, by definition, Un-American.

[tbrnotb]

Pre-emptive war was always considered un-American. When you are the biggest, strongest country in the world, you talk softly and carry a big stick. You don't pre-empively attack for no reason. Trumped up propaganda about the "smoking gun being in the shape of a mushroom cloud" was sold to us in a manner to make Madision Ave, proud.

Why you crazy war-mongers are so hyped up to invade half the world just amazes me. So stupid. How long before Saddam was toppled or died. And since we had our fingerprints on the deaths of his countrymen, whoi believed Bush the first would come to their aid, it seems a touch hypocritical. We just have a knack to become hysterical, lie and just make a mess of things.

It's a shame the American people support criminal actions by their government by throwing up our superior religious beliefs and nationalistic patriotism lke never before.

[ErikW65]

Right; it's all Bill Clinton's fault for not being enough of a hawk! You need to go back and review that FOX interview of BC by Chris Wallace!

I doubt you supported Clinton in '98 when he bombed Itaq, Afgh, and Sudan pre-emptively.

And now you have the nerve to say that "expelling the Russians with a Desert Storm style attack should be considered a last resort?" At this point, it's not only not a last resort, it's not even a real option. Why? Because the pre-emptive war you so highly tout as the solution that "the left doesn't believe in," in Iraq has distracted us from the real front in the war against AQ in Afgh.!

You are so hot to blame Clinton for all this that your post isn't even internally consistent!

[Harod]

Clinton had his chance to but boots on the ground in Afganistan and fight a spec ops war but he couldnt get it done. And he ignored dozens of cease fire agreement forcing Bush to fight the wars Clinton refused to fight. And America Defeated the Nazi's, The japanese Empire, and Fascist Italy a Desert Storm attack is always a option..

[Tommygun264]

Hitler's expansion into Poland was billed as a preemptive war. That's why it is classified as an INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIME. But don't worry, when the World Court takes members of the Bush/Cheney war machine to the Hague by way of extraordinary rendition the prosecution will be forced to break the definition down to the most basic of terms so Bush can understand the charges - even the most willfully ignorant pub lemming should be able to grasp the concept at that point.

[TRex86]

Bush has incompetently conducted the war in Afghanistan for nearly seven years, drawing away troops for his illegal/unnecessary invasion of Iraq. He let Osama get away, remember? He had no reason to invade Iraq, remember? This has nothing to do with Clinton, and "pre-emptive" war is a war crime for which we executed several Germans.