Vierotchka
William Engdahl: Russia's response to Georgia's offensive sends shock-waves throughout the region. Part 1 of 2

Russia flexed its military might over the weekend, testing a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile. The tests come amid increasingly strained ties between Washington and Moscow, following US ally Georgia’s military offensive in South Ossettia in August. Author and Political Economist William Engdahl says " Russia's response to Georgia's military offensive has sent shockwaves throughout the region."

F William Engdahl is an economist and author and the writer of the best selling book "A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order." Mr Engdhahl has written on issues of energy, politics and economics for more than 30 years, beginning with the first oil shock in the early 1970s. Mr. Engdahl contributes regularly to a number of publications including Asia Times Online, Asia, Inc, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Foresight magazine; Freitag and ZeitFragen newspapers in Germany and Switzerland respectively. He is based in Germany.

See Part 2 at: http://current.com/items/89412399_europe_fumes_over_wall_street_meltdown

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28 comments // US losing ground in Eastern Europe

  • regjoeschmo
    • 0
      regjoeschmo  
    • The cease fire from the previous cold war is over. Talk of policies from the past two decades is void unless we look into policies that have been ongoing circa 1900.

    • 3 years ago
  • liberate_America
    • 0
      liberate_America  
    • Oh boy! I can just see how some Latin American USA Wannabe's are just so defensive about US interests in Eastern Europe. Gee whiz, sounds like the offspring of Batista or Somoza or some other US flunky trash of the past.

      Perhaps the US never had any ground in Eastern Europe? Any so called US interests in Eastern Europe are just mirror front masturbation for the mass media, the duped masses and the overall psychological operations propoganda front!

      The poor Georgians have had one fascist nationist regime spouting schauvenistic rhetoric after another for the last 20 years. Those poor people are just miserable without the true direction that Russia has always given them. They used to be rich and all of Russia and the other former republics came to have vacations there. Now it's bandit-landia. Georgia is not Europe? Skuzemua?

      Ukraine? The first Russia ever was formed out of Kiev. The first Russian language was identicalmore or less to Ukrainian now. The Russian language transformed over the years due to church influence. Is the Ukraine no an inseperable part of Russia on the spiritual level?
      How much longer will US puppets like Shakashvili and nazi celebrator Yushenko go about creating an illusion that the US has spread it's sphere of influence to the east? It's all cardboard props made to provocate us here in Russsia. We're not buying it and we'll take the other route. The Ukraine is as Russian as Baseball, Apple Pie and Mom are American!

      Gee, Chavez is such a nice guy. Why don't you love him too? He's at least as nice as the Hero of the Island of Freedom Dear Fidel Castro. Or do you think Castro is not democratic because he never surrendered to US attempts to overthrow his government and let the US repress his people terribly as the US so terribly repressed his people before? Batista Gangsterlandia!

      Oh, socialism isn't democratic? Hmmm, well I see that the great perspective for democracy and a government that can take care of the material well being of it's own people in the US doesn't seem to be visible right now. Wasn't this current crisis artificially created with the purpose of undermining the American people in every way?

      My guess is that in the future, the Eastern European States will feel more and more attracted to Russia on their own, by their own free will. After all, they have such great ties historically and culturally. Russia did after all prove itself by being very proportional and calm during the last conflict in Georgia when the US ordered an attempted genocide of 100,000 + Ossetians to provocate Russia. Ossetia and Abkhazia never having been a part of a Georgia as a country. Didn't you hear that the Reuters correspondent admitted in an interview to using actors and models to play dead and wounded represnting the so called Georgian civillian victims that never really were at all?!?!

      A great big thanks to G.the 'W' Bush, Cheney and Rice for being absolutely incompetent Oafs! It would have been nicer though if they would have just been friendly instead.

    • 3 years ago
  • Ragan
    • 0
      Ragan  
    • I see a situation where we Americans have sat on our fat butts while the Bush administration made off with this nation. I am reminded how all during WWII we accused the Germans for not taking a stand against the NAZI regime. Well the Germans were as helpless as we and even more so since they were underfed,and weaklings against a brutal administration. The same thing can be said about the Russians and after the Stalin era, right up to the point of Glasnost. We were getting along fine with the Russians until we stepped on their toes and provoked them, They did not fall for the bluff. Now after the past 8 years who would ever want to sidle up to Americans again when we sat and watched all of this happen knowing damn well it was all wrong? Since the entire brutal American past is exposed who would ever trust an American again? Then again since we have been buying leaders and paying for our friends for so long, perhaps we can look for the status quo. I do not believe we will ever see change in this country, since the politics already is aware that Americans do nothing to bring about change. They caint, they are hogtied and helpless. While these young kids continue to die for this cause the people have turned their face away from the misery and dispair of the fathers and mothers and sons and daughters. These people are branded with political labels like; Liberal and conservative, Democrat or Republican knowing damn well that both are the same just difference labels. People do not want change, this is evident in the fact that for two hundred years politicians have made soap box promises only to shelve them into their little rule book to await for the next election. How many years have we been waiting for health insurance reform? How many years have we been warned that Social Security was in trouble while congress had been draining it? How many years have Americans been talking and promising peace? Never their big worry is to educate the kids and for what to risk their necks in another planned war? Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich both have talked about peace, but no one wants to listen because these two figures are not entertainers, rather the bearer of common sense and PEACE. Obama is just like Richard Nixon who had a plan to end the Viet Nam war and leave honorably. What a plan that was. Remember? We left Viet Nam with our tails between our legs. What a loss of young blood. We have repeated the same mistakes but now there is a chance to change it, listen and learn. Political parties are people entertainers not people leaders, You do have another choice. Three as a matter fo fact. You can choose for more of the same or an end to war and the beginning of peace with honor and world respect, which this nation has not seen since FDR. The last of the presidents.

    • 3 years ago
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • The reality on this post is that the tittle has nothing to do with Georgia. The US is far from losing any grounds in Europe, even more with Russians now invading Georgia, testing missiles and sending all their hatred again all the way to Latin America.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • futuregen
    • 0
      futuregen  
    • 'The smaller countries have been lured into joining NATO and are waking up to a nuclear nightmare.' Boy isn't that the truth! The Joint Chiefs of Staff have been planning WWlll since 2000-2001 and earlier. Bush and Cheney have been their puppets to make it happen. Dick Cheney is the devil himself. Obama is not planning on stopping this. He already said he would listen to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and do what they say. Venezuela will cut off oil supply to the US. Start growing/producing biofuels. Over half of our budget goes to funding these filthy wars and making bombs (i.e. destroying life and the planet). Time to stop paying taxes. Vote for Peace, votenader.org

    • 3 years ago
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • futuregen:

      Everything that you are saying does not make sense. Yet, one of your points is valid and the Whole continent should stop it's Oil dependencies and start using other methods of transportation or a different fuel for their vehicles.

      Ohh, you may not know this, because you are a small country, but the fact that NATO encourages all small countries to join them is to make an allied force of peace between each other and balance respect and threat against bigger and not well intentioned nations. This is exactly what happen, Georgia wanted to join, the Russians did not like it and so, they bullied.

      Russian Policies are nothing but harming the peace in this world.

    • 3 years ago
  • futuregen
  • Vierotchka
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • Like I said before. Let Russia do as much as they want and talk as they want. Let's just stay quiet and let them do as they wish.

      Whoever throws the First stone will pay the price by shrinking their Country in the world map.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • petarro:

      Right, Georgia did, on their OWN territory.

      Go ahead and ask the majority of Educated Russian business men if they approve this Georgian invasion from Russia, let's see what they have to say...

      Also, go ahead and ask the Journalists in Russia what they think about this invasion and occupation. Quick, they might "die" soon.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • If I can read correctly it says IN Eastern Europe, not East of Europe. Anyway.

      Russia now did all the stuff, so they responded and did a lot more by starting it's provocations in Latin America too. Something we (The Civilized countries in Latin America) do not like. Russians are not changing and will not change. Yes, it's their Politics I'm talking about.

      I have come to the point to think you are Russian or your GranMa or the one in that Picture was Russian. It still does not change anything.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • petarro:

      "I have come to the point to think you are Russian or your GranMa or the one in that Picture was Russian. It still does not change anything."

      So what? Non sequitur. Who cares what you think? And what does that have to do with the topic at hand, anyway? The topic isn't about me, you know. Why do you always have to bring things down to the personal level?

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • petarro:

      Yet Russia, Russian oil, Russian arms, trade with Russia, and Russian military cooperation are welcomed with warm and open arms in Latin America. You are letting your personal little petty hatreds interfere with your reasoning capacities. Sad.

    • 3 years ago
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • petarro:

      OK, let's talk about it at once:
      1. NOTHING from Russia ever welcome in Latin America. Please know this up-front. Any Civilized country or persons actually dislike Russia and it's Politics. (In Latin America).
      2. YOU make it personal when you speak about Russia is the best, The Strongest. You speak like Sarah Palin.
      3. There is no free trade, commerce or any assistance between Russia and Latin America.
      4. OF COURSE if anyone is hungry and needs to sell and produce Coca and drugs to get Money and Russia will provide them the Weapons to do it, Hell Yeah, they will take it. Guerillas, Pro-Communist Countries and activists which no intelligence which are drown by the masses will be easily used in Anti-US Politics.
      5. You keep Generalizing and stating that Latin America gets things from Russia, while ONE country like Venezuela is NOT the whole Continent or sector.

      Countries are not giving up to the war on drugs because the money on Drugs have been really helpful to fight back, now if you get the help from Venezuela and weapons from Russia...

      Seriously, all this hatred these posts try to provoke on the American Continent make no sense. We are baked with a different powder than the Europeans and obviously the Asian.

      Our only enemy is violence. Russia bring it all along in it's blood.

      The countries that in this moment are a disgrace both Politically and Economically are the ones following the Communist, Russia and Anti-American Policies that are so, so thrown in by Russians.

      This is 2008 and decades later, Cuba is still a prison. Forget about Guantanamo. This was all done and supported by the Russians.

      Why won't people follow Barack's advice? Focus on the issues.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • 1. Georgia is a candidate for the EU, and lies east of Europe, but nobody said it was in Eastern Europe.

      2. Russia has still a lot of popularity and respect in many Eastern European countries - in the Ukraine, particularly.

      3. We all knew that a long time ago.

      4. Ditto.

      It is a huge tactical and strategic mistake on the part of the US (with the help of NATO) to hem-in Russia with missile shield installations and military bases. Russia's responses are fully justifiable, and it has shown considerable restraint. At this Chess Game too, Russia is both champion and Grand Master.

    • 3 years ago
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  
    • 1. Georgia is not in Eastern Europe.
      2. Russia already has 0 popularity and respect in Eastern Europe, fear may be there, but nothing else.
      3. Bush is losing Popularity everywhere.
      4. Barack Obama is winning it.

      I always see people going around talking about the Czech Radar, but just a week ago, Russia ALREADY experimented with their own Shield system and immediately said "our weapons and systems can penetrate Missile shields" Russia is no better and they already have their own in place.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
  • JohnA
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • Image
    • Saladin:

      Saladin - by stopping provocations against Russia. Messing with Russia is a Very Bad Idea. Instead of messing with Russia, the USA should develop good relations with it.

    • 3 years ago
  • regjoeschmo
    • 0
      regjoeschmo  
    • Saladin:

      Well JohnA most of americans are pissed off about our current foreign policy...... Do not forget that we are in an economic slump, and if we go to war with a country that has a more stable market we will lose. It was a major factor in us winning WWII.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • Image
    • Answer to JohnA:

      Russian markets close with sharply higher gains

      Russia's leading stock indexes surged upwards Tuesday, regaining some of the heavy losses suffered in the past ten days despite a one-hour suspension of trading.
      The MICEX stock exchange was up 13.3 percent to close at 755.2, while the dollar-denominated RTS gained 9.9 percent to close at 869.5. The gains came after
      U.S. and European governments agreed to buy shares in banks to avert a collapse on financial markets and boost economic growth.

      Mining giant Norilsk Nickel led the MICEX rally, ending up 22 percent higher. Russia's two largest banks, Sberbank and VTB, both rose around 18 percent. Oil firms Rosneft and Lukoil rose 15 percent.

      Trading at the MICEX was halted for one hour this morning after a jump of more than 10 percent of its technical index _ a composite of all stocks traded on the market. The move came even after the Federal Financial Markets Service earlier in the day expanded the threshold for shutting down trading from 5 percent to 10 percent.

      Yaroslav Lissovolik, chief economist at Deutsche Bank's Moscow office, criticized the change in trading thresholds, saying it added even more confusion to a volatile market. Last week, the threshold was narrowed to 5 percent from 8 percent.

      «This sort of change creates uncertainty about how trading is going work,» he said.

      The Federal Financial Markets Service was not available for immediate comment.

      To fight ongoing liquidity problems, Russia's Central Bank increased the amount of funds offered Monday at repo auctions, through which it loans money to domestic banks, by 50 billion rubles (US$1.92 billion) to 350 billion rubles (US$13.5 billion).

      The Central Bank then provided 218 billion rubles (US$8 billion) to banks at Tuesday's auction.

    • 3 years ago
  • TerryA
    • 0
      TerryA  
    • Wow..Bush/Cheney have quite a legacy. I guess a good economic crisis is the best way to divert attention from a bigger crisis.

      Russia has spent a lot of Oil money on new military equipment, check out the new "MIGS". Were bogged down in Bush's endless wars. Guess who has a better chance of winning this cold war?

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
  • Vierotchka
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