Looks like the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Caucuses Blood Games will be a lot more interesting than the pansy-ass Olympics.

Russia is no longer a super power. So it's okay for them.

I mean NOT okay. it's not okay for them until they're a super power. Which, if they keep invading countries...

So... Could we pull our troops out of Iraq and send them to Georgia (where they just were, training troops in case of a Russian invasion)?

It's what this country needs: a military enemy that they can beat straight-up, not a bunch of guerrillas. Plus it means we can say we pulled out of Iraq, which makes a lot of people happy.

Uakronkid: So... Could we pull our troops out of Iraq and send them to Georgia (where they just were, training troops in case of a Russian invasion)?

It's what this country needs: a military enemy that they can beat straight-up, not a bunch of guerrillas. Plus it means we can say we pulled out of Iraq, which makes a lot of people happy.

On the down side, Russia has a lot of missiles. Long-range missiles, which are easily capable of striking the United States. Many of these missiles are equipped with thermonuclear weapons. A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

That is such a pre-9/11 mindset, subby.

Just an old sweet song kept Georgia on its mind.

HA!

This response, just in from the Kremlin:

I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I?

/No backsies.

SusanIvanova: Uakronkid: So... Could we pull our troops out of Iraq and send them to Georgia (where they just were, training troops in case of a Russian invasion)?

It's what this country needs: a military enemy that they can beat straight-up, not a bunch of guerrillas. Plus it means we can say we pulled out of Iraq, which makes a lot of people happy.

On the down side, Russia has a lot of missiles. Long-range missiles, which are easily capable of striking the United States. Many of these missiles are equipped with thermonuclear weapons. A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

What if it was a slugfest, but indirectly. What if the US gave their soldiers 'leave on-base' or some such fancy title and let them go do whatever their commanders okayed, paid for the gas in the planes and said, "If you boys end up in Georgia fighting Russians, thas' cool, just Don't Tell US."

That's the only way I can see the US and Russia fighting without lobbing nukes at each other right off the bat.

st_gulik: That's the only way I can see the US and Russia fighting without lobbing nukes at each other right off the bat.

Putting off the end of civilization by a week isn't exactly setting the bar very high.

The US can't do anything about this because of aforementioned missiles.

No other individual country can do anything about this because the only one with the clout is currently hosting The People's Wonderful Happy Olympic Games.

NATO cannot do anything about this because of DIFFERENT missiles, and the technicality that Georgia isn't in NATO.

The UN cannot do anything about this because Russia is on the Security Council.

There is no military option here. The best we can hope for is a quick ceasefire. Because otherwise Georgia is farked.

Robert Hunter of the RAND Corporation, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said "no one wants to fight for Georgia."

He's got that right.

This upsets me for reasons I cannot completely understand. I do not like Russia at the moment. Seems like a place where there is no security in commerce or physical safety.

...bbbbut Clinton.... (new window)

It will be ok if Russia can drudge up some documents showing that someone who joined Al Qaeda, at one point, visited Georgia. That was all the justification we needed to invade Iraq.

SusanIvanova: On the down side, Russia has a lot of missiles. Long-range missiles, which are easily capable of striking the United States. Many of these missiles are equipped with thermonuclear weapons. A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

Pansy

ShawnDoc: It will be ok if Russia can drudge up some documents showing that someone who joined Al Qaeda, at one point, visited Georgia. That was all the justification we needed to invade Iraq.

Just ask Tenet to get on the phone to the CIA. They can forge something up pretty darn quick.

There's only one shiatty road into South Ossetia. This could be a bloodbath for Russia.

georgia needs to stop playin WMD games, obviously.

SusanIvanova: A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

"We'll meet again..."

in AD 2008 war was beginning. What happen?...

Russians will forever refer to this as the war of Southern agression, even though the Russians started the war.

st_gulik: What if the US gave their soldiers 'leave on-base' or some such fancy title and let them go do whatever their commanders okayed, paid for the gas in the planes and said, "If you boys end up in Georgia fighting Russians, thas' cool, just Don't Tell US."

Yeah, give U.S. troops liberty and of course they're going to go fight in their free time. No drinking or anything. No "fun".

Oh dear. Do you mean to tell me that two tribes of savages are fighting? On the other side of the planet?!? Well, we must get involved immediately!

Omg John Titor was right!

We're just pissed because Russia is standing up for South Ossetia, when the U.S. just let the Kurds get slaughtered after Gulf War I.

st_gulik: What if it was a slugfest, but indirectly. What if the US gave their soldiers 'leave on-base' or some such fancy title and let them go do whatever their commanders okayed, paid for the gas in the planes and said, "If you boys end up in Georgia fighting Russians, thas' cool, just Don't Tell US."

Chinese "volunteers" did that during the Korean war, if I remember correctly.

We...and by "we," I mean US forces...will not get directly involved, as that would potentially invoke the Putin Doctrine--something we don't really want to do....but we WILL get suckered in as part of the UN Peacekeepers (like farking always).

Goddamnit, Leeroy,....

See why we shouldn't be trying to get eastern bloc countries into NATO?

Look, the Georgian people are now refugees. And Russia out of the goodness of its heart has decided to build a set of camps to concentrate the assistance.... The people should be so appreciative, because the festivities will be a gas.

/Aisle seat please

This is almost as funny as Bush lecturing the Chinese about human rights.

LegacyDL: Omg John Titor was right!

Links? I was there when Titor happened, but I never recalled him mentioning Russia invading Georgia. When the Chinese cancel the Olympics, I'll start shiatting my pants.

Snarcoleptic_Hoosier: Look, the Georgian people are now refugees. And Russia out of the goodness of its heart has decided to build a set of camps to concentrate the assistance.... The people should be so appreciative, because the festivities will be a gas.

The Russians prefer backbreaking labor and bitter cold to do their dirty work for them.

Stalin was Georgian. He ran the whole Soviet Union. Now Georgia is just another former Soviet republic. They used to be something.

What an incredible coincidence that they did this on the same day as the Olympic games opening. I bet they were surprised to discover that the Olympics were the same day. What a shock I must say.

Why won't the US tell Georgia hey why won't you just leave your 16 years ago break away state alone if you value freedom so much since 98% of them want independence
/Georgia started the mess and Russia will finish it

Byno: in AD 2008 war was beginning. What happen?...

Russians will forever refer to this as the war of Southern agression, even though the Russians started the war.

Uh, actually, Southern Ossetia started this by indiscriminately lobbing munitions into Georgia because they're pissed off about not being autonomous. Georgia responded by besieging and shelling the capitol of Southern Ossetia, which has always been backed by Russia because Russia is pissed about Georgia getting their independence in 1992. Russia, who has for a long time had troops stationed in Southern Ossetia for "peacekeeping purposes", came to the defense of both their troops and their separatist buddies by bombing Georgia and then sending in their armored column.
It's particularly interesting because Russia supports Georgian separatists but simultaneously wages war against their own separatists in Chechnya.

This isn't the first time Russia has bullied Georgia, either. In the recent past they have performed flyovers of Georgian territory and even launched a guided missile into Georgia that didn't explode.

I wonder if they have any of the Nukes that Russia forgot where they put?

SusanIvanova: On the down side, Russia has a lot of missiles. Long-range missiles, which are easily capable of striking the United States. Many of these missiles are equipped with thermonuclear weapons. A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

Then I guess it's a good thing that we build that anti-missle shield in Czechoslovakia that set thing whole mess in motion in the first place.

Quick, Albania! Send troops into Kosovo now!

Aeonite: What an incredible coincidence that they did this on the same day as the Olympic games opening. I bet they were surprised to discover that the Olympics were the same day. What a shock I must say.

Even more incredible, it appears that Bush is seated next to Putin at the opening ceremonies. I guess they were laughing it up about which country each would invade next.

Don't forget Poland.

Compared to Georgia, Russia is a tremendous superpower.

Trample, trample, o'er the other countries

Let your hand be firm while squishing!

Trample, trample, Russia she goes on forever.

(obscure Russian anthem)

MePod: Russia is no longer a super power. So it's okay for them.

That means it's ok for us now too. And I mean us without the caps.

SusanIvanova: Uakronkid: So... Could we pull our troops out of Iraq and send them to Georgia (where they just were, training troops in case of a Russian invasion)?

It's what this country needs: a military enemy that they can beat straight-up, not a bunch of guerrillas. Plus it means we can say we pulled out of Iraq, which makes a lot of people happy.

On the down side, Russia has a lot of missiles. Long-range missiles, which are easily capable of striking the United States. Many of these missiles are equipped with thermonuclear weapons. A straight-up slugfest against Russia would be A Bad Thing.

That is assuming that the following two points are valid:
1) They actually know where their nuclear arsenal ended up
2) They actually have enough fuel in storage to power said missiles.

There's been a lot of analysis that points to Russia not having the fueling capabilities to put their ICBMs up there anymore. Most of their fueling capabilities have gone to their space program launches. The thought is, "Why fuel the missiles when just having them acts as a deterrent."

Anyway, we'd be able to pull it off if all the pansies out there hadn't demanded we drop the funding for SDI and argued against the missile shield.

It's OK. Georgian oil will pay for repairs of any damage.

/democracy vodka sexy

Byno: Russians will forever refer to this as the war of Southern agression, even though the Russians started the war



Well played, but it'll only be really true if they lose.

drjekel_mrhyde: Why won't the US tell Georgia hey why won't you just leave your 16 years ago break away state alone if you value freedom so much since 98% of them want independence
/Georgia started the mess and Russia will finish it

A certain someone may have a certain something to say about regions of a country seceding