42. Correct me if I'm Wrong....

...but am i the only one more than slightly upset over this whole russia/georgia conflict - and not for the reasons that everyone else seems to be?


georgia invaded the semi-independent region of south ossetia on august 8th. although technically a part of georgia this region is made up predominately of people who speak russian and also carry russian passports and has claimed their independence since the early 90's. in response russia went in to defend these people (russia also claimed that georgia had killed russian peacekeepers and was also commiting acts of ethnic cleansing).


after this everyone seemed to jump down russia's throat at once. i am by no means pro-russia but in this instance it seemed to me that they had a valid point and that georgian president mikhail saakashvili was unprovoked in his attack on south ossetia. i was driving home one day and listening to people being interviewed who lived in the area of georgia where the russian army had destroyed at least two apartment buildings and they were furious with their arrogant president for having started this whole mess.


saakashvili claims that russia took advantage of the fact that the worlds attention was focused on the olympics when it invaded georgia. i'm sorry saakashvili - but wasn't it your country that invaded south ossetia on august 7th - right before the start of the olympics? so who took advantage of what here?


now today i hear on the way home that russia has decided to recognize the independence of not only south ossetia but also of abkhazian. this evidently did not follow the guidelines of the cease-fire that russia and georgia agreed to which stated that that decision would be discussed during further negotiations.


now i just glazed over most of this but am i wrong in thinking that the west has backed the wrong man in this conflict? to me - saakashvili comes off as a rather arrogant prick who got himself into a rather tight spot out of his own stupidity and is now crying that russia is bullying them. no one i talk to seems to not know or care much about this and that makes me even more upset. creating any kind of tension with russia right now when our military is stretched the max and beyond seems like the worst possible thing we could be doing. and the fact that both presidential candidates seem to back georgia does not ease my mind......


thoughts? opinions? is there something perhaps i do not know? like i said - correct me if i'm wrong....