Rich article
"In other words, McCain’s hasty vetting of Palin was all too reminiscent of his grave dereliction of due diligence on the war. He has been no less hasty in implying that we might somehow ride to the military rescue of Georgia (“Today, we are all Georgians”) or in reaffirming as late as December 2007 that the crumbling anti-democratic regime of Pervez Musharraf deserved “the benefit of the doubt” even as it was enabling the resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. McCain’s blanket endorsement of Bush administration policy in Pakistan could have consequences for years to come."
full text here
2 comments:
Obama is saying the same thing as Bush/McCain on Georgia-Russia. He has not differentiated from the Bush Sr./Clinton/Bush Jr. policy of isolating Russia.
Obama: “The United States, Europe and all other concerned countries must stand united in condemning this aggression [he means Russian "aggression," not Georgian aggression], and seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis. We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. [Fair enough . . . but wait, there's more] This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia [oh wait, when he just said "end the violence" he meant end Russian violence, not Georgian violence. So the U.S.-backed state of Georgia can ostensibly massacre its own nationals much like, say, Saddam Hussein used to do]--the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world.”
. . .
“Going forward, the United States and Europe must support the people of Georgia. Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, we must provide economic assistance, and help rebuild what has been destroyed. [Read: military] I have consistently called for deepening relations between Georgia and transatlantic institutions, including a Membership Action Plan for NATO, and we must continue to press for that deeper relationship.”
How much of a deeper relationship can you get than training its military?
Note, Georgia's membership in NATO would be contrary to the post-Soviet peace agreement between Gorbachev and the West. Same goes for all the previous states joining NATO.
Nader is the only candidate speaking the whole truth about the Georgia-Russia thing, the only candidate who won't either purposely or maybe in Obama's case inadvertently exacerbate the situation. Obama either doesn't understand the situation or just implicitly supports U.S. status quo.
Mikhail Gorbachev's Aug. 18 op-ed in the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/opinion/20gorbachev.html
An article on U.S. policy toward Russia in The Progressive:
http://www.progressive.org/mag_wxap040308
Excerpt from a new Chomsky piece on the conflict. Whole article available at http://www.chomsky.info/articles/200809--2.htm
"As the USSR collapsed, Mikhail Gorbachev made a concession that was astonishing in the light of recent history and strategic realities: he agreed to allow a united Germany to join a hostile military alliance. This 'stunning concession' was hailed by Western media, NATO, and President Bush I, who called it a demonstration of 'statesmanship ... in the best interests of all countries of Europe, including the Soviet Union.'
"Gorbachev agreed to the stunning concession on the basis of 'assurances that NATO would not extend its jurisdiction to the east, "not one inch" in [Secretary of State] Jim Baker's exact words.' This reminder by Jack Matlock, the leading Soviet expert of the Foreign Service and US ambassador to Russia in the crucial years 1987 to 1991, is confirmed by Strobe Talbott, the highest official in charge of Eastern Europe in the Clinton administration. On the basis of a full review of the diplomatic record, Talbott reports that 'Secretary of State Baker did say to then Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, in the context of the Soviet Union's reluctant willingness to let a unified Germany remain part of NATO, that NATO would not move to the east.'
"Clinton quickly reneged on that commitment, also dismissing Gorbachev’s effort to end the Cold War with cooperation among partners. NATO also rejected a Russian proposal for a nuclear-weapons-free-zone from the Arctic to the Black Sea, which would have 'interfered with plans to extend NATO,' strategic analyst and former NATO planner Michael MccGwire observes."
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