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Originally Posted by freddie
It's funny how you're trying do discredit my sources, yet apparently celebrate articles that your viewpoint as the ultimate triumph of journalistic integrity.  |
Only ridiculous conspiracy stories. In fact I give every source it's due weight, but give me the right to mistrust sources which are full of slobber against one party and miss any form of objectivity. Concerning celebrating blabla...funny, first you ask in which drain I have found the information, and when I name the source you speak of 'celebrating the triumph of jounalistic integrity'. I get the impression that it's not even the topic you are interested in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie
During the Yeltsin days there was a lot more tension between the US and Georgia
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There were always tensions between USA and Georgia, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I don't have a tensionmeter to measure the amplitude exactly, if you have one, fine!
Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie
...indicates to me Ed had much stronger unofficial ties with Yeltsin than he did with Putin.
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Of course, they were the same generation of politicians, worked together, had the same collegues and friends, at least for a considerable amount of time. That doesn't mean that they didn't go seperate ways, once Georgia was independent. Russia was disappointed that he looked for independency from Russia, the USA was disappointed that he didn't go far enough. My point of view, when both big players are disappointed then he was, at least with his ideas, not far from the right way (which doesn't prove that the results were in the right direction, which obviously completely failed).
Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie
... unlike your take about Burdzhanadze's visit to the States which is pure conjecture. Yeah she was invited but only as a notable political figure in the region, not because they were trying to disassociate with or even shun Saakashvili.
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Do you intentionally twist my words or am I so unintelligable?
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...they can't continue their politics in Georgia with Saakashvili alone,...
...there's no way around Saakashvili...
...the US don't want to lose this important moderate politician (Burdzhanadze)...
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Nothing more - nothing less!
Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie
Regarding the motives... c'mon. A few posts back you tried to invent American motives...
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It was you, who demanded me finding a possible motive. I told you that there is no plausible one and that any motives not connected with the Caucasus problem are far fetched. Even so, I gave an example. That doesn't mean I give it some seriousness. Concerning Russia's possible gain: it's the same as with the USA.There IS nothing to gain on a violent basis. Noone in the Kremlin nor in the White House has the illusion that he can be a winner in a clash in the Caucasus.
Infact the best Russian position was the status quo before the outbreak of the war. Keeping constant tension in the region, sometimes more, sometimes less, but cause nothing, that could change the whole situation. This weakens Georgia, makes the energy projects of EU-USA complicated and laborious and deters NATO to pick up Georgia in their alliance. To get rid of a western friendly government is out of question for Russia, they don't have supporters in Georgia, and the western countries and interest groups are already way to much involved in the whole process of modernising Georgia. The train has departed long time ago. Even dreaming about it would mean that the Russians have totally lost their reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freddie
They've been pretty clear on this issue a while back when the question of Ukraine joining NATO arose.
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Ukraine is distinctly different. Here they have still much support from population and political structures. Russians see at least a chance for turning back the wheel of time, but as a matter of fact (well, you can prove the opposite, if you like), the west has much more to offer than the half totalitarian neighbour, who has never seen the other CIS nations at their own eye level. It may take longer, but it's unavoidable. Ukraine will be part of the western community, and there is no way Russia can stop this.