digg

Join DiggAbout

Call for questions
Submit and vote up questions you'd like to see answered by Kevin & Jay at the next Digg Townhall on 11/18.

See the original image at timesonline.co.uk —

Russian President Warns: 'Cross us and we will crush you'

timesonline.co.uk — President Dimitry Medvedev delivered his most hawkish statement yet in the current Georgian crisis today when he warned that any further aggression against Russian citizens would prompt a "crushing response". His statement came as Russia appeared to be dragging its heels in withdrawing its troops from Georgia amid growing international demands.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • Rizoh, on 08/18/2008, -54/+26Bully. Why don't you pick on a country your own size?
    • BabyWookie, on 08/18/2008, -26/+58Hey. You don't sucker-punch somebody and then, after they kick your ass, complain that they were bigger than you. When Georgia targeted and killed those Russian pieace-keepers, it was an act of war, plain and simple.
      • atdigg, on 08/19/2008, -23/+15piece-keepers is the accurate spelling, LOL they are meant to keep a piece of Georgia. The are also very neutral and very peaceful....
      • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -9/+13ATDIGG - DO you feel the same about ours? Or is it that our side is all good and noble, and that other side is all things evil?

        Just asking.
      • brstilson, on 08/19/2008, -11/+24You mean when Georgia targeted soldiers of a foreign nation on their soil without their permission or consent.
      • browntiger, on 08/19/2008, -3/+6Yeap, those pesky solders with blue helmets, located in the area marked with blue lines.
      • rthakidn, on 08/19/2008, -2/+10@Waiting- Do feel the same way when they're NOT Americans? Tiger, the Russian peace keepers were not part of the UN contingent. If they had been, the world would have been all over Georgia for attacking "UN peace keepers". The Russians were there to pick a new office for the Prime Minister.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -2/+7@brstilson:

        Oh, really? Are you sure about that? If you actually bothered to check the facts, you would have learned that in 1994, after trying to crush South Ossetia's autonomy and losing, Georgia signed an agreement that mandates the presence of Russian, Ossetian and Georgian peacekeepers in South Ossetia.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2@rthakidn:

        They were part of the CIS (Georgia was part of CIS) contingent, with Georgia's explicit, written and signed permission.
    • SkipBlue, on 08/18/2008, -6/+25Georgia attacked the Russian peace* keepers, because the peace* keepers were backing the separatist forces.
      *peace may be declined for bold aggression in cases of Putin.
      • Jexie, on 08/19/2008, -3/+3It wasn't too long ago that all of Georgia itself was a separatist force, I guess it's only ok to secede when it's from the USSR and not from Georgia.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -3/+4That's what the Georgians keep alleging, but there is not evidence of that. It's not like the Georgians have an agenda or any thing, right?
    • DesertDude, on 08/19/2008, -12/+11What's funny is that Rizoh is American. The irony.
    • skiiper, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1What is this kindergarten? Go learn what happened before talking to the big boys.
    • pyronik, on 08/19/2008, -6/+6I really don't understand how people can demonize the US for their invasions then defend Russian. Is it because you desire communism? At least in ours they were warranted and the people being expunged were evil.
      • Rulz1234, on 08/19/2008, -1/+7russia is democratic.... oohhhh and warrented, either you havent been paying attention to the news for the past 3 years or your being sarcastic
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1Yes, of course, it is our desire for Communism, even though in Russia, Communism is nothing but a bad memory right now. They have a slightly authoritarian corporatist system right now. The big industries are controlled by the state owned corps, while the less important assests are managed privately. It is definitely not Communism or socialism though.
      • quaxon, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3Last i checked Iraq never attacked us. But you US apologists don't like pesky facts.
      • Monk22, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4iraq didnt need to attack us quaxon, Saddam violated 17 cease fire/peace agreements he agreed to before and after the first gulf war. but you idiots dont like facts either i guess.
    • tendonut, on 08/19/2008, -0/+8Have you looked at a map recently? There is NO country bigger then Russia.
      • lkms, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2most of its territory is unused tundra though
  • sportsstar67, on 08/18/2008, -57/+19Kruschov said "We Will Bury You ", that didn't happen either..That's why we need a strong president and not one of these weak Libertarian leaning clowns
    • BabyWookie, on 08/18/2008, -17/+6LOL. When Khrushchev said that the USSR would "bury" the United State, he actually meant that they would overcome us in agricultural production.
      • sportsstar67, on 08/19/2008, -12/+7Nope, he said it at the UN in reference to nuclear weapons
      • ufia, on 08/19/2008, -4/+47No, Kruschov said it in reference to the Digg rating system.
    • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -8/+19You really need to get a grip and stop letting fear rule you. It is starting to be embarrassing.
      • dorsey47, on 08/19/2008, -0/+6Fear does not rule the wise. Having one's head burried in the sand does not qualify one to speak on such issues.
      • ssn697, on 08/22/2008, -0/+3"You really need to get a grip and stop letting fear rule you. It is starting to be embarrassing."

        A troofer who sees the boogeyman around every corner telling someone else to stop letting fear rule them.

        I am still laughing. Did you flog yourself after typing that?
    • Tenbatsu404, on 08/19/2008, -4/+12If George Washington were alive today he would not get involved in the Georgia/Russia conflict. Is he a Libertarian clown too?

      Both sides are at fault; there is no "good guy" to back in this situation. Are you willing to spend another 50 billion dollars that we have to borrow from China and Japan to fund another needless war?

      There is a little respected idea called non-interventionism that people like you cannot seem to understand. The best thing the U.S. can do is stay out of the foreign affairs of other nations and avoid entangling alliances such as NATO.

      • warriorscot, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3Yeah they said that in 1939 and millions died while the US bled free Europe for every penny it had before "intervening".

        It is the responsibility of those of us in better off nations to help others when they need it, with great power and all that Jazz. The US may suck at "intervention" but that is because they are arrogant and stubborn the underlying intention is often good and should be applauded.

        The problem with US foreign affairs is they always do the best thing for themselves regardless of whether or not it is the right thing to do. The whole capitalism at all costs just doesn't work when making money isn't the primary objective.

      • Tenbatsu404, on 08/19/2008, -3/+2Straw man argument.

        Hitler's rise to power was a direct result of the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Another reason why we should stay out of the foreign affairs of other nations and avoid entangling alliances.
    • Hangly, on 08/22/2008, -0/+1Is being stupid like being high all the time?
      • ssn697, on 08/22/2008, -1/+2"Is being stupid like being high all the time?"

        Too easy. Could you put it on a Tee any better?!?!? I should run through 5 or 6 responses, but it just isn't challenging enough.
  • mathewsj, on 08/18/2008, -31/+11the Russians need better shoes to pound out frustrations, blame this on Nike.
  • BabyWookie, on 08/18/2008, -26/+108It's more like: "Kill our people and we will crush you."
    • N0_SkillZ, on 08/19/2008, -32/+30It's more like: "Kill our people on your land and we will crush you." South Ossetia is recognized as PART of Georgia. If the Russians that live there don't like it, then GTFO. They have a Russian passport, (Thanks to master Putin), so there is NO reason for them to stay (other then national interests of course... hail motherland!)
      • Sergey, on 08/19/2008, -17/+22Nope, they have reason to stay, it's their homeland.
        They do not want to deal with georgians. It's their freedom choice.
        Georgia killed them for years and started 2 or 3 wars in last century.
        So, the Russian passport is the key to survive.
      • N0_SkillZ, on 08/19/2008, -8/+16Sergey, Soviet Russia is a thing of the past. If they want to fight over lost territory, that is up to them, however there will be consequences eventually.
      • Speed, on 08/19/2008, -2/+14Until Georgia started cracking down, South Ossetia was allowed to operate under de facto sovereignty. Georgia kind of has it coming when they allow an area to operate as though they are sovereign then suddenly starts cracking down.

        Also, they do have reason to stay if that's where they were born and raised. Not their fault that their country fell apart.
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/19/2008, -13/+7It's not their homeland. Moving to a random spot on the map and calling it invaded doesn't make it your homeland. Nationalist douche.

        Russians in south ossetia, not georgians, support Russia.
      • norman619, on 08/19/2008, -3/+7Achalemoipas:

        Don't forget about the fake Russians as well. The Georgians they gave Russian passports to.
      • jknevitt, on 08/19/2008, -7/+11AchaIemoipas, you're an idiot. I guess it was total vote-stacking when, on Nov 12, 2006, 95% of South Ossetians turned out to vote, with 99% voting in favor of independence from Georgia?

        http://web.archive.org/web/20061128192630/http://w ...

        Ethnic Georgians are a minority in South Ossetia:

        "In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, authorities made few public comments on the vote, instead focusing on a parallel referendum being held among the minority ethnic Georgians living South Ossetia, who number about 14,000."
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/19/2008, -8/+6So I'm an idiot because I'm absolutely right?

        "Russians in south ossetia, not georgians, support Russia."

        Why don't you explain to us why there are so many Russians in South Ossetia.

        Nice article btw:
        "“We will inform the Russian Federation about our decision, which is a sovereign decision of the Georgian state,” he said. “I stress - Georgia will not take any step, which will pose a threat to peace and security in this region. But today the presence of the Russian [peacekeeping] contingent there [in Abkhazia and South Ossetia], as well as [Russia’s] recent actions, is a risk factor in the conflict zone.”


      • medve001, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3No, AchaIemoipas, you are idiot because you are ignorant and proud of it.
        Ossetians are not Russians, they are russian citizens AND ethnic ossetians.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetians
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/19/2008, -4/+5And I'm not Canadian, I'm just a Canadian citizen.

        Ridiculous.
      • diggThis77, on 08/19/2008, -4/+5That's like me claiming I'm acutally German even though I live in the US and claiming for Germany to come protect me or to get all the people of German decent to vote a few miles independent of the US. If you don't like it move the hell out. People have been moving all over the world for thousands of years. A 50 mile move up to "mother Russia" isn't that far. Move on.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3Many South Ossetians might be Rossiyani (citizens of Russia), but they sure as hell aren't Russians. Ossetia (Alania) and her people are ancient. They have lived there for millennia.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1@AchaIemoipas:

        Europe doesn't work quite like the US and Canada do. It's not a melting pot of ethnicities.
      • diggThis77, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4@Wookie:

        I would respectfully disagree with you and say that the Roman empire made Europe a melting pot of ethnicities and in early medival times are when new lines were "drawn".

        There is a whole lot of controversy over what happened and who started what. Shells were lobbed into Georgia, Georgia responded, Russia launches a full scale invasion (I don't have a better word at the moment) of Georgia?

        As for native Russians being killed by Georgian soldiers, artillery and bombs.... I have yet to see an independent source verify that number and who did it.
    • stranglethorne, on 08/19/2008, -5/+18@No_SkillZ

      Kosovo
    • norman619, on 08/19/2008, -17/+23Sorry but no. Russia was looking for a reason to go in and do as much damage as they could to destabilized the country. Georgia played right into their hands. Keep in mind Russia gave Russian passports to Georgians in South Ossetia to give themselves yet another reason to charge into Georgia. There is a lot going on here that is going over your heads here simply because you don't know the history. Russia has been bullying former USSR states for a while now. Russia does not like that they are forming alliances with the west and applying for membership in NATO.
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -9/+9How crazy should you be to bomb your own people and kill peace keepers from other country? Whatever the history of the problem, you simply cannot declare people of S.Ossetia your brothers one day and start killing them another day...
        BTW, I know the history of the problem perfectly, do you?
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/19/2008, -11/+6Peacekeeping is the job of the UN.

        There's no such thing as Russian peacekeeping.
      • norman619, on 08/19/2008, -1/+6Achalemoipas:

        That isn't true. ANY nation can act as peace keepers between nations by leaving their troops there to be a neutral party. The UN does not have a monopoly on this function.
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/19/2008, -4/+6Russia being a neutral party between Georgians and Russians?

        The only formal authority on this planet to have legal jurisdiction over sovereign countries is the UN.

        Georgia isn't part of NATO and they're fighting Russians. It's impossible for Russia to be neutral in this conflict.

        Sure any random country can decide to play the peacekeeping game, or rather kill people in the name of peacekeeping in the present case. But only body in the world that can LEGALLY send foreign troops to a sovereign nation for peacekeeping purposes is the United Nations.

        Peacekeeping doesn't involve bombing airports and ports.
        http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2008/08/peace ...

      • norman619, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4Achalemoipas:

        You are reading things into my reply that are NOT there. You said "Peacekeeping is the job of the UN."

        I was simply pointing out how incorrect that statement is. Obviously in a conflict between 2 or more nations the peacekeepers should be made up of nations not involved with the conflict.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -2/+6If you call an Ossetian (Alanian) a "Georgian" or even a "Russian" to his face, he would probably punch you. They are very proud of their ancient ethnic heritage. Also, not one was forcing them to take Russian passports. They took them, because they like Russia a whole lot more than they do Georgia. Unlike the Georgians, the Russians haven't tried to repeatedly ethnically cleanse them throughout history.
      • jameskong15, on 08/20/2008, -1/+3The Russian peacekeepers in SO were internationally supported since like 1991, so Achalemoipas's whole UN backed peacekeepers rant is irrelevant.
      • AchaIemoipas, on 08/20/2008, -1/+1No they weren't.

        It's impossible you giant douche. You can't be a peacekeeper in a conflict you're involved in.

        http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLC ...


    • AndreiOttawa, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3And US are upset because they are the ones who came up with this statement.
    • PhantomJM, on 08/19/2008, -4/+5Saying this makes him sound more like Khrushchev when he said "We will bury you".
    • warriorscot, on 08/19/2008, -2/+5Yeah but the Russian definition of "their people" varies depending on what their goals are.
  • empirefalling, on 08/18/2008, -34/+15A wrong decision to become an ally of a country that is in decline. Did the Georgians actually think that the US would come to their aid? The invasion of Ossetia by Georgian troops and the subsequent killing of hundreds of innocent civilians can only laid at the doorstep of the US White House. Encouragement from the Fascist Bush regime and it's various criminal cronies only drove Georgia further into "Occupation Madness". Russia saw no choice but to remove and dissolve the danger posed by Georgia and it's ally the US. Another slap on the bruised and bloody nose of the US and a warning to all countries aligned with the US.
    • SRSco, on 08/18/2008, -15/+34You people still don't get it. You can't invade and occupy your own territory. South Ossetia is in Georgia. Georgian troops did not invade anything. They aren't occupying anything. RUSSIA is the invader and occupier. I really hate this "enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality so many Diggers have. You can't automatically discount a nation as being immoral solely based on the fact that they are a US ally. And don't give me that ***** argument about how i've been had by an American propaganda machine that is pro-Georgian. If anything, you Diggers have created your own propaganda that you so blindly believe.

      საქართველო
      • browntiger, on 08/19/2008, -4/+9Bologna,

        By your standard Serbia was not killing muslims in Kosovo, or saying Darfur . You are obviously is georgian, საქართველო.

        Ossetia and Abhazia are regions that Georgia lost in 1994 war, and now lost forever. Everything should be done via talks and negotiations. Bombing civilian city is not the right way to approach the problem. And it is clear to me that time of invasion 1 hour prior to Olympic games was picked long time ago by georgian goverment. They had hopes of quickly overrunning local resistance and kicking all Ossetians out. Just like they did in that other area Kordori... It did not work.
      • Sergey, on 08/19/2008, -6/+4South Ossetia is in georgia for only about 60 years.
        Before it was an independent country. The USSR mixed them all.

        What the Russia should do?
        Stay and watch how Georgia and USA kill peacekeepers and Osetian people there?
        IRAQ is more than enough to understand what politics Bush and Condoliza declare.
      • somespecial, on 08/19/2008, -3/+6S. Ossetia doesn't agree with you. It has it's own president and considers themselves their own country. When they asked Russia to recognize them as a country several months ago, Russia said it would not take declarative steps, but practical steps. This is a country that has been wanting to be recognized as it's own country for 10 years.
      • SRSco, on 08/19/2008, -3/+7I'm fully aware of the history of South Ossetia and Georgia and the USSR.

        Clarify this for me, will you?

        What makes the secession movement of South Ossetia so damned critical and valid to you? Where do you draw a line when it comes to secession movements? Should the US Civil War not have happened? Should Spain let the Basques secede? Who in this long list of seccesionist groups be allowed to secede and who shouldn't? What set of standards do the South Ossetians meet and Georgia fail to meet that makes you think Georgia should permit this?

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_autono ...

        (Obviously some of these movements vary to their degree of intensity, but regardless, too many of them exist.)

        Preventing a group to secede from a democratically run nation (where Ossetians can be democratically represented in the government) is a completely moral and legitimate thing for Georgia to do. Russia is getting involved just to increase their sphere of influence (they honestly don't give a damn for the plight of the Ossetians, if you believe so, you've been duped).


      • Akairenn, on 08/19/2008, -2/+0Come again?

        How, in the name of all sanity, is an attempt by force to prevent the secession of a people - from a *democratic* country, moral?

        Legitimate? Certainly. Legitimacy doesn't go hand in hand with morality; they're quite separable. But moral? The very idea of democracy demands the consent of the governed. There's little difference between "democracy" at gunpoint and a dictatorship.
      • SRSco, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1So the American Civil War was immoral? You still haven't answered my question. Who in this long list of seccesionist groups be allowed to secede and who shouldn't? What set of standards do the South Ossetians meet and Georgia fail to meet that makes you think Georgia should permit this?
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2You don't get it. They only ended up in Georgia because a certain Georgian dictator named Joseph Stalin forced them to be. If we started to respect all of Joe's little "territorial adjustments", then the Soviet Empire would be back.
    • SRSco, on 08/19/2008, -17/+14Oh wait. You're a Communist. Why did I even bother to reason with you.
      • Myonosken, on 08/19/2008, -6/+12Your first post was good, your second just made you look like a stupid ***** American from the 70s.

        Ironic that you were saying everyone else is blinded by propaganda.
      • notalemming, on 08/19/2008, -10/+8I'd prefer communism to American fascism.
      • norman619, on 08/19/2008, -5/+6notalemming and SRSco:

        You guys have any idea what communism is? Based on the comments I have read here I'm betting you haven't a clue. Communism is the people working together selflessly for the good of the whole. It is the people owning everything not the government.
      • SRSco, on 08/19/2008, -5/+4@ Myonosken

        Somebody who has strong anti-Communist emotions = a naive "blinded by propaganda stupid ***** American"? Being an anti-Communist from the 70s (or any time from the Cold War) wasn't about being some silly cliche or caricature that you think it is. It's about being pro-liberty, pro-democracy. Empirefalling still believes in the failed experiment of Communism. I'm not some red scare hysterical that goes nuts over Communism, but I obviously believe that it is NOT a good form of government (if you value freedom and liberty--which I do.)

        I didn't call Empirefalling a Communist as some kind of name-calling exercise because I disagree with her, I called her one because she is one. Look at her profile.

        @ Norman619: Of course I know what Communism is. You're naive idealistic definition of it is cute though. However, I don't know of any group of Communists who didn't try their experiment and didn't turn their nation into some tyranny where the State (read government, not "the people") owning everything. You fail at calling me naive. Read some more.

        And lastly, don't YOU people see the double standards of Empirefalling accusing the United States of being imperialistic, yet supporting the actions of Russia? Russia obviously is heading for another paradigm shift of returning to their old ways of exuding a massive imperial sphere of influence that they did when they were the Soviet Union. If you're against imperialism, stand up for Georgia.

        @ notalemming: Your comment is too stupid to even reply to.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -3/+1Oh, wait. You're a moron.
  • richmomz, on 08/19/2008, -12/+208“If someone thinks they can kill our citizens, kill soldiers and officers fulfilling the role of peacekeepers, we will never allow this,” Mr Medvedev told a group of Second World War veterans in Kursk. “Anyone who tries to do this will receive a shattering blow.”

    Western media translation: "Vee vill CRUSH zemm!"
    • dafragsta, on 08/19/2008, -14/+7And that is why the modern media sucks. That is why humanity is ***** DOOMED.
    • GhandicapXRS, on 08/19/2008, -2/+25"Our so-called leaders... prostituted us to the West. Destroyed our culture... our economies... our honor. Our blood has been spilled on our soil... My blood... on THEIR hands... THEY are the invaders. All US and British forces will leave Russia immediately... or suffer the consequences" - Zakhaev

      I've heard it so many times it's burned into my RETINAS!
      • Sniper, on 08/19/2008, -1/+6Thank you Call of Duty 4
      • anonym02147979, on 08/19/2008, -8/+2Even the founder of Google is from Soviet Union.
        Russia should finally unite with the west and stop doing stupid things.
        Whites in the EU and US are more compatible with Russians then with Asians,
        Japs, Turks, Muslims, Latinos, Gipsies, Negros etc.

        200 million of good acting Russians would be much better addition to the EU
        then say Turks or muslim Albanians that are begging for it.
      • richmomz, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2You might need to take a break from playing CoD4 then. lol

        Here's another good one: "Whoever doesn't miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain." -Vladimir Putin
      • GhandicapXRS, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2@rich:

        I will, when COD 5 comes out ;)
      • Syraxis, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4COD 5 isn't being developed by Infinity Ward, it's not gonna be as good.
      • GhandicapXRS, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1true dat!
      • richmomz, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Gah! Not again - didn't they learn their lesson from CoD3?
    • stonewaljacksn, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1isnt that wat digg (the submitter) said, not the "Western Media".
      more like: the trranslation of a bunch of nerds living in Star Wars good vs. evil fantasyland
  • feeldarhythme, on 08/19/2008, -13/+4http://digg.com/politics/The_bitter_truth_of_South ...
  • BaseballGuyCAA, on 08/19/2008, -6/+76"I must break you"--Ivan Drago
    • channelx, on 08/19/2008, -1/+12"If he dies, he dies" -- Ivan Drago
    • d03boy, on 08/19/2008, -13/+3Isn't it "I will break you"
    • frishack, on 08/19/2008, -13/+8The funny part is, that is all most ice cream headed americans know about Russia. In fact, all of their history and world view is formed by hollywood movies. Have fun in your decline.
    • falser, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1Don't forget the best quote of the movie:

      "You will lose" -- Ivan Drago
  • Ovidutz, on 08/19/2008, -16/+39make love, not war.
    • AgmLauncher, on 08/19/2008, -25/+10Shut up hippie. Get a new cliche.
      • identifiedlogo, on 08/19/2008, -3/+12Dummy, as moronic as that sounded, you would wish you made love when rockets and missiles come down like a rain.
      • flashback99, on 08/19/2008, -1/+14isn't what you said a massive cliche from 60's conservatism?
    • Azerael, on 08/19/2008, -4/+12That's where the 'rape' part of 'rape and pillage' comes in.
    • SnarleyJoe, on 08/19/2008, -2/+27But what am I supposed to do for the other 23 hours and 57 minutes of each day?
    • limerope, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2Medvedev ain't my type, sorry.
    • andretii, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2spread ur legs
    • KyjL, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1make install --not war
  • pstroll, on 08/19/2008, -25/+9I bet Russia could kick the crap out of America.
    • bentman78, on 08/19/2008, -4/+15I bet not...
    • areyouserious, on 08/19/2008, -4/+8ROFLMAO
    • welestgw, on 08/19/2008, -0/+6"He's not human. He's like a piece of iron." - Captain Ivan Drago
      • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1"Ahh I'm DEAD!!!!"

        - Apollo Creed
      • smoothdogg00, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1"He's not a machine! He's a man!" - Duke
    • stranglethorne, on 08/19/2008, -1/+16no one wins in a nuclear fight

      we all lose
    • identifiedlogo, on 08/19/2008, -7/+2You mean NUKE em'. thats not war, thats what America does.
      • bentman78, on 08/19/2008, -3/+8Please explain.
        If you're referring to Japan then you're rather daft..
        Making the decision to drop the atomic bomb saved probably a million soldiers lives and probably some Japanese lives. It was a tough decision but given the odds the US military was facing against an insane enemy who would rather die than surrender you would have done the same thing. I was the right call and ended the war moths maybe even years earlier than it would have otherwise...
      • banido, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4"It's the only way to be sure."
      • iorbilicroat, on 08/19/2008, -3/+0''Making the decision to drop the atomic bomb saved probably a million soldiers lives and probably some Japanese lives.''

        ????????

        you must be insane!!! i assure you, the 'nuke' took far more lives then there were saved, and it still does. off course, what are few hundred thousand of Japanese, or how ever you call them (charlie), to American soldiers cause one American soldier is worth about 100 Japanese civilians and all of us lower nations?!! ... i cannot believe that there are people like you in this world!!! you obviously have no idea how destructive war is and especially the nuclear weapon.

        make love not war maybe a cliche but if it would be respected, it would save far more live than nuclear bomb!!!
      • schnikies79, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3^^ Stop being an idiot for a moment.

        If saved the U.S. from having to invade mainland Japan, therefor saving a ton of Alliance soldiers lives. Without the a-bomb, WWII, with reguards to Japan, could have easily drug on for another 2 or 4 years.

        "Make love, not war" is more than cliche, it's unrealistic.
      • welestgw, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3Agreed. The a-bomb was a method of last resort used to avoid a mainland assault. Who really knows what the losses would have been on either side, but the Japanese were unlikely to surrender without a significant amount of resistance. Even the firebombing of the capital didn't lead to an immediate surrender.
      • iorbilicroat, on 08/19/2008, -1/+0tell me you two, have you ever been in crossfire? have you ever been in the basement while projectiles are whistling over your head? did anyone in your family die from those projectiles and you have to watch them die in front of your eyes, bleeding all over the place? I've been through all that and it is horrible!! i can only imagine the power of a-bomb dropping on people. i learned history and i know what kind of nuts were Japanese but there is always a way... just it is not always easy. I'm not against the war without reason, it destroyed my life. I've been through it and i will be against it as long as i live. so don't call me an idiot just cause i have experienced things that you read in books about.

      • welestgw, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2I agreed with the reasoning, not that you are an idiot. I was just reiterating the reasons as to why the bomb was used. War is never the right answer in any case. That being said, a country also has a right to defend themselves and make sure they won't be attacked again.

        We can argue whether or not the US knew of the Pearl Harbor attack before it happened, that is debatable. But what is certain is that the US did not strike first, they were drawn into the war.
      • schnikies79, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2@iorbilicroat

        Well I apologize for calling you an idiot, it was a bit harsh. I'm sorry about that.

        I still stand by my statement that it did save lives. It is the worst of the worst options and hopefully will never needed again.
    • AgmLauncher, on 08/19/2008, -0/+7I smell flame bait.
    • banido, on 08/19/2008, -0/+6"I bet Russia could kick the crap out of America."

      ...in dancing?
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydRjBbWszsk&feature ...
    • fejjfunklamella, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4Trolling is fun and safe...
    • JoeVet, on 08/19/2008, -3/+6Russia still uses undirected attacks with poor precision. They decimated civilian areas because of poorly placed munitions. They look like they are ready for a 20th century war while we are already in the 21st century. We have precision weapons and pilots with many more times the training. We can target a nat's @ss from hundreds of miles away. With the exception of nuklear arms, we have nothing to fear from Russia.
      • pstroll, on 08/19/2008, -3/+0Who cares about precision guided BB guns??!! Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal and any NATO ordinance or aircraft detected entering Russian territory will be met with a full scale nuclear annihilation.
      • diggerine, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3@pstroll: O rly?

        Tell that to Matthias Rust. He eluded the whole panoply of the "vaunted" Soviet air defenses and landed on Red Square in 1987. And he flew a propeller-driven, unstealthy Cessna!

        I suppose you think Russia is the only one with nuclear weapons, eh? Perhaps you don't know that the UK has Trident ballistic missile submarines. Or that France has their own Force de Frappe (Nuclear Strike Force) and ballistic missile subs. Or that the US has ICBMs, SLBMs, Stealth B-2 bombers, and cruise missiles, all capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

        And perhaps you don't know the UK, France, and the USA all belong to NATO, and therefore are treaty-obligated to come to each other's defense in case of Russian attack.

        Have you ever heard of stealth aircraft? Precision-guided nuclear-capable bombs and missiles?

        Have you ever heard of nuclear deterrence?

        How about Chechnya? How did the Russian Army perform there? How many civilians did they kill? Russian soldier are 100 times more likely to commit atrocities than NATO soldiers. Why doesn't Russia let go of Chechnya?

        Russia is an imperialist hegemonist (as China would say). Your Rodina doesn't care about human rights, communist or capitalist it may be. It just wants to re-steal all the lands she lost when your precious evil Soviet Empire crumbled at the end of Cold War I.

        Coming up, Cold War II.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2Sweetie, have you seen what was left of Fallujah, after the Americans were done with it, using their "precise" munitions?

        "With the exception of nuklear arms, we have nothing to fear from Russia."

        What ridiculous statement! Yeah, with the expection of the their most powerful, deadly and well maintained military branch, we have nothing to fear from them.
      • diggThis77, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2@Wookie

        Stop!!! Everyone knows it's puff, puff, pass. Stop smokin the whole thing. Russia's military is outdated end of story. Hell, Georgia shot down 3 Soviet planes in a few days time. What do you think hundreds of well trained pilots with today's best technology would do. As for most powerful, deadly and well maintained military branch I'd agree with one part of that...deadly and that's only because Russia's stuff is so damn old it'll blow up in their faces.

        Russia might have some good tanks and soldiers but after the US shot down all your planes guess what..here come the A-10's and there go your tanks...no tank support, here come our tanks..there go your soldiers. Not that it'd ever get that far without WW3 happening and hope to everything that's holy that that'll never happen PERIOD let alone in my life time.
      • JoeVet, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2Georgia not only shot down 3 soviet fighters, they did it without any real anti-air defenses. The soviets have a hard time hiting their targets.
  • MrMysterious, on 08/19/2008, -17/+42He better hurry and do all the crushing before Georgia joins NATO.
    • JasonCox, on 08/19/2008, -6/+12Georgia tried to join NATO; and NATO said 'no'.
      • warriorscot, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2NATO said they are still considering it, very different thing than saying no.
    • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -2/+17How good will NATO look if one of its members attacks its own province with bombs? How probable that other NATO members will participate in conflict with Russia? How probable that nuclear warheads will be used? How cheap your life will be after that? Do you still want a country with such retarded leader in NATO?
      • diggit83, on 08/19/2008, -2/+3If Georgia US had an armed militia and tried to break away from the union you can be damn sure it would be bombed.....

        In war there is no such thing as a fair fight......thats why 16th century Britain, in ALL its might couldn't beat the militia here.

        Oh and look on the bright side. Nuclear war would reverse global warming! (Sarcasm)
      • Thuktun, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2@diggit83 "If Georgia US had an armed militia and tried to break away from the union you can be damn sure it would be bombed..."

        I think something like this may have already happened in the mid-nineteenth century.
      • warriorscot, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1@diggit83
        In theory it shouldn't have to be bombed by the way the US is supposed to work, but it probably would.

        In war there are always rules, at least if you want to be successful in most cases. What you really should say is there are no absolutes in war, guerilla warfare is not against the rules in war it never has. 16th Century Britain couldn't beat the US militia because A. The US militia had help from French naval forces and B. Britain did not try all that hard as it was a political nightmare, it was one thing to pacify "natives" and another to ask people to go against other people often from the same place.

        It was also the 18th century not the 16th, and the British Army in North America was a small force with only 100,000 men all in, a small force for the day by far not the whole might of the British empire as it was fighting three other wars at the same time as well with large European nations at the time. The idea that militia fighting was a purely American tactic is also a myth, there were British army units at the time that pretty much wrote the book on guerilla warfare.
    • Jexie, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2NATO will never go to war with Russia for Georgia, something most of the members of NATO should take strong note of.
    • cheesehead, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1If Georgia had been in Nato then all other members would have been forced to defend their invasion and murder of Ossetian civilians. That would have probably led to a nuclear exchange. Be careful what you wish for.
  • 007isbond1, on 08/19/2008, -9/+35can we blow ***** up yet?
  • ilistenisee, on 08/19/2008, -3/+41Once Aliens invade Earth, we'll unite...until then, just hope we don't start nuking each other.
    • Enron, on 08/19/2008, -3/+18Haven't you played X-COM? Everyone knows a few nations will just sign a secret pact with the aliens.
    • AgmLauncher, on 08/19/2008, -7/+2No we won't. The ACLU will side with the aliens.
      • FeloniusMonkey, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4Funny, though I don't think aliens are privy to American civil liberties.
      • Clusterfrak, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Do aliens get basic human rights?
    • SteveLRowe, on 08/19/2008, -3/+1- obligatory Watchmen comment -
    • astrotrain, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1** fires up old Amiga favorite game "Nuclear War" game **
    • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Dugg for XCOM reference!
  • LukasSmith, on 08/19/2008, -21/+14US could make dust out of Russia. The only thing that Russians have that keeps us from doing so is nukes. But of course we have nukes as well. Hopefully Russia doesn't give us a reason to use them.
    • Myonosken, on 08/19/2008, -1/+11Oh also that whole issue that the rest of the world would turn on you for attacking Russia given they aren't actively attacking your nation.
      • GoneSouth, on 08/19/2008, -4/+25You're having trouble pacifying a few guys in sandals with AK-47s and towels on their heads who came to war in a beat up toyota pickup. What are you going to do against a real army?
      • ssjninja, on 08/19/2008, -9/+3u know why ? becuase there is no real target to attack. oh and 4,000 dead out of 100,000 of them is considered wining you moron. if it wasn't for us trying to rebuild the country we wouldn't still be there. Gone South your a idiot we are easily 20 years ahead of Russia tech wise.
      • Myonosken, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2You? I thought my post made it quite clear I'm not from the US...
      • LunaticFringe, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3@ssjninja
        Not exactly. The Russians have comparable fighter technology to the US in the Su-47 Berkut.
        Also, if things ever turned hot it'd be rather easy to weaponize space. Considering NASA is dependent on Russia for rockets, that makes it so the Russians could essentially lock down the US.
      • rayraym0fucka, on 08/19/2008, -2/+3@GoneSouth

        No, we crippled their country in just a few weeks. The "towelheads" are just normal looking people with guns who don't like us there. It's hard to fight an enemy you cannot tell apart from the general population - especially when you have all this PR ***** to worry about.
      • TimDigg, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Road side bombs(IEDs) cost less than a pizza to make....
      • nogura, on 08/29/2008, -0/+0The Su-47 Berkut? It's a single demonstrator aircraft. It's as likely to come to fruition as the much vaunted Soviet plasma stealth that eats the exterior of your plane and cuts off all radio Coms. ...... oh, and gives you a 3000 degree C IR signature.
    • LukasSmith, on 08/19/2008, -10/+2How do you get "lets attack Russia now" out of my comment? I simply stated we "could" crush Russia if they did something out of line. Not that we should.
      • Myonosken, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4"US could make dust out of Russia"
        We're pointing out the fact you couldn't.
      • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3 Why do you assume you are going to get to call the shots? If you hit me, I am not going to allow you to work at your speed. That is why the first shot shouldn't ever happen... but war hawks aren't the brightest.....

        Unfortunately, the way the world works, and the way the neocons seem to think the world works are too vastly different things. Demonstrable by all the body bags coming home from being greeted as liberators....
    • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -0/+24You are a tool, fighting Russia is not like sending so people over to another land while your kids go to school and your walmart wife is picking up the family pack of chocolate covered hash browns...

      New York, Cali, Seattle, et all - every American city is a target. Every single person that thought that "What the big deal", will be a victim... and all because of what?

      This will be a real fight - with real blood and the MSM isn't going to be able to hide the half bodies, peeled skin and death throughout the streets - Americans may see them right outside their doors...assuming their house is still there.

      Grow up, this isn't a rambo movie.
      • ssjninja, on 08/19/2008, -12/+1patriot missile system ? X 10,000 = pretty damn effective nuke and missile stopper
      • dogson, on 08/19/2008, -0/+7And every country harboring the missile shield, and plz the patriot cant even shoot down a scud missile let alone an ICBM traveling at 24000 kph.
      • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -3/+1nevermind that the patriots stopped the scuds fired at israel and kuwait in the first gulf war, and that was almost 20 years ago, and never mind that we now have the ability to take out satellites,

        Say what you will about about the dangers of having such an anti missile defense system, (the only thing that kept the cold war cold was assured mutual destruction), but don't knock our defenses just because you are anti-military.

        The missile defense shield would be wholly ineffective against 5000 russian nukes, but I like our odds in the extremely unlikely event that Iran, Pakistan, or an old Soviet satellite decided to unleash hell
    • amightywind, on 08/19/2008, -10/+1It is hoped that a Russian attack on a NATO nation would lead to total war on Russia and its eventual partitioning. Yes, the Russian military is a bunch of drunks.
      • vindicatur, on 08/19/2008, -3/+3Yeah, and the US military is a bunch of rapists and torturers. Deny that and digg me down, douchebag.
      • amightywind, on 08/19/2008, -3/+3Denied. Dugg down.
      • diggThis77, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2@Vindicatur

        That can be said of any army that has a sustained presence in any theatre of combat, Russia included. Anyone doing it should be shot and I say that of the US military as well.
      • vindicatur, on 08/19/2008, -1/+1@diggThis77

        I agree. Dugg.
    • Jaablaze, on 08/19/2008, -1/+14This won't be like sending soliders to Iraq to fight insurgents. Any war with a major country like Russia or china would be devastating to the US.
      • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2i don't think you understand how geography works, as long as battles stay conventional, the US would be fine. In the event of nuclear war, we're all *****.
    • dygel, on 08/19/2008, -0/+7Someone get this kid a copy of the Cliff Notes to the Cold War.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/19/2008, -3/+4the US can't win a war against a bunch of half trained ***** scraggly-ass ragheads. How do you think they will go against the Russkies? You'd be ***** out of luck, pal.
    • LukasSmith, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3We can't win Warty because in order to win against people who dress as civilians completely we would have to kill the entire civilian population. Nobody wants a genocide digg article. US could end this war any day they want. But everyone in Iraq would be dead. Then Europe would write a resolution that would come to nothing and then? nothing. So yeah we "could". T
    • LukasSmith, on 08/19/2008, -8/+4Lol this blog is swarming with America hating scum. Why should I go to America hating scum to ask them if US military could own Russia? I know it can. It already did. The US won the cold war. Just because you all no doubt come from countries with tiny play soldiers doesn't mean you are military experts. History clearly proves US military has been the most best military force of the last half century. We have more weapons, more soldiers, and nukes. If you think you can ***** with that go ahead and try.
      • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/19/2008, -2/+7"I aint skeered!"

        You ***** transparent fool. You broadcast your fear and panic with every word you write. You have no understanding of international politics, war, or the impact of it. You are a moral and intellectual coward. You talk loud because you have nothing to say.

        America didn't win the cold war with weapons, it was won because USSR couldn't support it's economic model. It collapsed from within, not due to the US' efforts to pressure it. So talking about winning a war in a military sense, again you show how totally out of touch you are.

        America is ***** because it is run by morons. You buy into that *****, and parrot the hawk talking points, but I notice you won't sign up. You're a joke.
      • duder83, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2i agree. Not only more weapons & nukes, but the BEST trained soldiers out there. We also have money and allies. What's Russia going to do, throw together a pack of goons that can't even operate a remote control tonka truck?
      • kemp34, on 08/19/2008, -1/+1Lukas Smith you are a very dumb and sad little man.
      • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1America DID win the cold war with weapons, just because WE didn't use them doesn't mean a thing. Reagen increased the military budget to a pace that the Soviets couldn't keep up with, forcing them to spend their economy into near bankruptcy: Add along with that our funding of the Mujaheddin with US made Stinger missiles, which made Afghanistan the USSR's Vietnam and you have the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a direct result of American military and foreign policy.

    • weegee101, on 08/19/2008, -2/+3No, we were losing because we weren't involving the Iraqi people. This was alienating them which was making it easy for the insurgents to encourage Iraqi's to join their ranks. We stopped acting like invaders and starting involving the Iraqi people more, like we should, and since that point bombings are down. We're finally getting to the point where the Iraqi Army can handle themselves and keep order.

      You have to remember that we tore Iraq's infrastructure up with the invasion. We immediately dissolved what was left of the military and helped them rebuild a new one. Then we didn't let their military do crap, which I think was our biggest mistake.

      For the record... the Iraqi Army is winning now. Not the US, not the Insurgents... the Iraqi's themselves.
    • browntiger, on 08/19/2008, -2/+3>The only thing that Russians have that keeps us from doing so is nukes.
      > But of course we have nukes as well. Hopefully Russia doesn't give us a reason to use them.

      Yes, in a quantity to blow this planet 20+ times. I wounder who will win nuclear war...
      Evangelicals dream.

      We need new president, and kick all repukes out.
    • Eezyville, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4Do you people seriously want to start a war with Russia? Are you that arrogant? Fine, ok, I don't care. Start a war with Russia but only if you're on the front lines. Lets see how superior you are to them when you have to face them face to face. Oh and that talk about us being 20 yrs ahead of Russia tech wise is dumb. They still have the ability to reach us and do some damage so whats the point of bloating about how technologically advanced you are. LukasSmith you're an idiot.
      • kemp34, on 08/19/2008, -1/+1Please realize this clown does not represent America. He is part of the wholly duped and brain washed 15 or so %.
    • Swellin, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3LukasSmith is just the stereotypical American who thinks America can kill anyone do anything the want and there will be no repercussions. Guaranteed stick this fat headed obese dumb ass on the front lines and he would stud er and drool like the moron he is.
      • Eezyville, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2I'm sorry but he doesn't represent Americans. Take your stereotypes to another country.
      • Swellin, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1You are reading my post wrong, i said he is a stereotypical American. Then i described what a stereotypical American is, generally an *****. I however did not say that he was like all Americans, just the stereotypical one, the dumb ass ones, see the difference? maybe i wrote it wrong really i don't care, because im telling what i meant now.
  • samimnot, on 08/19/2008, -4/+15"cross us and we will crush you"

    Swear I heard Schwarzenegger say that in one of his movies...
  • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 08/19/2008, -5/+29We have failed to learn from history, now we are being condemned to repeat it.
    • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -6/+3How so?
    • ColorBlind, on 08/19/2008, -10/+2I failed to see how your comment applies....the US...nor anyone else has plans to attack Russia. Let them throw their temper tantrum and they'll be fine.
    • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 08/19/2008, -5/+6We should have seen this coming around the time Russian journalists started drinking Polonium 210 flavored kool aide.
    • trollick, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2What the ***** does that even mean???
  • stranglethorne, on 08/19/2008, -14/+24at least he's honest

    who the ***** does georgia think they're fighting?

    i think you can figure out which cat represents which country :P

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tf4tAv-Mfs
    • HyphySoul, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1LOL, haven't seen that video in years

      made me laugh
  • omg404, on 08/19/2008, -17/+43Russia seems like it is just sticking up for their people, look at how most people in the war zone feel. They say Russia helped them while Georgian forces were pointlessly killing them.
    • poidh, on 08/19/2008, -15/+10"Their" people? South Ossetians are Georgians, not Russians. Simply granting people of a foreign country passports to your country does not make them citizens of your country.
      • Speed, on 08/19/2008, -4/+19Yeah it does.
      • TheNik, on 08/19/2008, -2/+14Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what that means. :(
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -1/+12Let's ask them, why did they take passports in the first place...
      • MacBigot, on 08/19/2008, -4/+6Czechoslovakian citizens of German extract also cheered as Hitler annexed the Sudetenland. Clearly they were not loyal to the nation of which they were citizens. They were fifth-columnists.
      • eryximachus, on 08/19/2008, -3/+4Czechoslovakia was not a real country. That's why it doesn't exist today and barely existed for 3 generations. Bohemia had been German since Roman times, and mixed in the 2nd millennium. It had been under German authority since the beginning of recorded history. How on earth can people, who had family times to a place going back thousands of years, be fifth columnists?
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2Why don't you ask them who they are? They are not Georgians, they are not Russians. They are Ossetians (Alanians).
    • ssjninja, on 08/19/2008, -11/+12there russian citzens in Georgian LAND. that tried to make there own country using GEORGIAN LAND. sounds like Rebels if you ask me aka civil war which means its none of Russia's business
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3First of all, let's digg up and look, why there are Russian citizens in Ossetia. You can read for yourself in wikipedia on the history of Georgian-Ossetian conflict in 91-92.
        Second, let's see the facts here, ok? It is stated that Georgia is democratic country. It is stated, that its economy grow so fast, that it will be economic superpower soon enough. It is stated that corruption rate is dropping rapidly, its police is nice, its military is powerful. On the other hand, there is authoritarian government in Russia, corruption, nationalism... So why people in S.Ossetia choose to be Russian citizens? We can see similar separatists movement in other countries, like Spain, Britain, etc. But who will be stupid enough to change nice democratic country for a big bully with corrupt and authoritarian government?
        And ask yourself, why people from S.Ossetia flee to Russia and not to Georgia?
        Last, but not least, suppose Georgia won that war and Russia did not intervene? How do you live with people who you bombed just yesterday?
      • pmsinbarbie4, on 08/20/2008, -1/+0OMG! If the Georgians there want to be Russian then move to freakin Russia. It's simple. If you are Russian and living in Ossetia then you are an idiot. What the hell are you doing in Georgia if you are Russian and for Russia? YOu don't like Georgia get out. Ossetia is Georgia's. Russia has more than enough land to mow. Take your tanks and bombs (and the US's tanks) and go blow up your own crap.
      • ssjninja, on 08/21/2008, -0/+1volandkit well there a simple answer to your question S.Ossetia and russia is buddy buddy and also every one knew Georgia was about to get its ass handed to it
      • volandkit, on 08/21/2008, -0/+1@ssjninja
        I know, it was rhetorical question. But I don't understand how stupid could president of Georgia be to once again repeat mistake of his predecessors (2 of them).
    • spinchange, on 08/19/2008, -5/+4That is the narrative Russia is putting forward. Independent groups like Human Rights Watch and others have called Russia's assertions "suspicious" and "exaggerated" to justify their military actions. It does appear the Georgia made some mistakes, but the portrayal of them mercilessly attacking S. Ossetia -for no reason- doesn't jive with whats coming from independent agencies on the ground there.
  • protogenxl, on 08/19/2008, -5/+69Russian official: The Soviet Union will be pleased to offer amnesty to your wayward vessel.
    American official: The Soviet Union? I thought you guys broke up.
    Russian official: Yes, that's what we wanted you to think! [Maniacal laughter]
    • Kidddrunkadelic, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3"must crush capitalism"
      -zombie Lenin
  • zyrg, on 08/19/2008, -13/+69as i'm from Estonia, the fear actually is growing. it's not cute and nice at all to have such a country at your border who's actions aren't predictable at all, who knows what they come up next there, for me personally the situation is a real pain in the ****. we should just get along nicely, shouldn't always show how big and mighty and powerful one or another country is. normal ordinary people just want to live in peace and do their everyday doings, and not to look over your shoulder all the time...
    • poidh, on 08/19/2008, -10/+25I come to Estonia every year with my mates, because we think it's a great country. We like to drink, shoot, go karting, go bowling and of course visit the strip clubs, and all in the compact and attractive city of Tallinn.
      Tallinn is a very civilised city and the Estonian people are very decent.
      In fact, the only problems we've ever had in Estonia has been from the ethnic Russians, who seem to enjoy fighting as if it's the only way they can feel like real men.
      • zyrg, on 08/19/2008, -2/+9i don't want to start now sth. and claim that we are totally innocent and don't cause trouble and so on, but the loudest and in many cases, most aggressive people aren't from here indeed. I have nothing against foreign people, or who claim that Estonia is their home, when they behave normally, don't cause any pointless panics or trouble. When you don't like our culture or way of living or politics, everyone is free to leave and go there where you can be happy.. not complain all the time how bad it is here or discriminating or whatever.. Got a little Offtopic here.. sorry.
      • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -4/+4Maybe if you nationalist assholes stopped treating your Russian minority like *****, they would stop acting up. Kazakhstan doesn't have any ethnic tensions between the Russians and the Kazakhs. You know why? Because they let the Russians speak their languages, don't confine them to ghettos and treat them with respect.
      • grinpiss, on 08/20/2008, -2/+1"Russians, who seem to enjoy fighting as if it's the only way they can feel like real men."

        poidh you ran like a scared bitch huh? how was that feeling, right in your chest, in your throat, knowing that you're bout to get your ass beat?

        naw naw, you're right, the realest men i know are kick ass bowlers.

        bitch.
    • donkz, on 08/19/2008, -6/+22what would Russia attach Estonia for? Oiled sardines?
      • sildude, on 08/19/2008, -1/+8Have you tried our sardines? they're the best!
      • dig1x, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4Yum! Oiled sardines nom nom nom nom.

        (try the ones packed in a herbed tomato sauce (even the ones packed with a hot pepper)... Wow. A nice piece of bread and a can of sardines...... food meant for the gods)
      • methylamine, on 08/19/2008, -0/+4No! For the excellent Vodka, it's better than any other than Texas Dripping Springs!
      • SlavaKM, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1To kill remaining nazis?
        :-P

        I keed.

        Tell Alina Privalova hello, i listen to "Sviazi" all the time.
    • AndreiOttawa, on 08/19/2008, -9/+14Maybe Estonian government should stop treating Russian-speaking population like crap and accept them as part of the society?
      • CHANNELOCK, on 08/19/2008, -6/+7Then Estonia will be swallowed up by a million ethnic Russians all looking for a better life and leaving behind a corrupt old country in the rear view mirrow....but still very nationalist towards their crappy motherland and demanding the locals accept the low key invasion.

        Just check out California for an example
      • AndreiOttawa, on 08/19/2008, -4/+9I'm not suggesting Estonia opening the borders for new Russian immigrants. I'm asking about finally accepting the people who have been living in Estonia since before it became independent. They are Russian-speaking, but in reality they were citizens of USSR (not Russia). Many of them live in Estonia all their lives and have no ties to Russia.
      • inku, on 08/19/2008, -2/+6The Russian-speaking population isn't oppressed in Estonia. They have the same jobs, the same pay, they have schools and clubs and everything else. We have accepted them but they have to accept us too (and not call us fascists whenever they don't agree with us).
        Also, a lot of them actually have ties to Russia, older relatives and family.
      • romane1, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3Just want to comment inku "and not call us fascists whenever they don't agree with us"

        Fascists are OFFICIALLY supported by prime-minister and president of Estonia. They officially visit meeting of fascists.. I just looked Estonian media.. Actually they are proud of being fascist and supporting it. Maybe That why Russians call Estonians fascists?

        BTW - try to find any other state with such a explicit fascist politic.
      • Ruiner007, on 08/21/2008, -1/+1"The Russian-speaking population isn't oppressed in Estonia. They have the same jobs, the same pay, they have schools ..." - This is simply not true. Most Russians would not agree with you.
    • Saturdaynightis, on 08/19/2008, -6/+2Most people on Digg grew up during the Clinton years and don't realize we were on recess from history. The talk coming from Medvedev and Putin is indistinguishable from Hitler in the late 1930's: "We'll protect German/Russian people wherever they are, regardless of borders" and the like. This was only nominally about Ossettia. Aside from sending a mafia-like message to the former Eastern Bloc about their allegiances, it was also a game of chicken with the West, especially the U.S. and NATO and the West blinked first.


      www.thenewliberal.org
    • methylamine, on 08/19/2008, -1/+10I was in Estonia last month, and it's a beautiful country with plenty of good farmland, trees, water, and happy people.

      Have peace. Russia invaded you before, and you survived and prospered with your strange language and choir-singing!

      And remember: Russia was not the aggressor in this little proxy-war, the American CIA started this through their puppet government in Georgia so they could put missile defence in Turkey and Georgia.

      The American government...NOT the American people...are imperialist madmen, and they will cause America to fall like Rome did. I only hope those of us who live here survive their madness. They are far beyond the peoples' control, we don't even get to vote...the corrupt voting machines and media propaganda prevent real democracy.
    • Thuktun, on 08/19/2008, -3/+7If the USA were in the same position, does anyone believe Bush would act differently?
      • x060t, on 08/20/2008, -1/+0Not differently, but i'm sure he'd go further, bombing capital and taking Saak into court for genocide, maybe even hanging him like Saddam.
    • BabyWookie, on 08/19/2008, -5/+3Don't ***** with Russia and they won't ***** with you. So far, you have made some bad moves, but you have an opportunity to change. Start by:
      1) Leaving NATO (Finland and Sweden remained neutral between NATO the USSR and it has served them well)
      2) Making Russian the second national language and give citizenships to all ethnic Russia residents.
      3) Electing some less right-wing, neocon loving politicians.
      4) Curbing on all the disgusting nationalist and Russophobic propaganda in your media.
      5) Living happily and peacefully ever after.
    • diggThis77, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1@Wookie

      1) NATO IS the US...we provide by far the most troops and funding so highly doubtful
      2) Making Russian the second national language would be useless as Russian speaking people are far and few between. Spanish would be a much more sensible second language if any.
      3) Couldn't agree more...damn we have a retarded president right now suffice to say the wool was over most people's eyes.
      4) Actually up until the Georgia/Russia incident I *might* see one article about Russia and it was hardly Russophoic.
      5) I hope to do so, thanks for the suggestion
      • Ruiner007, on 08/21/2008, -1/+0You definitely live in some other Estonia :)

        2. In Estonia that i know Russian speaking are 1/3 of all population and 1/2 in the capital. It will be extremely hard to find any Spanish speaking resident.
        3. I would go far as call all government and most of the parlament retarded.
        4. "Tundmatu vene pätt"? :)
    • grinpiss, on 08/20/2008, -2/+1You know what's funny, this quote from you: "it's not cute and nice at all to have such a country at your border who's actions aren't predictable at all, who knows what they come up next there" NOW YOU KNOW HOW RUSSIAN FEEL WHEN NATO AND THE U.S. ARE NIPPING AT RUSSIA'S EVER ***** OPEN WOUND. Funny eh? Here you Estonians have this evil empire looming over you, tracking your every move, being antithetical to a large portion of your national and international policy. Doesn't feel too great does it? You are openly critical, your nation tries to defy Russia in every possible manner, yet you reprimand Russia for acting in a similar manner against an almost identical threat. You secretly wish your nation was big and strong enough to stand up to the evil foe.

      Estonia is closer to Russia than you think, bratan.
    • Ruiner007, on 08/21/2008, -2/+1Typical Estonian paranoia. Just look at the local media how it is biased toward Russia and local Russian population. Every day or a week i hear president or some government official make provocative anti-Russia statement. The coverage of Russia-Georgia conflict was so pathetic i could not believe my eyes.

  • MrFurious2k, on 08/19/2008, -6/+14Just watch out if he starts banging his shoe on the podium.
  • notalemming, on 08/19/2008, -22/+13Um, isn't Russia right to defend against Georgia, didn't they start it by introducing corrupt americano-democracy?
    • ssjninja, on 08/19/2008, -9/+5democracy corrupt ? wow you need to get out more
    • Clusterfrak, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4OK granted attacking a province that is watched and protected is idiotic, but how did Georgians start hostilities by favoring a pro-west government? Are you saying that any government that is an ally of the U.S. is corrupt and evil? If one wanted to make a case of Russian aggresion and corruption, look at the face of Ukraines president after they tried and poisened him.
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2Wow, some people just like to make assumptions, don't they? Nobody says that US-allies are evil or corrupt, some of the are though. As some of the Russian allies, as some of the Chinese allies. It is politics, everything goes on either side. As for Ukrainian president, how his face is an evidence of Russian aggression and corruption? Didn't you heard about "dubio pro reo"? With everything going in Ukraine it will be no surprise that it is evidence of Ukrainian corruption.
    • widgetmaker, on 08/19/2008, -2/+4Uh Russia has been goading Georgia into just such an attack for months, the speed and organisation of the attack is not something that can happen over night. Russia wanted this war.
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4Well, speedy retaliation is not an indicator of desire. Russia certainly was prepared, but to be stupid enough to actually attack its own people, while Russia is just few kilometers away, how retarded should one be?
        Second, to state that Russia wanted this war? Are you from an Intelligence officer to say such things?
      • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1volandkit owns widgetmaker
      • DutchGuilder, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3Russia had been complaining to the UN for months about an impending attack from Georgia. Just before the Georgian attack Russia aske the UN for a resolution that would have prevented it, but the US declined.
      • widgetmaker, on 08/19/2008, -1/+2@Voldandkit (and I hope you respond btw)
        So why did Russia open up a second totally unnecessary front in another region which it has even more tenuous claims over? Why did it push into Georgia when their military has already been decimated and lastly why is it dragging its feet on withdrawing.

        Yes they were Russian citizens but many only recently, Russian has been pushing out Russian passports and identities to residents for a while.

        Russia recently carried out military exercises on the border for just this kind of thing.

        Putin hates Georgia's leader and wants to show the power of a resurgent Russian to bot the world and other close by nations. The gains have been enormous for them, demonstrating that there is a clear motive and logic behind the attack.

        It also weakens Georgia's claims to being a secure oil transit that bypasses Russian and Iran further benefiting Russia.

        The fact is anyone who thinks that Russia did this out of a sense of duty to the people there is deluding themselves. No Georgia is not innocent in this but Russia's response was disproportionate, very calculated and an extremely clever move in the short term.

        Try getting your news from outside Digg, conspiratorial websites and the MSM
      • volandkit, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1@widgetmaker
        "So why did Russia open up a second totally unnecessary front in another region which it has even more tenuous claims over?"
        First of all, Russia didn't open second front, it was government of Abhazia. I don't justify them, but they did everything they could to prevent losses of civilian lives in upper Codori, unlike Georgian, who started bombing without notification, look up in the Internet. Second, why would you say that it is totally unnecessary? There are a treaty between S.Ossetia and Abhazia about military support, and it was Russian peace keepers who prevented full scale war between Abhazia and Georgia.

        "Why did it push into Georgia when their military has already been decimated"
        What would you do? Remember Kuwait? The best way to prevent such irresponsible actions is to totally destroy military capabilities of aggressor. Best evidence that it was retaliation against military and not civilians the scale of deaths (I know it sounds awful). How many victims would you project in a bombing of civilian city by NATO? Now look at data from Georgian side...

        "Why is it dragging its feet on withdrawing."
        What do you mean by that? Police and government officials fled to Tbilisi. No food in Gori and Senaki. Maradeurs and killers around. Isn't it responsible to stay and wait until police and government returns? Imagine that Russian army leaves and then chaos starts for 2-3 days. Guess who would be blamed?

        "Russian has been pushing out Russian passports and identities to residents for a while."
        I asked that many times, why would you choose a citizenship of Russian authoritarian state over democratic and economically booming Georgia?

        "Russia recently carried out military exercises on the border for just this kind of thing."
        Maybe, but you forgetting that Georgian and US military at the same time carried military exercises maybe for just this kind of thing that we saw in S.Ossetia. Do we blame US for that?

        "Putin hates Georgia's leader and wants to show the power of a resurgent Russian to bot the world and other close by nations."
        Well, politics is a job where you smile at the very people you hate, isn't it? Don't you think that man who lead Russia during 8 years despite its critics inside and outside could control himself? And if it is known fact, so that you can state it so confidently, wasn't it stupid for M.Saakashvili to give a reason to Mr. Putin? And what power are you talking about? Its became kliche of some kind, somebody wants to show its power to somebody... Please be reasonable and talk facts or at least add IMHO.

        "The gains have been enormous for them, demonstrating that there is a clear motive and logic behind the attack."
        Gains for who?

        "It also weakens Georgia's claims to being a secure oil transit that bypasses Russian and Iran further benefiting Russia."
        Well and who's fault is that? Imagine that they won in S.Ossetia and there was no Russian intervention. Wouldn't it start hatred and possibly terrorist activities in the area and thus weaken Georgia's claims even more?

        "The fact is anyone who thinks that Russia did this out of a sense of duty to the people there is deluding themselves. No Georgia is not innocent in this but Russia's response was disproportionate, very calculated and an extremely clever move in the short term."
        Well, I don't think that it was simple sense of of duty or compassion, but it was there too. However, the single claim that I see in your statement is that answer was disproportionate. And I already answered your question above, that you should prevent future aggressions, isn't it what has been done in Desert Storm operation, Israel operation in Livia, Iraq, Folklend Islands?

        Well, I have many source of news, don't watch MSM, don't read conspiratorial websites, come to Digg not for news but for fun. Where do you get your news, am I right, are you an Intelligent officer of some kind?
  • mikephimikephi, on 08/19/2008, -6/+48Russia is "dragging its heels in withdrawing" their invasion force.
    And US / NATO have the moral high ground, how exactly?
    • Saturdaynightis, on 08/19/2008, -9/+1Name the last U.N. Resolution Georgia violated. Hmm, Iraq was run by a dictator who had 500 tons of yellow cake (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/07/iraq.uranium/inde ... gassed his own people and invaded his neighbors among other things. Georgia is a democratic, free and sovereign state. And what were the other countries that were part of Russia's coalition? Do you think Russians even attempted to use satellite guided missiles to avoid civilians? Yeah, it's just like our invasion of Iraq...

      www.thenewliberal.org
      • trollick, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Name one UN resolution violated by Japan in Pearl Harbor attack.
      • suriwardo, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3Like the bombing of Kosovo where the CIA was feeding supplies to Albanian militants to pull Kosovo away from Serbia and to teach the Serbs a lesson. They were too close to Russia for the West to bear. How about Somalia, or Haiti or Vietnam or N. Korea who were the aggressors there??? Fighting for the sake of killing communists in the latter and fighting just to bring the former peoples to their way of thinking.
      • Saturdaynightis, on 08/19/2008, -1/+0Trollick, I think you missed the point

        Surlwardo, if you didn't get it, mikephimikephi was implying that there was some moral similarity between our invasion of Iraq and Russia's of Georgia. I am not justifying Iraq for us, but please let's not pretend in our "Bush is an idiot" muddleheadedness that it's the same thing. As for Kosovo, we've pursued the right to self-determination principle (usually blindly) for some time, and Kosovo was just more of the same. It had nothing to do with Russia at all (except Russia did help to fund Serb terrorists before WWI, like the ones that killed Ferdinand).

        Your last sentence is unintelligible, but I think you're saying that going to war to oppose communism is no justification. Well, Russia has historically been expansionist and it may seem fine to you when it's in someone else's backyard, but the question is how far are we willing to let it go? There were plenty like you in the 1930's that watched Hitler rebuild and annex his neighbors while saying 'war is not the answer', but had they stopped him early before the military was rebuilt, it would have saved lives.

        www.thenewliberal.org
    • pyronik, on 08/19/2008, -6/+2theres no moral equivalency between Russian and the US and lumping them together is intellectual dishonesty. Why you would even try to demonize the US in a story clearly about Russian aggression makes your true motives suspect.
      • ka2err, on 08/19/2008, -1/+3> try to demonize the US in a story clearly about Russian aggression

        For some reason they are not allowed to invade Georgia to but the US are allowed to invade Iraq.

        While I don't really know whether I partly agree with the Russian sentiment towards Georgia yet, however I'm deeply disgusted (again) by the US reaction.

        And I'm wondering how the US would cry wolf if Russia started to detain people to $SOMEWHERE .
      • pyronik, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2the case for WMD's in Iraq came from many governmental organizations, and to be totally honest.. I still believe that Russia played a part in moving them to syria.

        That aside (Georgia's President!=Saddam) , which alone warrants invasion and removal.
    • KireGoTI, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2First of all, only 133 Russians are dead from the conflict, as opposed to over a thousand Georgians. Secondly, we've been sending relief to over a hundred thousand displaced people. Thirdly, Russia seized territory in Georgia and is refusing to give it back. Fourthly, Russia is a false democracy that is actually a dictatorship ruled by Putin, whereas Georgia has an actual working democracy where people have actual defensible rights. Also, Russians terrorized and oppressed Georgians for over forty years, while Georgians have let Russians within their territory live with autonomy and have only recently taken military action. Russia has been generally bullying Europe and the world, and it has said it will recapture its former territories. And here are the US and NATO, supporting the rights of Georgians, trying to defend all of Eastern Europe from another forty years of oppression without prompting a nuclear war, while giving relief to people whose lives are probably ruined beyond repair and trying to peacefully negotiate the conflict and restore the borders without anyone else dying.

      If this sounds like patriotic propaganda *****, it should. But it's also true. Anyone who has followed events in this region for the past ten years, the developments are clear and the actions of the West seem more than reasonable. Half of a continent is in peril here, and they can feel that. I am sorry that you cannot share the perspective of living there with them. But if an actual war breaks out, you may start to see things a little more clearly.
  • stranglethorne, on 08/19/2008, -6/+49"we will crush you" > "justice/freedom/democracy/terrorism/wmds/defendournation/evil"

    simple, honest and straight to the point
  • nastronomical, on 08/19/2008, -21/+10Liberal cowards go into full denial MODE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/19/2008, -4/+10When are you signing up, Rambo?
    • identifiedlogo, on 08/19/2008, -3/+9You dumb idiot, You will never get it..
  • AgmLauncher, on 08/19/2008, -18/+21Can't blame the Russian president for saying what he said about defending his own citizens. Any good leader knows it's their job to protect their citizens from outsiders.

    If someone attacked the US and I had the authority, I would retaliate with indiscriminate bombing and wage a war of total destruction against that nation to ensure that it would be another two centuries before they can rebuild their economy and infrastructure to the point where they can attack again.

    The best policy a nation can have is to be kind and friendly to others unless crossed, and if crossed, then retaliate with a savagely vicious response to ensure that the threat is neutralized and will never come back.
    • poidh, on 08/19/2008, -15/+8Russia is not defending its own citizens. South Ossetians are Georgian.
      • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -3/+7Georgian soldiers bombed and killed Georgians? It is worst statement I ever heard about this conflict from defender of a Georgian position...
      • xander, on 08/19/2008, -2/+2stfu poidh kthx
      • thesonofdarwin, on 08/19/2008, -5/+2Russia should get its citizens out of Georgian territory and this would all be a nonissue. If the South Ossetians don't want to be part of Georgia, move to Russia instead of trying to secede. So yes, volandkit, Georgia attack part of its own country, that just so happens to be occupied by a number of Russian natives.
      • jameskong15, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2Russia doesn't have to "get its citizens out of Georgian territory" because their citizens have been living there for hundreds of years, are the majority in this area which has had de facto independence since 1992, and realistically Georgia has zero chance of winning a military takeover. Maybe Georgia should get it's citizens out of South Ossetia to save face, lol.
    • ssjninja, on 08/19/2008, -6/+5even if said citizens where starting a civil war is a country thats not theres?
      • jameskong15, on 08/20/2008, -0/+2The land has been theirs for hundreds of years, maybe you should look up South Ossetia's level of separation/independence when it was under the USSR (there is a reason it's called SOUTH Ossetia after all).
      • ssjninja, on 08/21/2008, -1/+1you should look up the fact that its not there country GTFO
    • nydwarf, on 08/19/2008, -2/+4Well said Hitler.
  • identifiedlogo, on 08/19/2008, -8/+10Oh, Boy. Russians mean what they say.
  • amightywind, on 08/19/2008, -18/+13What is Medvedev but Lilli-Putin's ventriloquist doll? NATO must prevent the same crap from happening in Ukraine and the Baltics. We must begin planning against Russian armor attacks. The good news as that the west has the weapons to neutralize such old style attacks. Do you think that if Russia was fighting the US they would be free to move their armor along narrow highways?
    • poidh, on 08/19/2008, -3/+8Nope, because it would begin to rain Javelins and we'd get some ace new videos to watch on Liveleak.
    • wendelgee2, on 08/19/2008, -5/+11Wow, you neocons really get a boner when a war breaks out, don't you?
    • volandkit, on 08/19/2008, -2/+8"We must begin planning against Russian armor attacks."
      Don't you think there are already plans against Russia? What weapons are you talking about?

      "Do you think that if Russia was fighting the US they would be free to move their armor along narrow highways?"
      No, I think that if Russia was fighting US, there will be no narrow highways, there will be no armors, there will be only roaches and rats...
    • CHANNELOCK, on 08/19/2008, -3/+6*****
      The chicken Hawks are planning another cold war when the latest *****-up is still smoldering in Iraq and Afghanistan.
      Jesus Christ!
      Will clean up one ***** mess before starting another
  • perfectsquare, on 08/19/2008, -10/+4Just to be clear...where has there been any aggression towards RUSSIAN citizens?

    Joking about this is not the correct way of dealing with this.
    • delrin500, on 08/19/2008, -2/+4The aggression was when Georgia agreed to let us install a missile system on their land. Remember when the Russians wanted to put a missiles in Cuba??
      • BigW, on 08/19/2008, -1/+4Umm, we are talking about anit-missle systems, the USSR tried to put NUCLEAR missiles on Cuba. Big difference.
      • zigardne, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1Bigw owns delrin500
    • unida767, on 08/19/2008, -2/+1http://southosetia.wordpress.com/
    • slundal, on 08/19/2008, -1/+5Many pepole in southosetia are RUSSIAN citizens.
    • richmomz, on 08/19/2008, -0/+3Georgia killed 2000 people on Olympic opening night before the 'invasion', including many Russian citizens and peacekeepers that were legally present under the previous peace agreement from 1992.
  • SteelChicken, on 08/19/2008, -19/+83I really dont see how Russia is the bad guy in this. Georgia started this, and thought Russia wouldn't do anything, or the US would somehow intervene. How stupid can you be?

    • EnjoyTheFact, on 08/19/2008, -4/+17I have to agree with you. I hope our government is smart enough to stay out of it (oh man, made myself chuckle there).
    • Waiting2awake, on 08/19/2008, -0/+11They were clearly listening to someone, some group, that told them to do it. Who did they expect to help them? That is who started it.
    • Lunarsight, on 08/19/2008, -0/+44Okay - this is what happened.

      South Ossetia is an area that is 2/3 Ossetian in race, and roughly 1/3 Georgian. The villages are pretty evenly mixed, making dividing up the area a real pain in the beck. South Ossetia got tacked onto Georgia in the early 19th century.

      Thing is - many in South Ossetia don't want to be a part of Georgia, and have tried to pass referendums to secede from Georgia, which have been rejected by outside parties for one reason or another.

      Despite this, South Ossetia has been ruled as a de facto independent entity lately, with a strong Russian influence. (Many of the Ossetians have Russian citizenship.) There are also Russian 'peacekeepers' in South Ossetia, which is remnant from previous hostilities in the last decade. Georgia argues the Russian peacekeapers aren't that neutral.

      As far as this recent fiasco goes, the Georgians argue the South Ossetians started it by attacking Georgian villages, and they in turn retalliated against South Ossetian villages in response. South Ossetia argues that Georgia is lying, and was looking for some reason to try and re-annex South Ossetia.

      Russia saw George attack South Ossetia, and some of their 'peacekeepers' may have been caught in the middle. They in turn come storming in, and begin to attack Georgia villages.

      So, as you can see, WHOEVER tries and make this seem like a cut and dry situation is full of crap. It's a complicated mess that needs arbitration by an outside party. I personally don't think there are any heroes here - just different groups with different agendas.
      • mahler, on 08/19/2008, -5/+11That's exactly the way it looks.... however, it seems rather convenient for the Russians to have been moving troops to the Georgian border for the last few months. Another explanation of events could have been that Russia asked the South Ossetian rebels to start attacking (or at least provoking) while promising an intervention when Georgia strikes.

        This could just have been a very very clever scheme by the Russians, but there's no way to prove it.
      • kemp34, on 08/19/2008, -2/+6U.S. was performing war games with Georgia in mid-July FYI.
      • tangorooster, on 08/19/2008, -0/+2Thanks for explaining this
      • jameskong15, on 08/20/2008, -0/+3"it seems rather convenient for the Russians to have been moving troops to the Georgian border for the last few months"

        Yep, has nothing to do with US-Georgian military operations in July or the buildup that preceded the attack on South Ossetia. Regardless, their response to supposed rebel shelling was to bomb the major civilian city of SO to shambles and attack Russian peacekeepers? Lol, hop aboard the failboat Georgia. No sympathy for idiots who gamble against major military powers.
    • Gioware, on 08/19/2008, -10/+5#

      South Ossetia Never wanted to live with Georgia is a lie, - The truth is Current So-called South Ossetian territory is actually historical Georgian region, called SAMACHABLO!
      In Soviet era Russians settled here Ossetians, so if Soviet would ever split - Georgia would get conflict! When Soviet Union split-apart, Terrorists in Ossetia claimed independence and Russians supported that, since then, Russia backs Ossetian Terrorists.
      # Georgia gave legitimate reason Russia to invade is a lie - the truth is is Russia was always provoking Georgia, shooting it’s checkpoints, shooting down drones or shooting on peaceful civilians, Georgia was only defended itself!
      # Georgia strike first is a lie - Truth is Russians moved trough Roki tunnel and deployed heavy armory, regular army and started bombardment. The simple fact is, if Georgia would want to strike back, it would wait until NATO’s MAP in September and till winter - when Roki tunnel is blocked so no single Russian can get trough… Russia did strike first, and choose nice time for it - Olympics when nobody would car