[Skybird]

Fact is that since cheney at the latest the US has openly followed a policy of aggressively encircling and "containing" Russia, for various reasons that have more to do with american geostrategical interests than Russian threats towards Poland, the Baltic, or anything.

Fact is that Saakashvili started the war against Russia, wanting to make hay at the end of manouver days of his army. He also was the first ordering the intentional bombardement of civilian quarters during the first night, both actions caught the Russians by surprise, although they just had held manouvers on their side of the border as well.

Fact is that Georgia is not any more democratic than russia is, and that Medwedew over the past months shows small signs of emancipating himself from Putin. that does not make russia a western style demcoarcy, and I do not even care much for that. A controllable, governable, stable russia with the military in a stably condition and not in danger of revolting is far more important for me. As I said two days ago: stability, predictabliy, reliability - that must be the West's priorities regarding both russia, and the Caucasus.

That you mentioned yourself that Russia could join NATO if it wants, just shows me how very much off-realitiy in the general assessement of these issues you are. you lack the ability to put yourself in the other side'S seat and see it from their perspective, and that for whatever a reason you are detemrined to see NATO in a very onse-sided, glorifying light. But in lack of a realistic vision and self-definition replacing the selfunderstandinf during the cold war, NATO just has turned into a megalomianic, thinking of itself as a deputy policeman to the american global sheriff. The result is the aggressive encircling of russia as well as China with dozens of new military bases, spyposts and tripwires, and trying to make countries bordering these two nations NATO and EU- members in case of Russia, and at least pro Wetsenr military platforms for future operations in case of China. The Iraq war also must be seen in this light - and Georgia, too. It was an american-launched project trying to push it into NATO, not a european one, and the same with the Ukraine. and thankfully Germany was the most prominent nation blocking them to be put onto the MAP-list. If Georgia would not have been given so promising signlas from Washington, maybe this criminal Georgian tyrant would not have dared to commit the folly of last summer.

Right now while we speak he lets his police once again beating up the democratic opposition in his country, and Tiblis.

That country is nothing but trouble, and holds the potential to eventually put the whole region into flames, and allowed to castrate itself of the better part of it'S economy and markets aborad - which lied in Russia. Stupid it is, and dangerous. Only a fool would wish to have them inside NATO, especially if the price is further detoriation of relations with Russia although their good will is so massively needed in various global issues that are so much more important than Georgia will ever be. You might find it cold-minded by me, but Iran and North Korea, future wars - or avpoding these - for energy and ressources I rate as multiple times more important than Georgia, and wanting to bring the benfit of superior Western culture to the rest of the world and making a prifit of that for ourselves, we should leave to where it belings: the era of colonialism. It produced plenty of failed states who now, in our present time, boomerang on us.

And btw, nowhere I ever said we should be intimidated and play soft on russia because it bullies us or others. I just said that the things you propose are not the strategic top priorities for us and are not our top interests, and that other interests, those that I listed, should be given much higher priority. If they would threaten the Baltic or Poland, I would be all for confronting them head on and draw a line in the sand. It's just that - despite hysteric claims from these countries that are motivated by desires for historic revanchism, they did not do that since 1989, and said loud and clear they accept the borders set by these countries. It has been NATO who repeatedly ignored it's former promises that it would not move more and more towards Russian borders, and did not stand by it's words. That the Russians do not believe NATO promises anymore, is fully understandable, I would not do either - only a fool would do, after having been burned several times.

For Georgia, my recommendation would be: give the Russian's Saakashvili's head, it is no loss at all for you, and they will not negotiate over anything as long as he is there. Find a state of block-free neutrality, with trade relations once again opened to Russia, since oyu depend on that short range to it''s market, and europe as well. Stay away from joining NATO or the EU, play the game like the Fins or Swedes did. that way you can get the best of both worlds: peace with Russia, access to it'S agricultural market, and making profit from trade with the EU. You have blood on your hands with the supression of the ethnic majorities in Ossetia and Abhkazia, so forget them, let the issue rest and feel lucky that you are allowed to get away with your murderous record for free. You have no moral argument to make that would allow you to claim these provinces for yourself again. And to your joy, the Russians financially take more misery than pleasure from both places.