Before examining the three speeches it would be good to note the realities of what possibly could be
done to Russia for their invasion. Military options are not on the table at the moment. The Russians
have a fleet based in the Black Sea. They border the North of Georgia and can drive their military
by rail and road into the fight. The US, on the other hand, is engaged on the war with radical Islamic
terrorists and is busy stabilizing both Iraq and Afghanistan. The ability to transport the necessary
men and arms to Georgia in the face of the Russian army is not possible at this time.
We know full well what it will take to oppose Russia in a hot conflict. America spend over forty
years in Europe planning to defend Europe from the onslaught of Soviet armored forces. For this we
are intensely despised by our superior European cousins. With the fall of the Soviet Union the
perception was not so much "thank you, you can go now," as "We hate you but like the money you
bring to our economy." Europe had assumed that with the Soviet Union gone, all would be sunny
days. But the "Soviet Union" was just a failed economic system of socialism.
Communism doesn't work. Capitalism beat it to death. However, the economy part was just that,
the economy part. The rest of the political and social structure was still largely intact. The very bad
people who ran the Soviet Union didn't just suddenly decide to become nice people. They were still
the thugs and killers they always were. Now, they are back in charge but with a new economic
system. This one works. Natural resources have made Russia prosperous and they make their
money selling oil and gas to Europe. Georgia has the only petroleum pipes running to Europe that
don't go through Russia.
To Russia being able to control the energy supply means power. Russia is interested in power just
as it was when it went by the name of the Soviet Union. When Ronald Reagan called the Soviet
Union the "Evil Empire" he was doing so with the full understanding of totalitarianism and the misery
of subjugation the Soviets applied on the countries they occupied. One of those former occupied
countries is now being occupied again. Will that occupation stand? Will there be more countries
under the boot heels of oppression? Who will make the hard choice now to confront this new empire?
President Bush in his speech has the mantle of authority and the burden of responsibility for the
United States. After seven years in the White House that began with the Chinese ramming of a US
intelligence plane in international waters, and continues today managing two occupations, the
President knows the concept of duty. He understands the world is not a safe place. There are not
two sides of every issue that can be mediated through diplomacy. Some people will not talk, will not
reason, are bent on destruction and evil, and will never stop. The President has been moving the
power of the United States cautiously and with great maturity into opposition of the Russians much
like how the opening of a chess match determines the outcome of the game. Consistently stating the
occupation will not be allowed to stand he has had his administration in motion to counter the
Russian aggression.
Poland has been in negotiations with the US to put missile defence positions in their country. They
have held off because of disputes on the level of economic military aid we would provide. The
invasion of Georgia has suddenly changed their minds. They signed the treaty. Russia has pledged
to respond with more than diplomacy against Poland (i.e. they are threatening Poland too.) Here in
the US Republicans are wanting to build the missile shield. The threat of Iran launching a missile
isn't negated because Russia has turned to the dark side again. There is more than one group bent on
evil in the world. There are more evil people than just terrorists with car bombs wanting to harm the
United States. The Democrats, predictably enough, do not support a missile shield. For a long time
they have opposed missile defense including our own Nancy Boyda in that group.
It is not only the former vassals to the Soviets that are waking up. The Nordic countries have
suddenly discovered the Russians are once again a threat. They are alarmed at the potential for
Russian aggression. Germany has been awakened by the thought of Russian tanks coming across the
Fulda Gap that had been guarded so long by the hated, now suddenly appreciated, United States.
The Ukraine and other former Soviet occupied countries are watching and are interested in how the
West will respond.
In Georgia when the tanks rolled in, and right on past, the disputed breakaway province the
cries didn't go out for NATO, or the EU, or individual countries such as Britain or France.
Universally the cry in Georgia went out for the United States. In all of free Europe every
thought, though hidden and never spoken aloud, was what the Americans would do. For we
are the nation that always makes the hard choice for freedom. Our nation is the only one to
always stand against oppression.
When the liberals talk about our standing in the world they mean popularity. When conservatives
talk about our standing in the world they mean respect. The world looks to us now to make the hard
choice they themselves do not have the courage to do.
President Bush has set the tone. The occupation will not stand. The fact the military option is not
available now without an all out world war doesn't mean the Russian aggressors will win. There are
more than one way to skin a bear. McCain, the socially liberal Republican running for the Oval
Office in November was quick to come out for Georgia: "We are all Georgians now!". Five years in
a prisoner of war camp being tortured (Really tortured, not the fantasy abuse liberals have about
Guantanamo or Abu Graib.) has engraved in his mind the concept of evil in the world and evil doers.
As a former military man he too understands the dangers in this contest of freedom verses oppression
and occupation. *
McCain's speech was one of measured understanding of the realities. He too made the hard choice
to stand for freedom with the Georgians. He left no doubt in his speech his determination that the
Russians were the aggressors. He has made it clear their treachery would not stand.
Presently the US is sending humanitarian relief by plane to Georgia. The US is also sending ships
with relief supplies. These ships are accompanied by an Aegis class destroyer the USS McFaul and
the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas. The Russian fleet is blockading the Georgian port of Poti. What will
happen is a game of cold war/Berlin blockade nerves. Will the Russians prevent the US ships from
entering Georgia? Will they use force? Will the Russians take Georgia completely? The Ukraine?
Neville Chamberlin.....sorry...Barak Obama, in his speech gave the impression of moral equivalence
so beloved by the left- "No matter how this conflict started," His calls for talks and resolutions are
reminiscent of the lack of action all through the Clinton era when Iraq festered and fortunes were
made by corrupt men and governments. His campaign promises to gut the military mirror the past
when Clinton gutted the military. It parallels when the military was gutted after Vietnam, Korea, and
World War II. “I am the only major candidate who opposed this war from the beginning, as
president I will end it. Secondly I will cut tens of billions of dollars of wasteful spending, I will
cut investments in unproven missile defense systems, I will not weaponize space, I will slow our
development of future combat systems and I will institute an Independent Defense Priorities
Board to ensure that the Quadrennial Defense Review is not used to justify unnecessary spending.
Third, I will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, to seek that goal I will not develop
new nuclear weapons, I will seek a global ban on fissile material, I will negotiate with Russia to
take our ICBM’s off hair trigger alert and to achieve deep cut in our government arsenals.”
Such ideology** sends shivers down the spine when considering the interceptor missiles derided as
'Star Wars' by the left in Reagan's time now exist in the Standard Missile 3 on Navy ships. Such
devotion to disarming the United States in the face of foreign threats seems at best deluded. From
moral equivalency to the naive belief that if we disarm and make ourselves helpless others will follow
our example; this philosophy is not real world thinking. The people of Georgia can attest to the fact
that being helpless means you can be made a victim of a stronger nation.
When comparing the course of history of 1938 and the present history of 2008, will future
generations look back and wonder why we didn't see what was so clear to them? Will we select a
president who understands making hard choices? Evil must be opposed. Evil will flourish and
freedom will wither unless someone makes the hard choice. So far, that has always been made by
us, the United States, and the world is mostly free because of it, regardless if that makes us popular
or not.
* A quick observation for those who would compare our occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq with
Russian occupation of Georgia. There is no comparison. You cannot make one even in your
twisted reality. In Iraq we are building roads and schools, power plants and water treatment
plants. We gave the people the right to vote their own government. They have a 79 billion dollar
surplus in their budget and control their own oil production. They decide when we leave. In
Afghanistan, a country the Russians could not pacify in ten years we took in days. The Afghans
now have international investments, schools, and an improving standard of life. In both nations
the children are happy to see our soldiers and play with them. They have no fear of us. If you
cannot draw that distinction with Russian aggression you are not honest to yourself or to others.
** Since the invasion of Georgia it has been fun to go to the famed defenders of peace Code Pink
and A.N.S.W.E.R. web sites. The two groups who have made their fame on opposing imperialism
and aggression are silent on Russia. Not a peep. It seems it all depends on who they view as the
bad guy. Can it now be stated without reservation they are simply one more leftist America hating
group?
(back)
Howard Dean, head of the Democratic National Committee proudly holding
up the Code Pink T-shirts. Code Pink opposes the US but is mute on Russia.
Code Pink condemns the liberation of millions but is silent on the enslaving of
free people. They are silent to the threat to many more free nations by the
Russian military. It seems 'peace' is just an excuse to hate their own country. A
country that has, in it's long history, freed most of the known world from
oppression and darkness.
Is the modern Democratic Party able to make the Hard Choice? Their
friends have.
up the Code Pink T-shirts. Code Pink opposes the US but is mute on Russia.
Code Pink condemns the liberation of millions but is silent on the enslaving of
free people. They are silent to the threat to many more free nations by the
Russian military. It seems 'peace' is just an excuse to hate their own country. A
country that has, in it's long history, freed most of the known world from
oppression and darkness.
Is the modern Democratic Party able to make the Hard Choice? Their
friends have.