The recent Russian incursions into Georgia have been extensively covered by the western media, albeit from an extremely anti-Russian viewpoint. While the actions of the Russian government haven’t been something to be admired, the blame for the current conflict should be shifted to the instigator of hostilities: the government of Georgia and it’s president Mikhail Saakashvili. On August 8, during supposed peace talks with the Ossetians, Saakashvili ordered the surprise shelling and occupation of the Ossetian capital Tskhinvali which resulted in the deaths of over 1000 civilians.

Given that many in South Ossetia hold Russian passports and technically are Russian citizens, it is difficult to ascertain what Saakashvili was thinking the response of the Russian government would be. As the Ossetians are of the Indo-European line and are related to the Slavic Russians (and the Iranians as well) it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to see the Russians helping what they would consider ‘their people’ from subjugation.

Needless to say, the Russian military quickly overran Georgian forces and kicked them out of Tskhinvali. However, the United States quickly decried Russian military intervention as ‘disproportionate’ and as an act of ‘aggression’ towards the sovereign nation of Georgia. This is a highly dubious platform to elevate oneself on, especially considering America’s long history of invading sovereign nations over the last century. On top of that, the Georgian army was trained and equipped by US and Israeli forces and supported by private mercenaries.

Being a party to the slaughter of innocent people is not something we as a nation should even consider if we are to consider ourselves civilized people. Civilized people don’t roll tanks into heavily populated civilian centers and begin arbitrarily shelling building and machine gunning those who attempt to flee. American weapons and American approval made this recent storm possible, yet according to the mainstream western media, the Russians invaded and bombed the peace-loving Georgian democracy without provocation. Any mention of the Ossetian massacre is phrased as ‘taking back a breakaway province’ instead of a sneak attack on unprepared and unwitting civilians.

War is the biggest and most absolute failure of diplomacy and human decency there is. By provoking the Russians into an unnecessary conflict with Georgia, the US government has failed completely. There is no good reason for what is happening now, other than to manufacture conflict for geopolitical and financial gain…order out of chaos, if you will.

Perhaps we should listen to a voice from the past to ensure a better future for everyone?

“The secret of politics is to make a good treaty with Russia.”

-Otto von Bismarck