Georgia is a pawn in a much larger game: "this is about energy security, not about democracy or human rights"

And this was the brainchild of Bill Clinton.

There- you said it. Now all these other zealots harping about oil and republicans can STFU.

Russian as a major oil producer is now exerting so overtly the power and military might that has been growing for decades. The US, as a depender on the entire rest of the world for it's oil, has weakened itself! And our governmental leaders are continuing to allow it to happen. Talk about still living in the 20th century. I do not understand why most Americans believe all the evil dictators, oppression, and military take-overs are our fault and that we can continue to believe we are exempt from that same aggression.

Most Americans believe neither. This is not a good guys vs bad guys world. It is a highly competitive one, with neither side owning the monopoly on immoral conduct or motives of greed.

Nobody I know believes take-overs "are our fault" - but many of us believe that unwise US foreign policy has contributed to a maelstrom of complexities that make these upsets more common than they need to be.

The US ... has weakened itself!

How do you mean?

By allowing ourselves to become so globally dependent, culturally sick, electing corrupt/self-promoting leadership, failing to take the moral high-ground, being *used by the UN*, etc........