Don’t read the news
We are getting bombarded here in the U.S. by images and text on aggressive Russia storming into Georgia. Condoleezza has issued warnings left and right that we don’t invade countries with elected officials.
On the phone with European colleagues, we were talking about how negative the press is here in the US about Russia but that over there they see the events differently.
Later, with an expert on the subject, I learned the heart of the matter – this aggression by Russia was instead a self-defense action after Georgia initiated military action unprovoked. Here the news writes of almost cold war activities. Reality is that Georgia was trying to take control of Southern Ossetia after getting reprimanded by Condoleezza who told them they would not get in NATO if they didn’t settle their border issues.
Apparently, when Georgia entered the Soviet Union in 1917, Lenin gave Georgia three autonomous Republics, Southern Ossetia being one, but up until now no one has been taking care of this area. Most of the citizens are Russian, not Georgian. President Saakashvil responded to Condoleezza’s reprimand by saying, “We’re ready to talk.” And within three hours, instead of talking, he rolled tanks into the region pinning Russian peacekeeping soldiers back up against the wall causing Russia to respond. Falls in the category of boys will be boys.
The greater mystery here is why anyone would believe the news – read the news.
More food for thought in this arena is while we are reading the news, News Corp and Murdoch are waging their own war on our psyches – Murdoch is entering television markets all across India, Europe, Asia, and the US where they will be controlling the news across a thousand million air waves – now that is frightening.