CNN: Candidate John McCain on Russia and Georgia Conflict

[L. Coyote]

Run time: 00:39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLEZ5AZL5BE   Posted on YouTube: August 15, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 15, 2008 By DU Member: L. Coyote Views on DU: 548

 
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/15/mccain-russia/

Speaking at the Aspen Institute in Colorado yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that recent Russian aggression in Georgia is the “first…serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.” McCain seemingly ignored the Gulf War, 9/11, and the Iraq War, to name a few:

My friends, we have reached a crisis, the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War. This is an act of aggression.

In July, McCain said Iraq was the “first major conflict since 9/11,” leaving out Afghanistan. Matt Yglesias has more on McCain’s inflated rhetoric on Russia. (HT: Politico http://dyn.politico.com/printplaybook.cfm?uuid=C6215677-18FE-70B2-A802ADBEDB849F0D)

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"...the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War..." J McC

!!! "probably serious" !!!

[Fearless]

1. So let's get the elephant out in the open...

Isn't Russia's invasion of Georgia EXACTLY the same as the US's invasion of Iraq?

[L. Coyote]

2. NO. Iraq did not bomb an enclave of ethnic Americans inside their territory!

The differences are HUGE!

Russia did not forge documents to justify war.
Russia did not create big lies to justify war.
Russia did not con U N members to justify war.
Russia did not use massive shock and awe destruction of infrastructure.
The list goes on, and on, ......

But, it can be seen as a first major counter move to the US invasion and attempted military dominance of the oil-rich region.

[Fearless]

3. Russia invaded a sovereign nation

The US invaded a sovereign nation.
Russia lied about why they invaded.
The US lied about why they invaded.
The attack was preemptive as no Georgian bombs fell in Russia.
The attack was preemptive as no Iraqi bombs fell in America.


The difference... Russia did not need to forge documents because the Russian public has no power.
Russia did not need to lie to justify the war, unless you call the racial undertones to be such, as I do.
Russia did not need to con UN members as they don't give two shits about the UN.
Russian destruction of a far inferior enemy sovereign nation killed thousands of innocent people.
They signed a peace agreement and then ignored it before signing a second one.
To the best of my knowledge they are still occupying a sovereign nation.


And the rest... No nation, regardless of intention is allowed by international law it invade another nation without previous and legitimate provocation. Russia is using its influence to show that the US is a paper tiger. It is doing this so boldly only because the US has already done it. They realize that the UN will do nothing. They realize that the US can do nothing. And they don't give two shits about anything else.

Just because the Bush administration supports Georgia does not make its invasion correct. It does not mean that the rest of us should fall in line behind Russia. At what point do we begin to condone preemptive action? I thought we were a party against that. Or are we just paper tigers too?

NTF.

Ed. SP.