Does anyone anywhere have to be convinced anymore about the impotence and wrongheadedness of Bush's foreign policy? Bush goes to Georgia to show that he's spreading democracy; in fact, he encourages Georgia to go A Step Too Far and leaves the US worse off than it was before.
If we had never encouraged the Georgians - if we had blown them off, leaving them squarely in Russia's hands - we'd be better off. Now, the whole world can see what happens when you actually buddy up to the Americans (and you're not Israel, that is.)
Other thoughts:
- Aren't there like a ton of Russia experts in Bush's cabinet, up to and including Condi Rice? Why is it that Putin has been running rings around Bush for years now? Can you thing of a single item where Bush has outmaneuvered Putin?
- Is there any doubt that Russia is not just an oligarchy but a kleptocracy, run by organized crime? To wit - why else did Russia bomb Georgia's pipeline? Talk about a war for oil...
- Even if Bush couldn't see it, I don't think there's any doubt about Putin's character at this stage. He is clearly trying to re-establish the Soviet Union as it was. (Don't talk about Medvedev; Putin runs the show.) Watch for them to attack Ukraine next.
- Would Georgia have taken the actions they took if they knew that Russia had massed so many troops at its border? How did Georgia not know - especially if they're our partner? Didn't US intelligence see this coming, both literally via satellite and figuratively via other sources?