Our media is a mixed bag. Some are good, some not so good.

Here is an interesting article on the issue, written by Mikhail Gorbachev, that landed in my inbox. It was published yesterday in one of the respected newspapers in the USA, The Washington Post.
colorado, Aug 13, 2008 @ 16:40

One thing I will say without taking either side is that the information war is frighteningly reminiscent of the cold war. We have come to expect Russian television to be pure propaganda recently, and recent reporting has been no exception, but what surprised me is that CNN was just as badly biased as the Russian TV channels (in the opposite direction, of course). At first they completely neglected to mention the Georgian role in the war, then they repeated information fed to them by the Georgian side as if it were fact with no independent verification -- kind of like today when the Georgian president said "Russian tanks are still rampaging in Gori". There were independent journalists there who said "there are no Russian tanks here", but CNN still reported the blatant lie as fact.



On a positive note it seems German channels have shown some of the most unbiased coverage.
Jered, Aug 13, 2008 @ 19:30

[quote]Our media is a mixed bag.Some are good, some not so good.



Here is an interesting article on the issue, written by Mikhail Gorbachev,that landed in my inbox. It was publishedyesterday in one of the respected newspapers in the USA, The Washington Post.[/quote]

The US governement has trained the Odessian troops ,it has been planned by the US for a long time

Sonja A, Aug 22, 2008 @ 09:00

www.stopantirussiapropaganda.com
Sonja A, Aug 22, 2008 @ 09:01

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-dejevsky/mary-dejevsky-russia-the-bad-guys-who-are-the-west-trying-to-kid-897498.html
Jered, Aug 22, 2008 @ 11:03

I don't want to take sides here because I don't have enough information, but I do think its very interesting to see that despite the recent 'elections' in Russia, its pretty obvious that Putin is still running things.

In about 90% of the articles I read, Putin is the one quoted and the one that seems to hold the real power, while the new president (Dmitry Medvedev) seems to be a bit shy...

O
SiteAdmin Oded, Aug 22, 2008 @ 11:40

Yes. The Russian people would definitely have voted for Putin for a third term if it was allowed by the constitution. That's one of the fundamental misunderstandings many Americans and Europeans have about Russia: most people there genuinely like Putin. He has no need to rig elections.
Jered, Aug 22, 2008 @ 13:10

Another interesting comment from the historian Mark Almond (translated in Le Monde today):

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/09/georgia.russia1



Acanthe, Aug 22, 2008 @ 23:14

It doesnot open, probably protected!

Helena.;)

HelenaTravel, Aug 25, 2008 @ 04:57

Thanks - very interesting article.   Copy and paste it into a new window.
mozambique, Aug 25, 2008 @ 05:38

Dear Acanthe, the position (fixed and secure, should I characterise?) sited in this article is one of those that inspired me to post (and question).

HelenaTravel, Aug 25, 2008 @ 05:55

Thanks everyone who's participated!!! You ARE SO WARM AND INTELLIGENT!

Just basically summarizing: If some other country attacks Assetia, we need to protect the last one, because it is officially a part of our Federation, and we "care". That is regardless their different religious views, etc. I we won't protect them... - what would that mean? The small country destroyed by Georgeans in a day without anybody noticing or so.

Georgeans have a big and long conflict with the Assetians, on the same basics, but the real conflict. Assetians do not want to be a part of Georgia, as I saw. That is all.

All the speculations about "Russia trying to do something" or "Fighting with United States (or personally with JWB, lol) through their alies" are not even thrustworthy (is that the word?).

could politics be ever "simple" in a sence "with clear definitions"?

HelenaTravel, Aug 25, 2008 @ 06:09

"Assetia", meaning Ossetia, but sometimes, also Abkhazia.

Actually, I am the first time on the Russian side in any political conflict. Though as usual, also not having enough information, of course.

HelenaTravel, Aug 25, 2008 @ 06:24

This is surprising - the two nations seem to have quite different origins.

Thea

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhaz_people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetes
thea, Aug 26, 2008 @ 00:31

I think Russia isn't exactly the "good guys" in this situation either ... it seems they have been provoking this conflict for some time, and now they are reportedly allowing the South Ossetians to burn down ethnic Georgian villages to keep the ethnic Georgians from coming back to their homes in South Ossetia.



On the other hand, I see no good reason why Abkhazia is different than Kosovo. Apparently the Georgians closed the university in Abkhazia at about the same time the Serbs closed the university in Kosovo, and both for the same reasons -- they didn't want to local language and culture to develop and prosper. Somebody needs to champion the rights of the Abkhaz and Ossetians, and I'm glad Russia is doing it, even if it is for selfish reasons.
Jered, Aug 26, 2008 @ 11:39

[quote]I think Russia isn't exactly the "good guys" in this situation either ... it seems they have been provoking this conflict for some time, and now they are reportedly allowing the South Ossetians to burn down ethnic Georgian villages to keep the ethnic Georgians from coming back to their homes in South Ossetia.



On the other hand, I see no good reason why Abkhazia is different than Kosovo. Apparently the Georgians closed the university in Abkhazia at about the same time the Serbs closed the university in Kosovo, and both for the same reasons -- they didn't want to local language and culture to develop and prosper. Somebody needs to champion the rights of the Abkhaz and Ossetians, and I'm glad Russia is doing it, even if it is for selfish reasons.[/quote]



Although political patterns, or rather precedents, do exist, nations and their histories are individual. To understand the Abkhazia conflict better, one would have to go back to and start from the late 18th century, when Russian Empire was expending into the Caucasus, and have a look at the treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 and its aftermath.

I can’t see solution in mediation of such conflicts by third parties with interests, be this strategic, defense of own citizens, whatever. Such interventions would simply increase possibilities of biased pretexts leaving behind angrier population, unhealthier generations and poorer countries I reckon.



thea, Aug 26, 2008 @ 22:45

I agree with you, it would certainly be ideal if this could be mediated by a third party with no vested interest. I wonder who that could be, though. Clearly a member of the NATO alliance would be no better than Russia in that respect. OSCE doesn't seem to have enough muscle to prevent hostilities. I actually can't think of a reasonable solution, and I'm afraid that given the current situation the outcome will probably be much less than ideal
Jered, Aug 27, 2008 @ 01:08

Journalist come too easy, i don't say they are always wrong, but they say too easy thing, like this stupid attitude to design Putin as the czar, that's an easy sentence or "Russia is a big power that scratch everybody"

Russia is a very complex country, with a complex past, history, not all people are same there so it's not possible to say "all the russian are like that"... it's so complex that an esay sentence should not be used, and some easy, quick, judgement, position toward Russia politics cannot be made... 
TSATSA, Sep 4, 2008 @ 17:47

The Georgians would have never gotten in there if they had not been lured by Bush. Putin was in Beijing for the Olympics and Medvedev on a cruise on the Volga river.



Tbilissi was expecting a quick campaign and a slow Russian response.



Here´s an interesting view, for those who can read Spanish:



http://www.lavanguardia.es/lv24h/20080812/53518885434.html
Dr_Graf, Sep 4, 2008 @ 18:07

Good article, Dr. Graf. I wonder where Rafael Poch gets his information from, though?
Jered, Sep 4, 2008 @ 19:05