While the world looks China-ward, mesmerized by Beijing’s Olympic flash and dash, Russia has quietly mobilized its powerful military and invaded a neighbouring country.
Russia insists it stepped in to protect its citizens living in the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia, who have faced harassment and bombings by Georgian troops. Russian officials say they support the right of a sovereign people to break away and decide their own destiny. Unless, you know, they’re Chechnyans. Or Kosovars.
America, a Georgian ally, has strongly condemned Russia’s invasion, taking the position that the invasion of an independent nation — even if it’s killing its own people for no good reason — is unjustifiable. Unless it’s Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or possibly Iran — we haven’t decided yet.
At least China, the world’s other superpower, has been consistent in opposing secessionist movements — whether the separatists are being shot in the street or not. The world’s borders, they argue, are just fine as they are. Except for Taiwan, and the “Chinese” bits of Vietnam, Japan and India.
While Moscow ramps up its invasion of Georgia, Washington’s plan seems to be a mix of food aid for Georgia and finger-wagging at Moscow. Because if there’s anything Vladimir Putin responds well to, it’s being told to sit in the corner — the man’s name is Vladimir for Pete’s sake.
In a textbook use of the “my big brother’s gonna beat you up” strategy, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili told the media at lunchtime yesterday that American troops would soon be flooding into the warzone. By dinner, Washington had made it clear it had no such plans. But Bush did say “the United States stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia,” and insisted unconvincingly “that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.”
Certainly, Russia doesn’t seem convinced. A ceasefire has been effect for several days, but you wouldn’t know it, what with all the bombing and the shooting. Moscow is the big winner here: it has pounded little Georgia into submission, demonstrated that America is either unwilling or unable to defend fledgling democracies in Eastern Europe, and sent a strong message to Washington and its former Soviet neighbours about who the sheriff in town really is. America loses, but the real losers are the 4.6 million Georgians who’ve been dodging shells and bullets for a week.
Normally a European war would be front and centre on half the TV screens on the planet — CNN would broadcast round-the-clock cell phone footage of the same bakery blowing up in slow motion, with analysts sitting around a table at 3:00 a.m. debating what it all means for Obama’s campaign. But the Olympics are in full swing, so rather than reporting on the war that’s changing the face of Eastern Europe and redefining America’s Russia policy, the world’s camera crews are covering high-jumpers in a $500-million bird’s nest.
At least the cameras were there for this one: on Tuesday night, the Georgian women’s beach volleyball team beat Russia in three exciting sets. Even that isn’t clear-cut though, with the Russian team refusing to acknowledge the loss. At least the Georgian players were conciliatory enough, with one of them insisting: “I don’t want this to be a war between us.”
Photo by Justyna Mielnikiewicz for the New York Times.
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