Russia, Georgia the US and (sadly usual) hypocrisy

I haven't said much about the events in Georgia. partly because it looked like a situation that demanded watching rather than uninformed opinion. The background seems to be that Russia has long standing and declared interests in the region. The Russian ethnic minorities left behind in some of the former Soviet republics when the Soviet Union broke up are a serious issue for Russia and Russians.

Arguably, Russia has acted in defense of people it sees as Russians - the South Ossetians. Reports say some South Ossetians have been given Russian passports. This is understandable as when they were born, they likely were Russians. Just as people born in other countries to a British parent can get EU passports. I'm one of them myself. There is nothing strange about this.....US Republican party presidential nominee, John McCain, was born in Panama to US parents. Nothing has been said in the media about the basis for Russia giving passports to some South Ossetians. Only that some are getting them. The truth lies in the details.

The government in Georgia had been growing ever closer to the Bush Administration in the US. The US had supported joint military operations between Georgia and it's non-Russian neighbours. At the tail end of those exercises, Georgian troops rolled into South Ossetia, disturbing the effective truce that had pertained there for some time.

One of the interesting items picked up in trolling through the news from non-US sources over the past couple of weeks was that South Ossetia had been made a semi-autonomous region within Georgia by Stalin, decades ago. So this is nothing new at all.

One can readily understand why Russia might want to highlight how little substance there is to American support for Georgia and remind Georgia to show more respect toward Russia.

Another interesting aspect in this is how Russia has - effectively - emulated the foreign policy approach of the Bush Administration in unilaterally pursuing what it sees as in its best interests. The events of the past few weeks might be seen as former Russian Preisdent and current Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, giving George W Bush the finger during Bush's last few months in office. After all, Putin pleaded with Bush for most of two years to follow a more moderate and co-operative foreign policy and Bush took no notice whatever.

I can readily imagine Putin and current Russian President Medvedev rendering the diplomatic version of "Talk to the hand" in response to hypocritical American thundering about Russia's self-interested military actions in defence of.....Russians.

Of course this isn't how it is presented in the usual right-wing, one-eyed, war-mongering media outlets - like the Telegraph in the UK and those in the US owned by weapons contractors who make more money when there is a war going on - or threat of one. In all that news coverage, we hear a great deal from the US and very little is reported in detail of what the Russians have to say. I'm sure they aren't silent. We simply aren't told what they are saying.

The Guardian and The Independent in the UK have distinguished themselves by their even-handed and level-headed appraisals of the situation in context and informed by history.

A more rounded and less cartoon-like assessment of the whole situation is out there. Unfortunately, you have go digging to find it. The truth isn't mainstream.

Once again, I see 5,000 English-language newpapers essentially delivering little more than whatever AP, Reuters and AFP dish up.....and those three wire services have clearly been captured by more-war political interests long ago.