[lbo-talk] Image Restoration via Truthiness: American Media and Russia

[John Thornton]

rayrena wrote:
> Okay, on retrospect, my experiment was not useful and was
> actually pretty silly. Oh well.
>
>   
>> But of course, as you know, that's not what was done. 
>> Washington reached out across many thousands of miles --
>> far, far from home -- to take a 19th century style action;
>> a classic power grab.
>>
>>
>> But Moscow is contending with things that are happening in
>> its neighborhood and, whatever sins are being committed in
>> the process, is dealing with a sticky situation made
>> somewhat thornier by Euro-American foolishness.
>>     
>
> What is "home"? What is "neighborhood"? They seem like
> pretty relative concepts to me. If you are going to license
> Russia's actions in/against Georgia, then why not license
> the U.S.'s actions in Haiti or Guatemala? That's the U.S.'s
> neighborhood, geographically speaking, as much as Georgia is
> Russia's, right? Dwayne, I think you are relying too much on
> doxa here: geography is not neutral; there are never
> impartial, common sense views of geography, right, and
> interest. They are always political.

The majority of the population in South Ossetia wanted Russia to 
intervene. A great many of them want to be Russian citizens and made 
part of Russia.

Remind me again when the US intervened in Haiti or Guatemala because a 
foreign backed force was targeting civilians and that civilian 
population asked the US to defend them?

This conversation is bordering on crazy.
Why the knee jerk reaction to say something negative about Russia?

John Thornton