You May Be Georgian Today, But I'm Not

John McCain stepped up his rhetoric on the Russia-Georgia conflict today condemning Russia’s “aggression” and declaring today that “we are all Georgians now.”

There is some truth to that for some Americans who still support military adventures that kill innocent civilians and wreak havoc/destruction upon cities or villages. But, the way you mean it, Mr. McCain, there is absolutely no truth.

Barack Obama was no better. He used his opportunity to remark on the conflict poorly stating, “"It is past time for the Russian government to immediately sign and implement a ceasefire…Russia must halt its violation of Georgian airspace and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia, with international monitors to verify that these obligations are met.”

Obama, like McCain, had an opportunity to give a quick history lesson to the people of the world and inform them that the U.S. had been working with Georgia for some time and believed Georgia had every right to keep two de facto independent states, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, from remaining independent of Georgia. That is why the U.S. supported Mikheil Saakhashvili’s, a U.S.-educated lawyer, rise to power.

But, why shine a light on what the U.S. Empire is really up to? It might cost you an opportunity to lead it. Instead, the puppet can tell the world via the Wall Street Journal “the truth”:

Why this war? This is the question my people are asking. This war is not of Georgia's making, nor is it Georgia's choice.

The Kremlin designed this war. Earlier this year, Russia tried to provoke Georgia by effectively annexing another of our separatist territories, Abkhazia. When we responded with restraint, Moscow brought the fight to South Ossetia.

Georgia didn’t choose this war. The leader of the U.S. protectorate would like us to believe that the Kremlin intended to provoke Georgia to inflict a humanitarian disaster upon two provinces that wish to be independent from Georgia so that Russian forces could hit back and help produce photos, video, and media coverage that would damage Russia’s ability to act as a world power.

Ostensibly, this war is about an unresolved separatist conflict. Yet in reality, it is a war about the independence and the future of Georgia. And above all, it is a war over the kind of Europe our children will live in. Let us be frank: This conflict is about the future of freedom in Europe.

No country of the former Soviet Union has made more progress toward consolidating democracy, eradicating corruption and building an independent foreign policy than Georgia. This is precisely what Russia seeks to crush.

And we can’t have Russia crushing a country’s desire for independence, liberty, or freedom. That is what America is about. Every country is entitled to independence, liberty, and freedom. Wait---excuse me---every U.S. backed country is entitled to independence, liberty and freedom. (*However, even that entitlement still has limitations.)

What is at stake in this war?

Most obviously, the future of my country is at stake. The people of Georgia have spoken with a loud and clear voice: They see their future in Europe. Georgia is an ancient European nation, tied to Europe by culture, civilization and values. In January, three in four Georgians voted in a referendum to support membership in NATO. These aims are not negotiable; now, we are paying the price for our democratic ambitions.

Second, Russia's future is at stake. Can a Russia that wages aggressive war on its neighbors be a partner for Europe? It is clear that Russia's current leadership is bent on restoring a neocolonial form of control over the entire space once governed by Moscow.

If Georgia falls, this will also mean the fall of the West in the entire former Soviet Union and beyond. Leaders in neighboring states -- whether in Ukraine, in other Caucasian states or in Central Asia -- will have to consider whether the price of freedom and independence is indeed too high.

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