Georgia OH Georgia

I love it when political leaders INTENTIONALLY say something… oh, inflammatory, in order to get the blame off of themselves and onto others.

Such was the case with Vladimir Putin, formerly the Russian President, currently the Russian PM-Puppeteer-who-controls-the-new-Russian-President.  Shall I also mention that once a KGB agent, ALWAYS a KGB agent?  (Not even a speck of guilt with that comment, either.)

What’s ole Vlad doing now?  Making comments that will either PISS off the other countries, PISS off Americans, or cause the left-wing-bra-burning liberals who WANTED Hillary to be their president to collectively spin their heads.

CNN reports, “In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia.”

Really?  Hmm…

They continue, “Putin told CNN his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate — Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush — although he presented no evidence to back it up.”

Someone is passing the buck here…

And, then Chance quotes Putin as saying, “U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict,” Putin said. “They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader.”

Does he mean Dubbyah?  I’m a Republican, but I have a hard time believing that Bush cares about the Russian-Georgian conflict THAT much that he’d take time away from his prancing through the war-torn-and-ravaged Iraq to start a pissing contest with a former KGB agent.

However… I’ve been wrong before.

Recently, in an interview with NBC Sports (I’m guessing while he was watching the Women’s Beach Volleyball team play so he could plan his next hug-and-photo-op moment),  Bush recently called Putin onto the mat by saying, “I’ve expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn the bombing outside of South Ossetia.”  Well, YEAH we do.  We also should be condemning ANY bombing of civili… oh wait.  He he.  I forgot who I’m talking about.

Anyway…

I’m predicting that Putin is working out a way to sway the masses, who are already opposed to Bush, further away.  In other words, Putin just kicked Bush in the shin and is waiting for a reaction.

If *I* were president, this is what I would say had the majority of the US mistakenly voted for ME, a humble historian…

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

If it worked for Lincoln, then by GOLLY it should work for Bush.

But, then again, we’re talking about a country that has been led by one dictator after the next, followed by a couple of “progressive” Russian leaders who, I’m sure, WANTED to democratize the country but were befallen by a Duma (Parliament) that was still comprised of “Old School” politicans.

Would I be surprised if Bush DID faciliate this attack by the Georgians on South Ossetia to benefit McCain?  No.  Do I think that Bush DID facilitate the attack?  No.  I think that this controversial election is open fodder for disgruntled politicans from OTHER countries to poke at Bush for the last few months before he leaves office.  I also think that our time as a “Great” world power has come to an end insomuch that we are no longer respected by other countries.  But, then again, when were we ALWAYS respected by EVERY country?

French & Indian War, a localized conflict stemming from the Seven Years’ War that Britain and France were already fighting in Europe did not make us fans of France… until… we started to push the British away in an attempt to gain our independence.  Then, the French (after careful manipulation and persuasion) jumped on the “We hate Britain” bandwagon, gladly giving up troops if it meant that Britain was going to feel pain when a collective group of untrained local militia men led by a moderately inexperienced general kicked their ass.

Well, don’t forget, we didn’t HELP France with the French Revolution.  We moreorless hung around on the outside of the chaos, and waited for the monarchy to safely flee.  In Pennsylvania, as a matter of fact, was a “place” called the “French Azilum,” built for Marie Antoinette and the Dauphin (the heir-apparent) had they been able to escape during the French Revolution… created for her by her supporters.  I’m sure, if she had a moment to reconsider and assess the situation like an adult, she would’ve had said, “Let them eat cake” as a retort to “the people are hungry, my Queen.”

…ack, to be continued.  I need to tend to children and lost my train of thought.