Since the start of hostilities over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia began on Thursday, the world has been watching a train wreck of western diplomacy and power. We have been absolutely and unequivocally humiliated by an aggressive and re assertive Russian superpower. In retrospective relativity the years since the fall of the Soviet Union were only a short blip on a timeline in which Russia has remained a consistent and unassailable world power. The humiliation we dealt to Russian pride following the Soviet collapse has weighed heavily upon the Russian psyche as they began to reform their economy to a point where their capital boasts more billionaires than our own largest city (New York). We have known of the resurgence of Russia for years, but ignored the threat lurking on Europe's border. As we reveled in being number 1 the Russians spent their time grinding their teeth, selling us oil and biding their time to make their strike to superpower status when we were least capable of putting the bear back in its cage. Overstretched over committed, overspent, and essentially exhausted at running the worlds affairs for the better part of two decades, Russia is more than willing to step in and snatch up a few satellite states which are left vulnerable outside the protection of NATO. The "disproportionate use of force" which has entered the administrations vocabulary recently, leads credence to the impotence the United States and Europe has with dealing with a resurgent Russia. Russia is not a nation which can be understood and reasoned with as we would with an Englishman over high tea. As Winston Churchill once said "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." Russia's history is that of no other nation, they are the essence of Frauds id run amok in shaping a society. Russians are the most passionate, patient, stubborn, and primal people on earth. Their nature is that of the primal desires which are inherent in all man but their passions and primal drive unregulated by a national consciousness or superego if you will makes them unpredictable and dangerous to the reserved, logical, and contemplative nature of the overinflated western superego. Russia quite simply cannot be reasoned with, its interest are its driving passion, and as with all mans id, they are in short order: money, power, and (beautiful) women. In modern Russia, thanks to western dependence on Russia for raw materials there isn't a shortage of any of these desires. Unfortunately there are few good options the west has in dealing with Putin's Russia, any choice we make will end in hardship and pain for us and our allies. The bear has us literally over a barrel. What can be done? Well again I say we have the free world, the most powerful forum in which to voice our opinions. The G-8, the free worlds economic forum should be whittled down a notch to the G-7, excluding Putin's Russia will send a clear signal that the free still own the vast majority of the world's economic clout. Denying Russia access to the World Trade Organization would also make Russia reconsider their economic confidence, as they are still vulnerable despite their recent windfalls to investors concerns and competition from more agreeable countries, India and the far east for example. Finally uncouth nations don't deserve the privilege of hosting humanities shining example of civilization, the Olympic games. The 2014 Sochi games should be relocated, lets say to Argentina (just for the novelty of it being in South America) . As I write this, Russian tanks are rolling in a show of force towards the Georgian capital of Tiblisi, and have occupied the port city of Poti destroying every remaining vestage of the Georgian defence infrastructure along the way, in a clear violation of the cease-fire accords, agreed to by both sides more than 24 hours ago. Its time to open up the floodgates of support to the besieged Georgians, let the Russians know that the free world will not stand for a rampaging animal at our doorstep. If we fail today than our allies throughout what Russia calls its "near abroad" will fall victim to Russian autocratic hegemony. Ukraine will surely feel the heat in the coming months as Russian nationalist will begin to stir and raise objections to Ukraine's president Victor Yushchenko's western NATO bid. Russia will do its part to destabilize the region in order to rebuild it in its own image. Its imperative that we expand NATO to shield the fledgling nations now coming out from underneath the unforgiving and selfish clutches of the newly confident and vengeful Russia. A bear cannot be reasoned with, only dealt with, as primal nature knows no law but that of immediate desire. Now free men must stand in front of tyranny and protect the innocent, exhibit courage in both word and deed, and never abandon a true friend and ally.
Adrian Waukau 8-13-2008
