This photo [1], released by DVIDS, shows a Russian missile lying in someone’s house in Gori. While the DNC fest is going on in Denver, let’s not forget what is happening in Georgia. This post is a bit of a link roundup, but they are good links.
Plenty of heavy stuff to come, but let’s start with this hilarious and spot-on comment from Steven Sailer [2], talking about Georgia’s ruling class:
“Instead, they are the cream of Georgia’s new generation of globalized elite, almost all educated abroad and plugged into the most influential global networks of finance, law, media, trade, and NGOs. Thus, they’ve enjoyed tremendous press coverage from similar folks in the prestige media.
These are the kind of people who will be running the world for the next generation, making Georgia a harbinger of what’s in store for all of us.
And what did these exemplars of the globalized Best and Brightest do when they got power?
They started a tank war with Russia.”
Cue grim laughter. But for a 180-degree different account of how it got started, see freelance journalist Michael Totten’s latest here [3] – he is in country and doing good original reporting – more comment on that from Right-Wing Liberal [4]. Here is a report on the humanitarian aid the U.S. is bringing to Georgia [5] (see the “top stories”). Russia’s latest move [6], today. Also, Cindy McCain will be visiting Tblisi and Gori [4] – thanks to BadRose for that info. (Struggling hard to stifle the urge to compare Michelle Obama’s activism with Cindy McCain’s).
The neighbors are worried – Yuschenko writes in the Washington post [7]. Krauthammer [8] and Hanson [9] weigh in. More discussion here [10]. For classical music fans, this is disconcerting (yes, pun intended – more humor for a grim topic) – London Symphony Orchestra conductor Valery Gergiev surprises [11]. Concert vids here [12] and here [13]. He speaks in Russian, then in English, which seems very odd, before he begins the concert. I scrubbed through the first video and must say the split-screen of musicians + military action made me a little ill.
While we look at the speeches and confetti of the conventions, remember that in November we will elect someone who will be dealing with Russia, its neighbors, its nukes, etc. starting from his first day in office.