ninme

Why yes, I have been aware of the no-longer-the-president-but-why-should-that-ever-matter of Russia’s excursion into Russia.

Recap!

Wheat & Weeds – “Remake”

Plus:

Wheat & Weeds – Don’t Know Nothin’ ‘Bout Georgia & Russia?

Read this.

Wheat & Weeds – McCain: We’re All Georgians

Here’s a summary of what appears to be happening. Watch what Russia does (or tries to do) to Europe (the big pipeline goes through Georgia) and heed a warning for our own situation. I don’t agree with the Powerline criticism of Bush here. I’m not certain what the President is supposed to say more than he’s said –stand down isn’t enough? Tough words have to be followed up by action, and I resent the implication that the President was goofing off at the Olympics when in fact he was meeting with Burmese dissidents, promoting religious liberty and meeting informally with Sarkozy, who’s taking the lead in negotiations.

But McCain looks very good this week. …

Power Line – SECRET VIDEO OF RUSSIAN TROOPS IN GEORGIA

Power Line – THE CONFLUENCE OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY

Power Line – MCCAIN RUNS RINGS AROUND OBAMA ON GEORGIA; WASHINGTON POST DISPLEASED

Eggen and his co-writer Robert Barnes never really explain why it’s improper for a presidential candidate to focus on, and provide the American public with a detailed analysis of, a major international crisis.

Pfft.

Weekly Standard – The Pain Game<br/> A military response to Russia’s aggression? By Stuart Koehl

This invasion has probably eaten deeply into Russian operations and maintenance funding, to say nothing of its war reserve stockpiles of ordnance and equipment. Russia must have bet on a short and fairly bloodless war, because it cannot afford—militarily or politically—a protracted slog. Not only doesn’t it have the equipment to do so, but it doesn’t have enough highly trained troops to sustain heavy casualties. The Russian military consists of a small, diamond-hard point on the end of a wooden stick. If the point shatters or wears down, you are left fighting the stick. (It should be noted that Ralph Peters, writing in the New York Post, has been scathing in his assessment of the Russian army’s performance in Georgia, so by Western standards even the best of the Russian army would be considered rather mediocre).

The question is how to wear it down.

And there’s a lot more I remember seeing over the past few days, but presumably that’s all old news by now, no matter how interesting it might have been. Meanwhile, and mostly off topic, beach links! (beach blogging with four kids is evidently more productive than pre-wedding blogging. there’s something for the researchers, eh?)

Wheat & Weeds – Bush Good