Are the Russians to blame for the Georgian war? There is a lot of predictable comment that Georgia is a poor little country, rather like "Brave little Belgium" in times past that is the victim of the hungry bear. I don't like wars - the price always seems so high, so much tragedy for so little. Yet foreign relations and national interest is fascinating. So I thought I might set out a few (probably very controversial) points for further consideration.
First, is Russia wrong to want to protect its back yard? The US goes mad when the Russians mess around in Cuba and Central America. We would if others messed about in Ireland or Scotland - even brave little Cornwall, so much discussed in my last thread! So is it a surprise for the Russians to feel the US and EU pressing in on a number of fronts? I can't help feeling it's all quite predictable, even understandable.
Second, is the Georgian government basically too stupid to deserve to run a country? I struggle to get over the catastrophic incompetence of the Georgians kicking off a hot war and handing the Russians excuses for action under international law. There is no way they can objectively win, so why did they do it? Usually, you get a big ally tied up and then start something like this. Yet the priority of the US and EU is to stop Iran and stabilise the Iraq adventure. Both require Russian help. It's hard to see who will help Georgia.
Overall I fault the Georgians for a foreign policy from the madhouse. Am I wrong?
