deja vu
Keith Parkins | 09.08.2008 13:57 | Anti-militarism | Terror War | World
Friday morning, I turned on my radio and heard that Russian war planes were attacking Georgia, that Russian tanks were rolling into Georgia. A horrible sense of history repeating itself.
August 1968, I watched Russian tanks roll into Prague. August 2008, as the world is distracted by the Beijing Olympics, Russian tanks roll into Georgia. Summer 1956 when the world was distracted by the Suez Crisis, Russia attacked and occupied Hungary.
Today both sides have escalated the situation, Georgia by declaring war on Russia, Russia by attacking Georgian towns. This is like the start of World War One when one shot dragged the world into a world war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7551291.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7550804.stm
Both sides have been very stupid. Georgia attacked Russian peacekeeping troops, knowing this would provoke the Russians into a counter attack. Georgia is trying to drag Nato into this conflict. If Nato is drawn in, countries like the Czech Republic will be drawn into this war and will not be safe. If Europe responds, Russia will cut off gas supplies to Europe.
We need to drastically cut our energy use so we are no longer dependent on unstable parts of the world. The need for oil only serves to escalate conflicts and create instability, be it Nationalists and Separatists in the Caucasus or Muslim Fundamentalists in the Middle East.
We in the West lack credibility when we attack and occupy Iraq and threaten to attack Iran.
The West has been very stupid. When the Soviet Union collapsed, we should have recognised Russia as a friend, instead we raped and pillaged the country. Former Soviet Republics to the south, run by evil men, now have massive American bases. Russia is paranoid, feels surrounded by hostile neighbours.
If Nato gets drawn in, Russia would be destroyed, but so would the former Easter Bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
It is like watching a nightmare unfold. A full scale war has suddenly erupted from nowhere.
I can only hope both sides come to their senses and declare a cease fire before the war escalates and we all get sucked in.
Countries are squabbling over oil reserves, oil reserves that should remain in the ground. The greatest threat to humanity is global warming and climate change.
Today both sides have escalated the situation, Georgia by declaring war on Russia, Russia by attacking Georgian towns. This is like the start of World War One when one shot dragged the world into a world war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7551291.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7550804.stm Both sides have been very stupid. Georgia attacked Russian peacekeeping troops, knowing this would provoke the Russians into a counter attack. Georgia is trying to drag Nato into this conflict. If Nato is drawn in, countries like the Czech Republic will be drawn into this war and will not be safe. If Europe responds, Russia will cut off gas supplies to Europe.
We need to drastically cut our energy use so we are no longer dependent on unstable parts of the world. The need for oil only serves to escalate conflicts and create instability, be it Nationalists and Separatists in the Caucasus or Muslim Fundamentalists in the Middle East.
We in the West lack credibility when we attack and occupy Iraq and threaten to attack Iran.
The West has been very stupid. When the Soviet Union collapsed, we should have recognised Russia as a friend, instead we raped and pillaged the country. Former Soviet Republics to the south, run by evil men, now have massive American bases. Russia is paranoid, feels surrounded by hostile neighbours.
If Nato gets drawn in, Russia would be destroyed, but so would the former Easter Bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
It is like watching a nightmare unfold. A full scale war has suddenly erupted from nowhere.
I can only hope both sides come to their senses and declare a cease fire before the war escalates and we all get sucked in.
Countries are squabbling over oil reserves, oil reserves that should remain in the ground. The greatest threat to humanity is global warming and climate change.
Keith Parkins