Cheers,

R-

You know, I do not understand the benefits of NATO. Why don’t we INVITE Russia to join the NATO, thus lessening the threat as whole?
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You know, I actually thought that myself at a time. The answer is pretty obvious though – they are entirely untrustworthy. Russia under Putin and his mini-me puppet is an entirely different country than it was under the late Boris Yeltsin. Democracy, such as it was, is dead or dying.

Matthew, I enjoyed reading NY Post articles but I always remind myself that this paper is run by, of and for Republicans and Conservatives!
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1. The publisher, Rupert Murdoch, has contributed some serious $ to none other than Hillary!
2. In this case, it’s really immaterial since Ralph Peters is a syndicated columnist; his work appears in the Post and elsewhere.
3. Say what you want about the Post, but they practice some decent journalism there. And they never employed Jayson Blair as a reporter, unlike the NY Slimes.

R-

You know, I do not understand the benefits of NATO. Why don’t we INVITE Russia to join the NATO, thus lessening the threat as whole?

LOL.

R-

Still not convinced? If you shoot at someone who breaks into your home, is it you who started it?

Reasoned discourse and debate is always a healthy thing, but you should read more informed analysts like Ralph Peters to learn about the background of this conflict.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08092008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/raping_georgia_123664.htm?page=1

R-

Now Georgia acts like it was a victim? Please.

R-
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I would recommend you read this:
http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/08/the-truth-about-1.php

What the CNN special have shown you was a propaganda piece set up by China’s officials in order to promote “openness” and “tolerance” toward gays and lesbians in China prior to the start of Olympics, probably in order to attract tourist money from visiting gays and lesbians for the Olympics. IMO, this CNN propaganda piece seem like good business-sense for tourism and money in China.

You know little of the history between Russia and Georgia. There’s bad blood between them for several centuries, more and less. There is a long oil pipeline going from the Caspian Sea to the Black & Mediterranean Seas and Georgia is right in the middle of it. Moreover, the South Ossetian separatists and Georgia have been fighting since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in large part, the area in which the South Ossetians live on and claimed to is, basically, a Georgian territory and never mind the fact much of the Ossetians live on the southern Russian area bordering Georgia! It’s like your neighbors next door have claimed on your side lawn of your house and can use that side to their liking without your permission, a middle finger to your ownership of that side property and count on the police to help them out when you raise a fuss against your neighbors.

True, Georgia shared the blame for the violence against the South Ossetians, however, Russia simply took advantage of Georgian violence against the Ossetians and justified an unnecessary invasion in the process. The Ossetians themselves are actually seeking independence from both Russia and Georgia. But, as far as the conflict goes, Russia defeated a much weaker military and once again subjugated a country like they had done many times before, all this for the Ossetians’ dubious claim to a Georgian territory.