Saturday, September 27, 2008

Debate afterthought:
Isn't Georgia peachy?


When John McCain wandered off into a tirade about Georgia last night, I didn't get too worried. It takes the people of U.S. quite a while to get properly ginned up about the woes of people in counties they can't locate, even if those country's names seem "borrowed" from a U.S. state. (I know that last is hogwash, but let's be real about our geographical self-centeredness.)

But the complete folly of the conversation is illustrated by the graphic from the Gallup organization above. By and large, Georgians are MUCH more interested in good relations with their actual neighbor, Russia, than in being a dependent of the United States all the way around the world.

It appears that what has been deemed the "2008 South Ossetian War" has pulled the people of Georgia into a conflict with Russia at a time when many see close relations with the country as important.


Just because they have an impetuous president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who got them into a war, doesn't mean they don't know better than to pull the tail of the bear, if the people at large had their druthers.

Remind anyone of why we don't need another quick-to-the-draw, impetuous president here?

Wish Obama wouldn't take the bait on this one too!

No comments: