Two interesting articles

[ironphoenix]

Ganked from ancalagon_tb: A pretty good analysis of the geopolitical implications of the war in Georgia.

Ganked from siderea: A very good article about the psychology of learning and remembering things.

kali_kali, I'm looking at you here!

Comments

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

They chose to ignore it, because they have too many other things on the go right now.

Yes, and because it isn't part of their agenda, which is very short-sighted.

many of the former Soviet republics, the Baltic countries in particular, want to be as far away from Russia as humanly possible.

Agreed entirely, from everything I've read and also what I saw in Estonia in '96.

Russia is still living in the Cold War, and viewing the West, and anyone affiliated with the West, as enemies.

I think this is a Vlad Putin thing; Gorbachev and Yeltsin were non-Cold War guys, as best I can tell. He's not the first to use an external threat, manufactured or otherwise, to reinforce his internal power. The combination of that with imperialist-looking ambitions is worrisome, certainly.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia aren't looking for independence, they are looking to be, essentially, annexed by Russia.

I think the argument the Russians would make is that they have a "right of self-determination". I agree that there is a real difference in law and geopolitics, but that's how the spin doctors would/will likely play it.

And this is the part that terrifies the hell out of me.

Yeah. The bear is never hungrier than when it awakens from its hibernation... being close to it is a bad thing.

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

there has been some speculation of kicking out russia out of the G8...

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and not for the first time. It all hinges on what the purpose of the G8 really is.