Georgian-Russian War

Posted by Unknown , Monday, August 11, 2008 8:39 AM

Here are the options in the Georgian-Russian war as I see them.

-The West keeps trying to find a diplomatic solution, Russia finally stops being stubborn and accepts the Georgian cease fire, and we assess the damage after the fact.

OR

-The West doesn't find a diplomatic solution but doesn't commit to a military action, Georgia is overrun, and the Balkans forever side with Russia, starting the Cold War again.

OR

-The West commits to military action, the Russians back down or are defeated, and the Balkans forever side with the West.

OR

-The West commits to military action, the Russians don't back down and summon their allies to fight, and the future is uncertain.

If the last two options are what ends up happening, and Russia fights instead of backing down (thus making the only plausible end Russia's destruction), it will effectively be World War III.

Remember, all World War's have started with something relatively small. World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. World War II was the invasion of Poland and (for the U.S.) Pearl Harbor. Some reports say that there have been thousands of casualties in this military aggression.

Is this the final showdown of the Cold War?