tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post5081781276465857372..comments2023-10-29T06:41:23.910-07:00Comments on Halfway There: Georgia on my mindZenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09058127284297728552noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-23750251202856064572008-09-09T12:23:00.000-07:002008-09-09T12:23:00.000-07:00Oh, my pleasure -- I appreciate the fact you write...Oh, my pleasure -- I appreciate the fact you write it! Although I do wish every now and then to hear about the smart students that inspire you; there must be a few, surely?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-3311543619464396052008-08-23T11:22:00.000-07:002008-08-23T11:22:00.000-07:00No, Aramael, I haven't read Tuchman, but I'm aware...No, Aramael, I haven't read Tuchman, but I'm aware of her book and its main thesis. The evidence keeps piling up, doesn't it?<BR/><BR/>And thanks for the nice comment about my blog. I appreciate being appreciated.Zenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058127284297728552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-77964280061473377742008-08-22T06:50:00.000-07:002008-08-22T06:50:00.000-07:00Yeah, it was an odd thing to do -- it's like Saaka...Yeah, it was an odd thing to do -- it's like Saakashvili thought that Russia wouldn't respond because Putin was at the Olympics. Or something.<BR/><BR/>Have you read The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman? She's not my favourite author of the popular history genre, but it's an entertaining read, and the thesis is that governments are really bad at acting in the best interests of their country. This is at least the third big example of that this century alone.<BR/><BR/>Love your blog by the way. It's very measured, and you always have something interesting to say.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-7607937574703755112008-08-21T05:04:00.000-07:002008-08-21T05:04:00.000-07:00I don't disagree with you, Aramael. It seems clear...I don't disagree with you, Aramael. It seems clear that the Russians are busy shoring up their sphere of influence. But I don't labor under the delusion that my parents are hungry for nuance. And when I say that the Russians didn't start <I>this</I>, please read it as referring simply to the present unpleasantness and the incomprehensible decision of the Georgian government to move troops against Russian peacekeeping forces.Zenohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058127284297728552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-30424228715654606022008-08-21T02:00:00.000-07:002008-08-21T02:00:00.000-07:00Russia certainly has invaded Georgia, Mom, but the...<EM>Russia certainly has invaded Georgia, Mom, but the Russians didn't really start this. The government of Georgia did.</EM><BR/><BR/>I think the situation is a bit more nuanced than that. Russia has been picking this fight for a long time, and it's no coincidence that they were able to respond with overwhelming force almost immediately.<BR/><BR/>The Russian government has not changed so much since Soviet days; it remains obsessively paranoid about Western influence on its neighbours; the recent action had several goals, one of which was to send a warning.<BR/><BR/>At least we have some great clips of Republicans saying "You don't invade sovereign nations in the 21st century."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15868947.post-36500271686699225562008-08-19T23:11:00.000-07:002008-08-19T23:11:00.000-07:00“It's not the president's fault that our troops ar...“It's not the president's fault that our troops are in Iraq. If we hadn't gone in there, Saddam would still be in power. How would you like that?”<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't give two shits. If I thought about him at all, it would be with the same level of regret as I regard the many other dictators around the world who don't actually threaten me or my country -- most of whom we don't bother about, and some of whom we even, disgracefully, call allies.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052684196866992031noreply@blogger.com