[lbo-talk] Putin's Pipeline

[John Thornton]

boddi satva wrote:
> I was just curious to see if Tovarish Doss had completely sold out to the
> Kremlin and everybody was having warm, fuzzy Soviet feelings.
>
> Seems so.
>
> Putin puts up nicely with more barbaric neighbors than Saakashvilli. The
> real aim of Russia's war effort is reportedly about 100 miles from the
> Russian lines (probably less now) - the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline.
>
> Putin's Kremlin will steal or destroy this pipeline as surely as they will
> steal the BP half of BP-TNK.
>
> Russia is courting absolute disaster with this nonsense.
>
> The answer to dealing with authoritarian regimes in the Eurasian republics
> is *not* the establishment of the Putin Union.

While I doubt anyone here wants to see any conflict escalate what other 
plan of action was realistically open?
If Russia didn't stop Georgian forces from shelling Tskhinvali who was 
going to?
It certainly wouldn't have been NATO.
Russia was put into a lose/lose situation by the world's most 
incompetent empire.
The US actively worked to destabilize this region and this is the fruit 
that destabilization bore.
Don't you imagine the situation would currently be worse if Russia had 
not stepped in?
If not please explain your position.
To imagine this fuck-up is Putin's doing is surreal.
The blame for this lies squarely with the White House and Saakashvilli.

Would you like to make a wager on who controls this pipeline when this 
is over?
Or 6 months from now?

John Thornton