Georgia not blameless in dispute with Russia
While I am hesitant to trust any former or current head of state, I am grateful you printed Mikhail Gorbachev’s article regarding the Russia/Georgia debate (Ideas, Aug. 17).
I find it odd most other articles I have read about Georgia describe the excessive use of force of the Georgian military upon the citizens of South Ossetia but then vilify Russia for coming to their aid. At first I thought I was reading the stories wrong, but no, it was true: The democratic Georgian military wounded, killed and terrorized its own citizens because they wanted to make their own decisions.
So I don’t really care about which military power was justified in bombing, shooting and killing the citizens of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I care more about the citizens of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and their desires to decide their own fates. Where are their voices and what are their stories? And what good is a democracy if, when you raise your voice to speak, your government meets you with tanks, bullets and terror?
Brian Heagney
Greensboro
Comments (2)
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I say let's just mind our own business and not get caught up in this muck. We have our fingers in too many pies already.
Posted on August 22, 2008 8:34 AM
Good point, Yvonne.
This situation kinda reminds me of the beginnings of World War 1. Lets hope not.
Small, regional conflicts that should have been resolved locally escalated to a global war due to larger powers entering a war in which their only vested interest was national pride and a desire to stick up for their smaller allies, when said smaller allies bit off more than they could chew themselves because they knew they could count on the support of countries far more powerful than themselves.
Posted on August 22, 2008 9:36 AM