Comments on: Speaking Of Gratitude… http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=speaking-of-gratitude n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:25:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Daniel Larison http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13166 Daniel Larison Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:54:04 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13166 Why are you repeating yourself? Obviously they are aiming at some combination of defeat of the Georgian army and probably the ousting of Saakashvili, as I have already been granting in recent posts. No one has been able to produce *any* persuasive case that Russia wants to annex Georgia. Why are you repeating yourself? Obviously they are aiming at some combination of defeat of the Georgian army and probably the ousting of Saakashvili, as I have already been granting in recent posts. No one has been able to produce *any* persuasive case that Russia wants to annex Georgia.

]]> By: lfstevens http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13164 lfstevens Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:43:36 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13164 Excluding annexation designs and geo-energy concerns, what now remains? Compassion for the Ossetians and Abkhazi? Excluding annexation designs and geo-energy concerns, what now remains? Compassion for the Ossetians and Abkhazi?

]]> By: Josh SN http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13141 Josh SN Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:34:26 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13141 It's not that Conservatism is wrong just now, it is just, for whatever reasons (too many years at the trough?) your party is throwing up some bad candidates. It’s not that Conservatism is wrong just now, it is just, for whatever reasons (too many years at the trough?) your party is throwing up some bad candidates.

]]> By: WRW http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13135 WRW Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:36:03 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13135 If Russia persists in invading Georgia odds are there will be a US/NATO military response. Russia cannot prevail in that conflict and it will be Putin humiliated into withdrawal, but only after a terrible cost on Georgians, Ossetians (if there's such a people), Russians and likely Western forces as well. Hopefully, Putin is smarter than that. (I'd assumed he was, but the advance on Gori brings that into question.) If Russia persists in invading Georgia odds are there will be a US/NATO military response. Russia cannot prevail in that conflict and it will be Putin humiliated into withdrawal, but only after a terrible cost on Georgians, Ossetians (if there’s such a people), Russians and likely Western forces as well.

Hopefully, Putin is smarter than that. (I’d assumed he was, but the advance on Gori brings that into question.)

]]> By: Daniel Larison http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13131 Daniel Larison Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:07:31 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13131 I have already been making my reassessment in the posts below. Yes, I acknowledge that Russia's ambitions are greater than merely repelling the Georgians and securing the separatist regions, and it may well extend to toppling Saakashvili and destroying the Georgian army, but there is still no evidence of annexationist impulses and scant evidence that this is primarily motivated by desire for control of pipelines. Russia dominates the energy supply as it is--is it going to risk a huge international backlash for the sake of a pipeline? If there were oil fields to be seized, I might take the claim more seriously, but Russia can already squeeze Europe with the control they currently have if they desire it. To reassemble an empire, you have to lay claim to the territories of the old empire. Russia has not done that, and I doubt it will. I have already been making my reassessment in the posts below. Yes, I acknowledge that Russia’s ambitions are greater than merely repelling the Georgians and securing the separatist regions, and it may well extend to toppling Saakashvili and destroying the Georgian army, but there is still no evidence of annexationist impulses and scant evidence that this is primarily motivated by desire for control of pipelines. Russia dominates the energy supply as it is–is it going to risk a huge international backlash for the sake of a pipeline? If there were oil fields to be seized, I might take the claim more seriously, but Russia can already squeeze Europe with the control they currently have if they desire it. To reassemble an empire, you have to lay claim to the territories of the old empire. Russia has not done that, and I doubt it will.

]]> By: lfstevens http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/comment-page-1/#comment-13130 lfstevens Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:35:50 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/08/10/speaking-of-gratitude/#comment-13130 Now that Russian troops are in central Georgia and the Russian foreign minister has called for Shaakashvili to go, is it time for a reassessment? Is it credible that Russia's intentions are focused on protecting its newly anointed citizens in Georgia? What an unusual thought. Give citizenship to residents of another country and thereupon claim the right to protect them. Isn't a better reading that this venture combines energy geopolitics and Russian desires to begin reassembling its empire? Now that Russian troops are in central Georgia and the Russian foreign minister has called for Shaakashvili to go, is it time for a reassessment?

Is it credible that Russia’s intentions are focused on protecting its newly anointed citizens in Georgia? What an unusual thought. Give citizenship to residents of another country and thereupon claim the right to protect them.

Isn’t a better reading that this venture combines energy geopolitics and Russian desires to begin reassembling its empire?

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