We Are ALL Georgians?

U.S. military transport planes disgorging combat soldiers in Georgia?  If McCain were president, it's not such a stretch to imagine the fighters as Americans, as opposed to locals having just gotten an airlift out of Iraq.

Update: More from Josh Marshall today (1, 2)

(image:  Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters Pictures. Tbilisi.  August 11, 2008)

Comments

[Joe Joern]

This is a East meets West propaganda fest. This one has to be judged by who started it. In my view clearly Georgia started this war and it's one of the few times I have sympathy for the Russian viewpoint.

[jonst]

Joe, in these ancient hatefests, where grudges are nursed like new born babes, there is no identifying 'who started it'. There is only identifying who wants to, finally, stop it.

In any event Bag, thanks for no pictures of Superman Phelps.

[ratfood]

At least when are troops return home after a stint in Iraq they have a reasonable expectation of safety. These Georgians may be going from the frying pan straight into the fire.

[Ace Armstrong]

How come there is little mention of the Israeli proxy position in this fiasco. Israel is supplying military equipment and training to Georgia. The real sucker here is the Georgian government which has been manipulated by the Washington/Jerusalem Axis.

[GeorgeF]

Sorry fore Ace Armstrong. But not only the Israelis have helped to built up the Georgian Forces, but also the Egypts (!), Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Turks. Most of the bills were payed by the US. And Israel has a direct interest in the protection of the Baku-Tiblissi-Ceyhan oil-pipeline. And in addition, Israeli technology was not only used to upgrade Georgian SU-35 ground-attack aircraft, but also the Russians loved that kind of equipment.....

[quax]

Jonst,

I recommend you this http://agonist.org/sean_paul_kelley/20080813/more_on_caucasus_war_from_nelson_report>analysis.

There is such a thing as who started this latest round of escalation and you're favorite posse of neocons have their fingerprints all over it.

[jrfunkenstein]

Funny how we were never all insurgents....

[martin]

I've often been board accused of missing picture because of tightened frame re posting (woods for trees). Apologies due to concerned's.

For me, one of the problems of this dread shot is its tightness: no background to show whether this is one of many arrivals; on a military or civilian field...or what? Pair of tired askance eyes places documentor in particular place.

Seems to sum up what we are being told about this particular loss of lives. Nothing.

Mis-truth, half truth& damning lies. Summarily distributed; like this was a wedding not a wake.

Iraq comes to mind. alongside the mind-blowing concept of whether conscripts can ever distinguish between a frying pan and irresponsible friars

[Cactus]

Bush armed them. Bush had a minimum of 100 advisors in Georgia. Is there anyone who thinks Putin didn't know that? Bush was tweaking Putin's nose. That little exchange they had at the Olympics Friday didn't look any too friendly.

So let's put this together.......
Rove was 'vacationing' last month, reportedly in Crimea. Crimea is just a short boat-ride from Georgia. Bush agreed to supply arms and munitions to Georgia, in return for them supplying 2000 troops to the "coalition." Bush sent at least 100 advisors to Georgia to 'train' their military. McCain is a 'candidate' for president. One of McCain's chief advisors is Randy Scheunemann who, according to HuffPo, lobbied the senator and his staff 49 times in favor of Georgia. His partner still works for Georgia. Bush has been pushing Georgia for NATO membership. Putin has expressed extreme displeasure at this. Putin sees his main enemy as NATO, and second, USA. Bush has wagged the finger of NATO membership for Georgia at Putin for years.

Now, is it so far from the imagination of the sober viewer to suspect that the hand of US operatives has been in this mess for a long time. Rove, hinting at how Bush would react to a Georgia takeover of a couple of minor Russion hold-outs. McCain's lobbyist hinting to the Georgian president that McCain is going to be the president and he will look with favor on any actions Georgia takes. Putin, nobody's fool, just waiting like a cat for the first move. And Bush hoping, as usual, to get others to do his dirty work so he can keep drinkin' and smilin'.

I used to have a huge white cat with one blue and one green eye, named Alice Cooper. Old Allice would amble around the house antagonizing dogs and cats of the menagerie until all were het up. Then he would go over to the refrigerator vent and lay down to watch all the other animals fight and hiss. Great fun! I think of Bush and Alice as having a lot in common.