More newspeak

[blamebrampton]

I am sick, and failed to phone my friend because I was asleep, and I am now also cranky with large parts of the world.

Apparently, Russia is engaged in Peacekeeping Operations in Georgia.

Clearly Vlad is a Farscape fan.

Sometimes I wonder if people read books, or, indeed, the papers. This makes me a little sad when it is people on the train, but when it is the leaders of nuclear capable nations, I despair. Vietnam redux has been horrible enough, we don't need the Soviet-Afghan war played out again. Or, you know, World War I.

When did the superpowers go completely mad? Was there a memo sent out that I missed? I have this vague idea that things were shiny for a few years around 1990, was I drunk? It's quite possible I was.

I had this vague idea  (which I admit was formed from reading books and newspapers, so is clearly not the sort of idea that we hold with in These Uncertain Times) that if you wished to regain power in former regions of influence the only certain way to do so was through economic influence. Surely that was the one part of the Reagan legacy everyone agreed on? Maybe I was drunk for that bit, too.

Back in Australia, the channel that is broadcasting the Olympics accidentally failed to screen a pro-Tibet ad that had been booked for a slot before the opening ceremony. But there was no interference from the IOC, honest. Also, I am quite tall and very blonde. And Californian. And a man.

In some happy news, a 111-year-old lizard is about to become a father,  and the Times has the best headline EVER: Dog-cloner denies Mormon sex kidnapping

Comments

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh the Cold War was over, the Americans just didn't want to admit it because there were still Soviets in power in Russia. But 1990 was actually really good on a global scale! I listed the high points below in reply to meredyth, though I omitted the fact that Chad was still a mess, but that was sadly a given for most of my lifetime, and so I left it out in much the same way one leaves Switzerland off the list of nations who have moved to neutral footings.

The Hapsburgs had a few good moments in the Lowlands, but yes, generally bonkers.

As to Georgia, well ... yes and no.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia were both Georgian provinces with dominant ethnically Russian populations. Although they functioned as semi-autonomous provinces, they were both still part of the country. The Russian-backed separatist movement in South Ossetia had been growing bolder for the last two years and had launched a series of attacks against Georgian forces in the province.

On August 1, for reasons best known to himself, Georgian President Saakashvili decided that he had had enough of this and sent troops in to 'suppress the independence movement'. South Ossetian reporting at the time said that the Georgian response had claimed six lives.

Georgia claimed that this was in response to South Ossetian aggression. Skirmishes continued throughout the week, I am not able to find casualty counts for the following days.

August 7 there were Russian-mediated peace talks held during a ceasefire. According to the BBC, hours later the Georgians sent a considerable force into South Ossetia. At least 15 people were reported dead. I think that Saakashvili was attempting to put on a display of force here, one that would stomp on the South Ossetian separatists. Why he thought this was a good idea, I can't begin to say. I am currently watching one of his ambassadors declaring that it was a proportionate response to Russian forces building in the region and a bid to counter the 'instability' caused by them. (She is also declaring that the Russians have committed acts of ethnic cleansing, so that is now being alleged on both sides.)

On August 8, Russian troops poured into the region and the death counts for the day seem to be around the 60-100 mark.

August 9 sees Georgia declare that it is in a state of war, Russia declares the death toll to be around 1400, Georgian troops give a figure closer to 130. Russia declares that Georgian troops have been ethnically cleansing Russian-identified villages

August 10, the Russians originally say no to a cease-fire as the terms proposed include Georgian peacekeepers, and Russia declares the Georgians had opened fire on them and were therefore not to be trusted as fellow peacekeepers. However the South Ossetian independence fighters say that Russia stayed out of the fighting for three days and then came in with extreme force, late. Like all parties in this story, I don't think they are reliable. Georgian troops seem to spend the day Running Away.

August 11, Russian bombing raids move south of South Ossetia and closer to Tblisi, and also bomb close to the South Caucasus pipeline. Russia declares that Georgia is not adhering to its own ceasefire and is bombing the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. Russian troops also move out of the other ethnically Russian semi-autonomous region, Abkhazia, into Georgia, despite having declared there were no Russian troops active in Abkhazia.

August 12, ceasefire! Hurrah!

So, South Ossetian separatists started it, Georgia escalated it a bit, then Russia escalated it a lot. The UN and international media are all tossing their hands up in the air when it comes to substantiating casualty counts, but what is clear is that Russian involvement took it from a stupid spat to a proper war.

And as for the two leaders involved, Saakashvili is a gibbon and Putin is a scary scary fucker who has sent the man responsible for the Beslan disaster off to manage this one. Given the amount of utter misinformation released over Beslan, I won't be believing any numbers until they come from international witnesses.