The Mouse That Roared

[inanna]

Pipsqueak Georgia's harebrained and disastrous attack on tiny South Ossetia has produced a full-blown crisis pitting the U.S. and NATO against Russia.

In an act fraught with danger, U.S. and NATO warships are delivering supplies to Georgia, watched by Russian men of war. The U.S. Congress may soon vote $1 billion for America's embattled Georgian satellite.

<snip>

"Old Europe" is trying to avoid a clash with Moscow, while "new Europe" -- Georgia, Poland, the Czechs, and Balts -- frightened of Russia's growing power, eggs on the U.S.-Russia confrontation.

Not only did the clumsy U.S. attempt to expand its influence into Moscow's backyard backfire badly, Washington's childish, petulant response is as inflammatory as it is powerless. The Georgian crisis and empty threats against Russia have aroused strong nationalist passions in Russia, which sees itself increasingly isolated and surrounded by the U.S. and NATO.

Nationalist hysteria, jingoism, and fevered rhetoric are coming from both sides. We saw such lunacy before: In August 1914, and September 1939.

Read more: http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2008/08/31/6622886-sun.html

[Demeter]

1. This Was More LIke the Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand

which triggered World War I.

In the Mouse That Roared, the Grand Duchy of Fenwick defeated the USA and the rest of the world by capturing a nuclear scientist and his ultimate doomsday bomb.

[Agent William]

2. That sounds about right.

If we would have lost the cold war and the Warsaw Pact had made deals and treaties with Canada and Mexico and then invaded a pro-America portion of Canada, I think we would have a similar response to outside aggression.

I'm tired of the western-media portraying the Russians as invading it's tiny neighbor for no reason. The Georgians should have known better than pick a fight with the most powerful military force in the area. Don't get me wrong, I don't support Russia bombing civilian targets but from what I have heard from non-corporate media is that Georgian forces are equally guilty of killing civilians.

I also hate neo-cons underestimating Russia's strength. Some of them think that we could knock them off as easily as me did to Saddam in '91. I just hope the neo-cons don't get a chance to engage in a long term (or short term) war with Russia, but they will certainly try.

[jwirr]

3. We have the typical example of a bully - we arm this little nation and

assure them that we will be at their back. Then when they attack someone we bring in our warships and supplies with no concern that it might backfire. We seem never to learn anything from the past. We cannot afford to weaken our military any further by more overstretch nor can we afford the cost of another war. Russia went down once due to overstretch and they are now in a position to bring us down for the final count.