A Georgian War II?

Reading the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov makes you think that the man is clearly living in another world than most of us. I long ago decided it was bad for my health to listen to the speeches of this truly haunted man, but sometimes I can’t help it, reminding my self that he after all is the mouthpiece of Putin I & II.

Mr. Lavrovs description of the “emerging new situation in trans Caucasus” is a masterpiece according to the DSM IV diagnostics. In his statement he points out Russia’s efforts to come up with a solution to keep OSCE observers in Georgia, while his soldiers are conducting the military exercise Kavkaz 2009, also INSIDE Georgian territory in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, with 8-10 000 soldiers and 200 tanks. The fact that Russia both manage to block the mandate for OSCE as well as UN observers is a clear evidence for Russia’s good will in the negotiations. Besides that means no witnesses. Russia is still in violation with the ceasefire agreement, and UN agreements signed by Russia on Georgian sovereignty. And now both Lavrov and Rogosin "fear" the Georgian agression and troop build up on the border to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Sure, Georgia is keen to take on Russia which has stationed a huge amount of missiles and tanks inside the rebel republics, inside Georgia. What a monumental lie!

At the moment we are facing the same situation as in July 2008. Then, as I was staying in Tbilisi, and I was convinced that there would be a Russian invasion based on all the garbage Lavrov poured out in the media. (I wrote it on my blog 11. july 2008.) I think the war came as a surprise only for the media and the European politicians. Will there be a second this July or August? I really find it hard to say. One the one side it would be a devastating catastrophe mainly for Russia. (That is thinking like a rational person). A war could by no means be legitimated with lies and propaganda like the first one (the “humanitarian rescue mission” would be to plain even for Russians). It would completely alienate Russia from all its bordering neighbors, and in long term perspectives mean isolation. For Georgia it will mean to be temporarily be drawn back to the middle age, where the Russian cleptocracy resides. But thinking like a true Cremlin hoodlum it might just makes sense: It’s like peing in your pants to maintain some warmth in the winter. It’s the control of Georgian pipelines, and the ability to give Europe and USA a black eye. But then winter will set in, and your pants aren’t really that warm anymore. Especially not in the Caucasus.

So now everyone awaits Obamas mission to Moscow on the 6th of july. Most analysts think that his performance would mean the difference of “invade” or “not invade” Georgia. I really hope Obama will be firm, and won't proceed with the naïve "reset" project. Russia needs US as an enemy in order to keep the current cleptocracy at the power, thus persuing the "reset" project will only serve to project US as weak, and confirm the image Putin want's to create.

Analysis: Norwegian newspaper's coverage of the war in Caucasus 2008

As a part of my master studies in “Media, Communication and ICT” at NTNU, I did an analysis of the Norwegian newspaper coverage of the war in Caucasus. The analysis shows how the two major Norwegian newspapers (Aftenposten and Verdens Gang) framed the war, and how loyalty to the Governments foreign policy can be found in their largely one sided pro-western coverage of the conflict. It also shows that both the opposition (conservatives) and the government (social democratic) for a large part agree about Norwegian foreign policy. The politicians didn’t seem to pay much attention to the war and the possible consequences for Norway as a result of Russia’s new aggressive modus operandi. This can be portrayed as either political indifference among Norwegian politicians, or as a consensus between the Norwegian Government, the opposition and the media, where to show restraint in critizising Russia is imperative for national security. The news media might, as a result of this, seem to under-communicate Norway’s challenges in the northern areas regarding a weak defence, NATO’s unwillingness to confront Russia in the Caucasus; signalling a division in the alliance indicating less commitment to NATO Article 5 in the case of a potential Russian threat in the race for the Arctic oil and gas.

Download and read “A Cold War in the Caucasus?” as a PDF. Language: Norwegian. Grade: A.

A new war? - Russia’s Caucasian Mess

“Territorial integrity is a thing of the past”, Russias UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (picture) said during the attack on Georgia last summer. It’s wise to have that statement in mind as we now learn that the Russians, like last spring, is planning their big military exercise Kavkaz 2009 in June, and the South Ossetians have began shooting at Georgians (Civil.ge) in the buffer zone (29.05.09), maybe to prepare the ground for yet a Russian “humanitarian intervension” like last year? They have also deployed more troops, missile launchers and tanks along the borderzones.The unstable situation has affected the whole of Georgia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia appear to be in deep political crisis, with various political forces fighting for power. The mess Russia has created after its invasion of Georgia in 2008 is considerable. As Solzhenitsyn pointed out, a Federation is always based on a mutual wish for a beneficial unity, a centripetal force, not the Russian centrifugal military invasion and oppression strategy. So naturally what Russia has achieved by its occupation of Georgian territory is more or less chaos and hostility everywhere. Maybe more than they wished for.

Political turmoil in Georgia proper
In Tbilisi, the opposition has gone completely off the rails lead by a singer called “Ucnobi”, the unknown. Gathering 60 000 at his political rallies, this oppositional figure, presumably perceived as a sort of romantic revolutionary hero, has his own TV show where he pours out his wrath in a small cell, only interrupted by frequent drinking and smoking. The man has no political program, and no identifiable political direction. He is supported by several opposition figures (also without any program or direction) like former Saakashvili allied and Parliamentary speaker Nino Burdjanaze and her compatriot Salome Zurabishvili, determined to commit political suicide as soon as possible. The goal is to topple president Saakashvili, which remains calm and relatively unprovoked judging from the lack of interference with the bold demonstrators. Blocking railroads and main roads, alienating it self and the vast majority of Georgians that wants peaceful reforms is playing it directly into the Russians hands. Destabilization and riots only serves the Russian Federation. The former Georgian Ambassador to the UN, Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia, is in spite of this a point of light. His fraction has turned from activism to more democratic means of protest, and wants to negotiate with the Saakashvili regime instead. A very smart move:According to Caucasus Research Resources Centres 20% - 30% of the population support the government. 20% support the more strident opposition. 50% to 60% are more or less undecided politically. Put in other terms: 20-30% want stability 20% want change, even if this involves risk, and 50-60% want significant change, but also sufficient stability. This means that for the opposition, they could have found up to 80% of the population agreeing with them that they want change -up to a point, and only if stability could be guaranteed.

Abkhazia – Soon to be swallowed by Putin.
According to the De facto Vice-President of Abkhazia Raul Khajimba, which is supported by Moscow and seen as the guarantor of Russian expansion in Abkhazia, there is a “deep governmental crisis” in Abkhazia. Khajimba says that President Baghapsh uses force against the opposition in Abkhazia, and accused Baghapsh of behaving in a “non-transparent” way when giving control over the Abkhazian-Georgian administrative border to Russian forces. Baghapsh is also accused by the opposition of “selling” the country to Russia. The majority of Abkhazian strategic and economic facilities are owned by Russian citizens and that the de facto authorities are drafting a law which will allow Russians to purchase Abkhazian land. Baghapsh has already signed a deal giving the Russian ownership to railroads and airfields for ten years ahead, given permission to drill for oil off the shores of Abkhazia, and finally given space for the mighty Russian Black Sea Fleet.

South Ossetia – dictatorship, corruption and nepotism
Separatist leader Eduard Kokoity is expected to extend what the opposition calls his tyranny over South Ossetia when the Russian-backed rebel region holds an election on Sunday. The opposition say Kokoity wants to change the constitution so that he can run for a third term in 2011 and an overwhelming success in the parliamentary election would help him do this.South Ossetia awaits Parliamentary elections on May 31. Representatives of the South Ossetian opposition have stated that the current separatist leader Eduard Kokoity is using “dirty tricks” to keep his party in power. Some opposition members have accused him of “stealing Russian money” destined for the rehabilitation of the region after the August 2008 conflict. “A dictatorship is being established in South Ossetia right now and the President Kokoity and his brother are stealing Russian humanitarian aid and budget funds destined for rehabilitation,” said a Moscow-backed ethnic Ossetian, Jambulat Tedeev. The South Ossetian opposition believes the election will be rigged, and will organize protests against Kokoity

Sources: Temur Kiguradze, Guy Faulconbridge - Reuters, Georgia Dayly, Caucasus Research Resources Centres and Civil.ge

OSCE on Russian ethnic cleansing of Georgians

It has been a while since last post on the blog, but now, as the Norwegian High Commissioner on Nationa Minorities in OSCE, Knut Vollebæk has made a statement on the situation in the russian-occupied parts of Georgia, I decided to post his statement as published by Civil Georgia, April 14:

Knut Vollebaek, the OSCE high commissioner on national minorities, called on the authorities in breakaway Abkhazia “to put an end to the pressure being exercised on the Georgian population in the Gali district.” “I am deeply concerned about recent developments in the Gali District of Abkhazia, which have led to a deteriorating security situation in the region” The OSCE commissioner said that the pressure on local ethnic Georgian population was exerted through “the limitation of their education rights, compulsory ‘passportization’, forced conscription into the Abkhaz military forces and restrictions on their freedom of movement.”

He also expressed “regret” about the decision of the Abkhaz leadership to close the administrative border, “which makes it increasingly difficult for the population to maintain family contacts, access necessary health care or sell their products on the other side of the de facto border.”

“I am concerned that such coercive practices, which violate international law, may further destabilize the already fragile inter-ethnic situation in the region and force many Georgians to leave,” Knut Vollebaek said. “I reiterate that international norms and standards require that any authority exercising jurisdiction over population and territory, even if not recognized by the international community, must respect the human rights of everyone, including those of persons belonging to ethnic communities. I urge the de facto authorities to desist from all intimidation and the imposition of Abkhazian ‘citizenship’ on and forced conscription of Georgians living in the Gali District. I also urge the de facto authorities to respect the education rights of Georgians residing there and to allow Georgian students in the region to study in the Georgian language.”

“While I understand and welcome the desire of the de facto Abkhaz authorities to strengthen the Abkhaz identity and language, I would like to stress that this should be done in a way that does not negatively affect the rights of persons belonging to other ethnic communities in the region to maintain and develop their own language and culture.”

The Russian Ambassador to Norway criticizes media coverage.

Tonight I spent 40 kr, or 6 dollars to listen to the Russian Ambassador to Norway Sergej Andrejev complaining about the negative media coverage Russia has gotten lately. That is, the first thing he wanted to make clear was that “I’m not complaining”.

So what misconceptions did Norwegian and Western media have? Here are some other grains of gold which I think sums it up from the Ambassador:

"Media should stop interfering with internal Russian affairs."
"There is no more journalist killed in Russia than other people."
"Georgia started the war, and Medvedev defended Russian citizens."
"Several hundred civilians were killed by Georgian forces in South Ossetia" (Ed. comment: Official Russian numbers are 162 soldiers, separatists and civilians killed in SO)
"Western media does not take in consideration the kind of difficult situation Russia is in."
"Russia is a democracy."
"Politics and moral should not be mixed together."
"If it were not for the Red Army, Estonia, Lithauen and Latvia would have been a part of The Third Reich, so don’t complain."
"You see what you see" (About planting the Russian flag on the North Pole under water)

Difficult questions?
As this was a meeting with debate in the student society in Trondheim, students could ask questions. The difficult ones about the Georgia war and Russian media the Ambassador at large”didn’t understand”, and allowed himself to take an effort in humiliating one critical students in particular on his use of English language (the meeting was held in English). “Maybe the student rather would present his questions in his native language?”

A Newspaper man without “cojones”
To defend the Russian critic of Norwegian media coverage the Studentersamfundet had invited Kjell Dragnes, the news editor for foreign affairs in Aftenposten, one of Norway’s dominating newspapers. He spent most of his time speaking about his love to Russia. Part of his heart was still there after years living in Russia, he said. I think maybe the debate would have been a lot better if a sharp and “heartless” journalist had participated instead. Dragsnes’s defence of the media was, to put it mildly, like that of any newspaperman standing side by side with a Cremlin bureaucrat, more or less missing.

NUPI represented the science.
NUPI, The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, was represented by Elana Wilson Rowe. Now the truth would emerge, (at least I thought) but she presented only a mild general critique of Russian democracy, and was in a way very difficult to make much sense of. But she sounded great! I think she would become a great politician. She repeatedly made a point of how complicated the Georgia-Russia conflict was without making it much clearer to her self or the audience. She held an attitude that Georgia started the war, missing the fact that EU has set up a committee to investigate that particular issue, also taking in consideration that the war has it’s roots in the early nineties and later events building up to the conflict.

Same shit, same wrapping
I usually manage to get aggravated listening to debates about Russia, but this level was too low to even get the slightest excited. I don’t think Rusian officials have a clue about what democracy is, what media’s function is, and how to behave. Personally I think Vitaly Churkin and Sergei Lavrov present their dilutions with more style and assertiveness. But they also started to criticize the media when they were caught in lies on TV during the Georgia war.

The verdict
The audience at Studentersamfundet held a slightly tepid attitude to the Russian Ambassador if judged by the moderate applause he got. The opponents failed to present any critical view regarding the armed conflicts, the frequent embargos, and the ethnic cleansing Russia has been conducting in Georgia. Nobody confronted the Ambassador with the fact that their “defence” of Abkhazia also made it possible to relocate the entire Black Sea fleet from Ukraine to the “defended” and “recognized” Abkhazia. One thing is clear: Negative media coverage of Russia is something Russia have fully deserved, and in much larger amount than the commercialized western press have managed to cover. The Ambassador fails to understand that Russia’s own actions are the sole reason for negative media coverage, and by criticizing it he makes it clear to us all that Russia is everything that the press claims it to be.

Merry X-mas!

I wish all my readers a great x-mas and a happy new year!

The Russian trail of destruction

I will try to sum up the last five months at the end of the year. This last months Russia has made a mockery of UN, OSCE, Europe Parliament, EU and NATO. By these actions Russia has shown itself as a totally irresponsible nation not ready to take part in constructive democratic international processes:

Violated the UN charter.

Vetoing every resolution from the UN Security Council.

By veto shut down OSCE’s mission in Georgia from 31.12.2008 in order to derail the Geneva talks and reduce possibility of international observation of atrocities in the rebel regions.

Declared the President of the European Parliament unwanted in Russia after having condemned the Russian invasion of Georgia.

Refused to honor the EU brokered a cease fire agreement with Russia by still occupying parts of Georgian proper, and keep a much larger amount of troops in the rebel republics than agreed upon in the cease fire agreement.

Allowing separatists to fire at EU / OSCE observers in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Performing large scale ethnic cleansing in cooperation with the criminal separatists in South Ossetia and Abkhazia even after the ceasefire agreement.

(Pending: High probability that Russia will veto the prolonging of the UN mission in Georgia - UNOMIG)

But not only Russia is to blame.

We do not expect constructive actions from Russia anymore. The country has under Czar Putin and his KGB become an antidemocratic sewer of nationalism, corruption and aggression leading the nation into a state of collective ignorance and pathological denial. Europe has shown its fundamental lack of principles and will to act on whatever is left of them. Russias destruction of Chechenya and Ingushetia has been accepted without ant significant protests, and in the case of the Russian assault on Georgia Germany has been the frontrunner for sabotaging any meaningful action towards Russia by setting its own business interests first and strongly oppose MAP for Georgia and sanctions against Russia (Germany is Russia’s largest trade partner in the west.). This is just a continuance of former Chancellor Schroeder’s (now a CEO in Gazprom) deal with Gazprom regarding a new energy pipeline from Russia to Germany: A reaffirmation of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact, as officials in Poland stated. Along these lines Norway is a loyal follower, preventing Georgia getting anywhere near a NATO MAP. From being a sharp critic of the Russian invasion, and calling for actions, Britain also changed its view on the matter. Gordon Brown just found out that it was more honor in handling the financial crisis. There he, as the grey economist he is, really could shine! Sarkozy and EU negotiated a seize fire agreement with Russia, but have let the Russians in from the cold without facing any real consequences from breaking the agreement on several points. This past six months has above all shown that Georgia is on its own. It seems the only hope for Georgia is a strategic partnership with the US, allegedly in progress.

Russia, a gigantic backyard

What goes on in Russias so called “backyard” is clearly up to Russia to decide. Ethnic cleansing is hereby approved by EU, NATO and UN. But the term backyard is an awkward one. Russia being a horrendous backyard in it self leaves not much recognition to Georgia, which unlike Russia has shown great progress in democracy, legal system and economy. In that perspective Russia looks more like Georgia’s backyard: It’s in Russia journalists are being killed, opposition arrested, KGB rules and no progress is being made in terms of modernization. Russia is in a reversed process with more power and money to the few selected, and where major human rights are violated on daily basis. Putin plans to increase spending on defense systems while most of Russia’s nuclear reactors in powerplants and ships/subs need to be replaced within 2014. Who’s going to clean up this mess? They surely haven’t done much about their scrapped nuclear submarines in Murmansk so far in spite of having received several millions from among others the Norwegian government. And with an economy soon in ruins and Putins promise of substantial spendings on new missiles, aircrafts and tanks it’s not likely Russia will end up as anything else but the worlds best defended radioactive scrap yard.

Saakshvili loosing confidence in Europe

Saakashvili has been loosing credibility in Europe because of his erratic behavior and statements. He is largely blamed for the war (something that is mostly related to the unacceptable low level of knowledge among journalists together with heavy propaganda and lobbying from the Russians, and the European fear of Putin) The erratic behavior of Putin has been tolerated. Putin has on a number of occasions threatened Europe with nuclear missiles, violated airspace, claimed the North Pole and simulated nuclear attacks on a number of occasions on Norway. He publicly threatened a journalist with castration, made jokes publicly about the Israelian presidents raping an employee, arrests any protesters and encourages nationalism leading to killings of foreigners. All this cheered by his well organized Nashi youth movement, largely inspired by Hitlerjugend. So who shows the most erratic behavior and is the most likely candidate to have started the war?

The rebel regions – fighting for a just cause?

There’s no heroic “battle for freedom” going on in the rebel republics. The systematic ethnic cleansing and shooting at international observers shows that the separatists just are simple war criminals under Russian protection, something that has been evident for many years. The separatist gain money and Russia military bases and influence.

What kind of dialog is EU referring to with this country?

So far what I have heard is a Russian monologue. Russia should be dealt with in order to avoid an even greater problem in the future. But with Europe focused on “business as usual” there is not much hope. We will have to wonder about who’s next in line for Russian “rescue operations” or European lack of principles. This is exactly the way Europe let Hitler grow into the monster he became. But there’s hope: The financial crisis also takes it tolls in Russia as the RTS index plummets, and show that they have lost close to 80% of its total stock value peaking in may 2008. An increasing number of demonstrations have occurred all over Russia the latest days, forcefully beaten down by special forces of course, but still a sign of rising unrest in the Czar’s empire. It doesn’t help much either, when the Nashi youths rallies in Moscow portraying the US as the big enemy carrying live pigs in the rallies “squeeling like Americans” as their leader proudly said on TV. Why then perform American rap and sing “happy Birthday, dear Putin” as the main event for the rallying youth crowd?

Because that’s Russia.

NATO & Business as usual

Today the forreign ministers in the NATO have discussed Ukraine and Georgias possibilities for entering NATO with MAP. NATO also discussed their relations with Russia after the Russian assault on Georgia. So what did this bright men and women decide?: Well. First: NATO want business as ususal with Russia, unlike what they said in Spetember. And no MAP for Georgia and Ukraine in forseable future. No nothing, just the empty words from Bucurest.

I guess this is no surprice, because France and Germany have all the time tried to downplay the importance of simple democratic principles, UN Charter and Russian breaches of several other international laws. This is a new invitation for Russia to further invade and destroy Caucasus. Both EU and NATO say they don't care as long as they can conduct business as usual. An the ceasefire agreement is still not honored by Russia. The ethnic cleansing of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is completed by Russian troops and the rebel forces within the enclaves.

It's time to understand that there will be no help from the west. According to Aftenposten.no Norway and Germany were pressing for reentry of NATO - Russia talks, and no MAP for Georgia and Ukraine.

Major update of my Georgia website

I am happy to finally present a major update to my website DISCOVER GEORGIA. It's a redesign with a lot more pictures, thus a bit heavy loaded. It includes presentation of a whole new range of destinations within Georgia, a new section about food and general some more "village life". I think it can be interesting for those of you wanting to know and see more of Georgia than the destruction of Gori. Georgia is so much more. I have tried to capture some of it during my traveling.

ANALYSIS - Why EU is more negative to Georgia.

Both Estonia’s Minister of defense Jaak Aaviksoo and Georgian opposition politician Nino Burjanadze has stated that some EU countries look more unfavorable at Georgia now. : “We have to admit that the trustworthiness of Tbilisi has suffered. Some countries clearly see that Georgia acted in an unpredictable way,” Aaviksoo said.

"There are of course many reasons behind this trend, including the one involving Russia’s active work in this direction,” Burjanadze said while speaking at a daily program of Tbilisi-based FM radio station, Ucnobi, which is simulcast by the Kavkasia TV.(Georgia Online) This has also been repeated by Temur Iakobashvili, the Georgian state minister for reintegration.

I have also noticed this trend, and the negative spin does not only origin from the “usual suspects”, the official Germany and France, but also from certain influential media. So what’s really happening? Why this sudden turn, if it indeed has been so sudden?

Nothing has changed
First I would like to bring to mind that the situation and the facts in the conflict isn’t changed: David L. Philips a senior fellow and the director of the Forum on Georgia and the Caucasus at the Atlantic Council of the United States sums up the facts in an interview with Radio Free Europe Nov. 9.th ”Let's make no mistake about it. The events of August 7th and 8th didn't occur in a vacuum. There was a consistent effort by Russia over several years to provoke an armed conflict with Georgia. Clearly, there were miscalculations made on behalf of the Georgian government, but we need to be crystal clear. Russia was the aggressor; it attacked a sovereign state in violation of the international law and the UN Charter”.

Der Spiegels nonexisting OSCE report
Der Spiegel, a former trustworthy German magazine, spent two pages describing a very negative (towards Georgia) report that was about to be released from OSCE. Of course they never mentioned that this report only existed in the journalists fantasy, and among Der Spiegel’s owners, Bertelsmann, which is well known for their hard headed liberalistic political campaigning in Germany. OSCE strongly denied such report ever existed the same day Der Spiegel started to promote the upcoming article. That went past most mainstream media like the leading Norwegian newspapers Aftenposten & Dagbladet. They printed the non-existing allegations towards Georgia without hesitating a second. It must be said that Norwegian journalist basically works on cut & paste basis handling politics and conflicts abroad, and happily printed the “news” with their own spin, still regarding Der Spiegel to be a serious magazine like it used to be under their former well reputed ownership of Mr. Augstein.

Think-Tank Chairman Chipman’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Then the English think-tank doctor Chipman enters the scene through a BBC article 15.09.2008 about a potential mood-swing against Georgia in the EU, (already?):

”In a potentially significant swing of expert Western opinion, a leading British think tank has urged that Nato membership should not be granted to Georgia or Ukraine."The policy of Nato enlargement now would be a strategic error," said Dr John Chipman, Director General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "There is no case for accelerating membership for Georgia and Ukraine. There is a strong case for a pause," he said in remarks introducing the IISS's annual review of world affairs, the Strategic Survey. The IISS is highly critical of Georgian actions - in contrast to the support Georgia has received from the US and some European countries, notably Britain. Naturally, if Georgia is faulted, then less blame can be put on Russia, whatever its reaction or, as some hold, its over-reaction. Dr Chipman said that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war".

If you “google” Think-Thank Chipman you will find that a substantial amount of his publications are published by Bertelsmann. Business as usual?

BBC is allowed to enter South Ossetia with critical views
Another example: A couple of weeks ago a Norwegian journalist from Norways second largest TV channel TV2 managed to get permission from South Ossetian authorities to access to South Ossetia with a TV team. This journalist, Øystein Bogen, is critical to Russia, and was stopped at a borderpoint west of Khazbegi by Russian troops, leaving his official South Ossetian welcome committee no other choice than to return home without their invited guest. He had to return to Tbilisi. But this week BBC managed timely seen in context of the British U-turn (calling for a resume of the negotiations EU –Russia trade agreement), to get access to South Ossetia in order to make a critical reportage with a South Ossetian angle to the events. The reportage was aired on BBC World Saturday at 20.30. It was not a very critical reportage regarding the Russians deeds in the area, but still some critic concerning destruction of Georgian villages and ethnic cleansing was politely raised, I’ll give him that. The reporter was granted access to all witnesses he could get hold of, still it was less than conclusive about what actually had happened. It is far too soon to draw any conclusions. In fact Illarionov, Putins former economical adviser has been inside South Ossetia, and says that there is no eyewitnesses around, only people that have heard things from the neighbor who heard it from another neighbor. Besides a lot of the Tskhinvali population was even evacuated to North Ossetia before the shelling begun. But the impression left behind after the reportage was a 1. A reckless Georgian attack on civilians. 2. The Russian forces were not prepared for an attack. 3. Russian troops didn’t enter the Roki tunnel before late august 8.th. Exactly the same as the Russian propaganda machine to a greater extent communicates constantly. But the reportage didn’t prove anything of the kind, it only hinted about it, and left the topic open for speculation. A nice touch. What did BBC have to promise the Russian authorities in order to get there exclusively as the first media?

What is the goal?
In order to get something constructive out of this, we need to look at what the EU want to accomplish: Clearly to maneuver out of an unpleasant situation, and also give legitimacy for abandoning basic principles about defending democracy, and their collective U-turn regarding their 1. September minister meetings demand for Russia to withdraw from Georgia before trade negotiations between Russia and EU was resumed. Second: Georgia will not be able to restore their credibility whatever they do. It doesn’t suit France, England, Germany and Italy. They want “business as usual” and not the Georgian problem on their table. They want oil and gas, and no ideological or “naïve” principles about democracy in their way. EU is after all a monumental business construction with a bureaucracy to handle it. They will gain from discrediting Georgia in order to avoid the growing problem with Russia not giving in. I believe there has been a strong WESTERN campaign right from the beginning to achieve just that, because EU had no joint policy on the matter, and were bound to loose a struggle with Russia, mainly because of their dependence of Russian oil and gas.

There is no Russian propaganda.
It is not, as I have shown earlier in this article (like Burjanadze claims), Russian propaganda that drives this negative attitude. The Russian propaganda is far to primitive to have any real impact. Besides, the Russians don’t HAVE to use propaganda because EU does their propaganda for them: When journalists access their governmental and political sources the sources imply a slight doubt, a small hint that “not everybody in EU think that Saakashvili acted rational, and so on. “You know there’s someone to blame in Tbilisi too…”. “ Saakashvili is unpredictable..”. This way the sources influence the media to create an opinion that can legitimize their lack of action. The sources – the politicians - then use the public talk about a “mood swing” to get off the hook by focusing on simple things like “Who started it the 7.th or 8.th august”, the least interesting point in this conflict, instead of debating more difficult matters of principles. They use the medias need for simplification to avoid the outrageous fact that they must accept that Russia have violated the UN charter and invaded a sovereign state in order to “do business as usual”.There is no Russian propaganda campaign. It’s a negative EU campaign taking place where powerful business interests together with central politicians have an agenda: Business as usual. Follow the money, is a good advice.

Who benefits from the media coverage?
Not Georgia but both EU and Russia, even when Russia has been conducting ethnic cleansing of thousands, violated the UN charter, invaded a sovereign country, and not complied to the brokered ceasefire agreement. No consequences what so ever for Russia. For Georgia: No MAP, because most EU countries also are members of NATO, “an increasing feeling of instability, unpredictable, lack of trustworthiness. This is a way to avoid taking responsibility for basic human and political principles. This is the way the EU countries gives legitimacy to their U-turn and “business as usual” policy. Dr Chipman, chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies concludes already 15.th of september that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war", while Bertelsman , printer of Chipmans books and articles, owner of Der Spiegel, prints the conclusion from the none existing OSCE report.

Finally the EU saves its moral skin by donating money to reconstruct Georgia, which also looks great in the media.

A New Position?

According to Georgia Online today, European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso said after the Brussels summit (commenting on the Lithanian and Polish protest against resuming the EU-Russia trade negotiations) that he had told the Polish and Lithuanian partners that it is “better for us to have a united European position when we speak with Russia, a position which is perhaps not 100 percent of what you would have wanted, than to have three or four positions from Europe when it talks to Russia".

So, is it going to be the kneeling position? Or the arms-around-the-shoulder -position? I am sure this will comfort the Baltics and the Poland a lot to. To me it seems like just another pointless, or should I say reckless act from the French president. After the Swedish prime minister Renfeld walked out of the EU-negotiations about EU's new financial approach in anger over Sarkozy's rather provocative approach, I guess The French president really needed to create turmoil with the Lithuania and Poland by opely changing his views on wheater Russia had fulfilled its commitments on the ceasefire agreement or not.

Business as usual with the gentlemen at the Court.

Growing Russian Nationalism

According to the NTB 04.11.2008: From January 2008 to October 2008 a total of 113 has been killed and 340 wounded in racial motivated attacks by Russian fascists. The majority of the attacked were workers from the Caucasus region or Central Asia. That is 1,5 times more killed than in the whole of 2007.

Putins nationalism is obviously growing among the less intelligent Russians, creating exactly the same climate we saw in Germany during the nineteen thirties. Then it was the Jews being hit.

Putin by Proxy

Medvedev had his big day today addressing the Usual Suspects in his State of the Nation speech: “US started the war in Georgia”, “US is responsible for the financial crisis”. His present for newly elected US president Obama was a shiny new missile battery in Kaliningrad, and a promise that Russia never would pull out of Caucasus. As a grand finale he suggested that the presidential period in Russia should be prolonged from 4 to 6 years counting from the next president Putin.

No Change we can believe in, then.

That is also the case with the EU. Britain has, in a spectacular U-turn decided to allow France to lead the European Union back into normal relations with Russia. So the message to Russia is clear: "You can perform ethnic cleansing and occupy your neighboring countries whenever it migh suit you. We don't care. Kind regards EU". I think we have gotten a serious problem with principles and competence among politicians in Europe. This is not politics, it is administration.

P * U * T * I * N (The Movie)

So what have the Russians been up to lately? More or less the same as before. On 13.october five Russian fighters violated Georgian airspace flying over vast areas outside the rebel republics for a couple of hours, according to Civil Georgia. More:

Aslanbek Bulatsev, the head of the Federal Tax Service in Russia’s North Ossetian Republic, has been nominated as the prime minister of breakaway South Ossetia.The breakaway region’s Press and Information Committee reported on October 14 that the South Ossetian parliament was soon expected to approve the nomination. Yeah right. Independence my a***.

Oh, and yesterday the complete Norwegian Defense Committee visiting Cremlin was stopped by FSB. The FSB demanded that all photos taken by the TV2 journalist accompanying them should be deleted. According to Aftenposten, the former Norwegian MFA and now leader of the committee Jan Petersen enthusiastically uttered that “this is just like in the Soviet Union”, I have to mention that the TV team from the Norwegian Broadcasting were arrested two times the same day when covering the last presidential election in Moscow.

A couple of days ago Medvedev proudly detonated three ballistic missiles launched among other places the Barents Sea. It went smooth, and Medvedev seemed happy on the photo AP took of him on the nuclear sub.

And Island has got a new friend. I pictured the first scene in Coppolas The Goodfather once I read the news. “Be my friend…Godfather”. I guess the Islandics have to be more than desperate to get in depth with the Godfathers in Cremlin. Well, I think Island is a great catch if you look on it’s strategic position.

It would be unfair if I didn’t mention that Putin, the self proclaimed macho symbol has become a movie star too. This surprising move into fame and glamour is probably fuelled by his enormous success as tiger hunter and thus savior of numerous TV journalists present at the scene. Putins instruction video in karate is only surpassed by our most admired Walker Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris. Sarkozy was, according to LeFigaro so impressed that he suggested they should train karate together. It said nothing about Angela Merkel, but a wild guess is she will participate with stand in. Lets guess: Schroeder?

Finally, Lavrov has been making grunting noices again. I find this reptile rather tiresome, and thus don’t want to waste more bandwith than strictly necessary (someone must give this man a hobby or a gun).

Ok. That’s all for now. But I will say one thing: It’s better that they make some noise.We all know what toddlers are up to when they suddenly get silent and hide under a table or behind a chair.

Example of Russian War Propaganda

Ever wanted to watch some hard core Russian propaganda? Here's a clip that shows how "The Russian Liberators" (read government) communicated the alledged "genocide" in South Ossetia. Along with all this rockets and brave Russians you can see a rather naive attempt to demonize the West. Watch for the english text under the clip. It's not YouTUBE but RuTube! (I stole the link from Edvard Lucas).

"Russian actions no self defence", Bildt states

Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Carl Bildt (Swedish Foreign Minister), has submitted a fresh report to the ministerial committee on 24.th of August 2008:

"South Ossetia as well as Abkhazia are integral parts of Georgia and the military actions undertaken by Georgian forces during the conflict thus concerned Georgian territory". “[T]he military actions undertaken by Georgia, on its territory, cannot be seen as an aggression towards the Russian Federation which would trigger the latter’s right to self-defense. It is furthermore clear, that since it contravenes International law when a state uses military force to protect its citizens in another state, the Russian large-scale military actions in Georgia can not be justified as self-defence”. And further: ”Nor is the protection of peace-keeping forces as such a basis for the use of force under international law. [..] The large-scale military action by the Russian Federation against Georgia cannot be justified on these grounds. ”

Carl Bildt has been clear in his statements since the beginning of the conflict. Being one of the very few high level politicians with his personal blog, many have had the possibilities to follow negotiations and political mood swings in the conflict close through his many posts on the subject.

Boris L. Vishnevsky - Public attitudes in Russia

Today I want to publish a comment posted on my blog by Boris L. Vishnevsky. I think it deserves better than being buried in the "comment field".

Boris L. Vishnevsky is Member of the Bureau of the Federal Council of the YABLOKO party, and the Head of experts of the YABLOKO faction in the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg. Expert of the State Duma, and Doctorant of the sub-faculty of political science of the St.-Petersburg University of economy and finance.

“Sadly, public attitudes are more distorted than they have ever been. For the ‘malformed’ –those among us who have somehow retained the strength not to give way to mass madness – these are very difficult times. Because we feel desperately lonely even in a crowd of our fellow-citizens”

“I say ‘Well done’ that they gave Saakashvili one in the kisser”, stated my uncle in a satisfied way as he sat opposite me at the dinner table loaded with party fare for his son’s birthday. “That’s propaganda speaking,” responded his wife with a note of scepticism. But it was a minority voice: most of those present held to the view that while Putin and Medvedev are, to put it mildly, not a bed of roses, at least they did right this time. Attempts to explain that the picture of the events in the Caucasus presented to Russia’s television viewers was radically out of line with reality met with little success. For the record, the members of the gathering (your traditional democratic voters), had never voted for the Communists, for United Russia, for the LDPR [Zhirinovsky’s party], or United Russia. But still they had this most peculiar way of looking at things…

A month ago, in conversation with [well-known Russian science-fiction writer] Boris Strugatsky, I compared the situation in our country with the world presented in the film of Inhabited Island which Fyodor Bondarchuk is currently shooting.

Please forgive the multitude of quotes from the book.

A giant network of towers transmits signals which act on the nervous system of every living being in such way that every living being within coverage loses the capacity for critical thought. “Thinking people turn into believers, more particularly into dumb, fanatic believers against all the real evidence their eyes deliver”. This field “sucked out from millions of souls all and any doubts about what the newspapers, leaflets, radio, and television ranted about”. Twice a day, the giant “vacuum cleaner was set to full power and for half an hour humans ceased to be human”. The only danger came from people who were non-receptive. These exceptions were called the malformed. The broadcast didn’t work on them at all and all the radio waves did was to cause them intolerable headaches. These malformed constituted only a tiny percentage of the population, about one percent, but they were the only conscious people in a kingdom of sleepwalkers…

So I said that in Russia today most of the population, when it comes to the Russo-Georgian war, have been behaving as if such transmission towers are being run in full-power mode and only a handful of ‘malformed’ have desperately tried to escape the torrent of official lies… “People are so constituted that they first hear what they actually want to hear,” Boris Strugatsky said. “In order to dispel lies and to make sense of what is happening around us, a quite different mentality is required. One need to know how to seek out, find, and analyse information. One needs to be ‘malformed”…

Yes, one does. But the ‘malformed’ are tiny in number. Furthermore, many whom we would previously have thought were of that number are today behaving as if they have ceased to be (at least in matters pertaining to the five-day war in the Caucasus).

People who found the inner strength to resist the mass hysteria of autumn 1993 with its cries of “Crush the snake!” [the attempted coup d’état], who refused to paint anyone as “red-brown” who did not agree with Yeltsin’s right to cause chaos in the name of reform, who demonstrated against the war in Chechnya and did not let themselves sink into the mire of military psychosis in autumn 1999 [‘terrorism’ in Moscow and war in Chechnya], who were not affected by Leontiev, Sokolov, Dorenko [TV presenters], have let their guard down today, unable to withstand the intensity of the transmissions.

“You just don’t understand!”, they say to me. “Russia simply had to intervene!”“But why bomb Gori and Senaki, and occupy Poti?” I respond to their question with another.“If aircraft are coming from somewhere to bomb our army, we need to destroy their military infrastructure!’“Are you saying that we declared war on Georgia?”“Georgia was making war on South Ossetia!’“How can you make war on a part of your own country?”“The Ossetians didn’t want to live side-by-side with Georgians.”“So that’s why Kokoity chose ethnic cleansing, drove all the Georgians out of South Ossetia, and burnt down Georgian houses?”“They started it…”

A dialogue with the deaf: arguments do not get through to them.

They bring up “Tskhinvali raised to the ground” (when anyone can see on satellite photographs that this is a lie: if anything was raised to the ground, then it was Georgian villages), the “genocide” undertaken by Georgia (for which there is no evidence), the “two thousand killed” (another lie which has been exposed repeatedly), the “bestial behaviour of the Georgian occupiers”, the “lies in the Western media”, and the “American marionette Saakashvili”. Not to mention of course the “sacred right of nations to self-determination”. I can bear it no longer: “I’m all for that right as well – but where is the nation in this case? Thirty thousand people, a third of whom are Georgians who have now been driven out of their homes, ruled by a ‘government’ composed in the main of former Russian military personnel and chekists living on Russian handouts, contraband, and the production of moonshine. You call that a nation? And I don’t recall that the Kremlin being very keen about that particular right in Chechnya, where crimes were committed that make a pale shadow of anything that happened in South Ossetia…”

No reaction.

It isn’t worth explaining to my interlocutors that you can’t just go out and occupy part of another country under the excuse of “defending” fraudulently created “Russian citizens” who inhabit the place, that it is wrong to bomb towns and loot them, that it is out of order to set up guard posts in someone else’s country and that one should not lie through one’s teeth about the facts.

It’s pointless to try to tell them about the railroad branch line restored by the Russian army purportedly to carry gravel to Olympic building sites in Sochi. This line was used to carry the tanks which Abkhazia used (and note that no one had ‘attacked’ them) to seize the upper reaches of the Kodori Gorge where only Svanis and NOT Abkhazians had lived from time immemorial.

The people under the influence of the transmissions (not from towers now but from Channel One, Vesti, Izvestiya, Rossiskaya Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, and the Russian News Service) are impervious to such arguments. They believe the lies in the official Russian media against the evidence available to their own eyes. More to the point, they are unable to see this reality. They live in a virtual world. One in which “Russia is rising from its knees”, is a country surrounded by enemies, and where the the cursed West is at the root of every unpleasant problem. No matter that this is the same West to which they travel for their holidays and dream of sending their children and grandchildren to be educated and then stay on to work…

Sadly, public attitudes are more distorted than they have ever been. For the ‘malformed’ –those among us who have somehow retained the strength not to give way to mass madness – these are very difficult times. Because we feel desperately lonely even in a crowd of our fellow-citizens (despite realising why this is so). But we need to stay strong. Not spout rubbish, like [National Bolshevik Party chairman and MP] Eduard Limonov (who warmly supported the the Kremlin’s moves in the Caucasus and criticised liberals who thought otherwise), saying “isolation from one’s own people is far more dangerous than isolation from the world community”. Not go madly patriotic, like Sergei Dorenko, who declared that “for the first time in years, I am not ashamed of Russia, for the first time in years I am not ashamed of the Kremlin, for the first time in years the president has done what I would have done in his place”.

We should not be surprised that Limonov supports the Kremlin’s actions, that’s par for the course and we have seen it before. One only has to remember how back in 1995 he came out fully in favour of Russian military involvement in Chechnya, saying “for the first time in his presidency, the president has taken steps to ensure stability, to protect our frontiers, and to unite Russians in the Russian state”. He went to to propose “the introduction of censorship for the mass media in all matters concerning the situation in Chechnya and a total prohibition, on pain of severe punishment, on Russian journalists attaching themselves to Dudayev’s forces and reporting from their side, and the dismissal from their posts of any military personnel or civilians for opining that the government’s, president’s or Russian army’s actions in Chechnya were criminal”.

Dorenko, of course, has already received a rebuttal by my friend Andrei Piontkovksy in Grani.ru: “Why does he say ‘for the first time’? He used the selfsame words, with the same tone of dignity and fairness, on air in his reports from a blazing Grozny, when he was as a TV hatchet-man for Berezovsky. He was on-side back when Basayev was marching into Daghestan, when the buildings were blown up in Moscow and Volgodonsk, when Grad missiles flew and Putin was carried to power”…

I am prepared to join on the same side of the barricade (though I may not necessarily do so) those standing against the Kremlin’s actions in the Caucasus.However, I will most certainly take my place on the opposite side of the barricade against those who actually support them.

No Genocide - ethnic cleansing of Georgians, PACE says

Council of Europe Parliaments website: Head of a PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) delegation, Luc van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD) comments on the fact finding mission in Georgia at a press conference in Tbilisi at the end of the second part of the visit (24-25 September). He stressed the importance to understand events leading up to the outbreak of war: “This conflict didn’t start on 7 August,” he pointed out”. As well as meetings with the authorities in Tbilisi, the nine-member, cross-party delegation visited villages in South Ossetia and the so-called buffer-zone, and spoke to residents who had experienced bombing during the war as well as looting in its aftermath.

NewTimes.ru, one of the few independent media in Russia cites van den Brande after returning from Tskinvali, saying that ”there was no genocide in South Ossetia in August 2008. What have taken place is closer to ethnic cleansing. Though not of South Ossetian nationalities [but Georgians].”

Doctor Who?

BBC World 15.09.2008 have an article about a potential mood-swing against Georgia in the EU:

In a potentially significant swing of expert Western opinion, a leading British think tank has urged that Nato membership should not be granted to Georgia or Ukraine. "The policy of Nato enlargement now would be a strategic error," said Dr John Chipman, Director General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "There is no case for accelerating membership for Georgia and Ukraine. There is a strong case for a pause," he said in remarks introducing the IISS's annual review of world affairs, the Strategic Survey.

The IISS is highly critical of Georgian actions - in contrast to the support Georgia has received from the US and some European countries, notably Britain. Naturally, if Georgia is faulted, then less blame can be put on Russia, whatever its reaction or, as some hold, its over-reaction.Dr Chipman said that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war".

Cogito ergo sum
In order to blame anyone for starting the conflict obne need to look at the timeline and how Russia planned the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia years ago. But does it even matter? Isn’t the question more “Should Russia be allowed to occupy a souvereign country?” Should ethnic cleansing be rewarded with silent approval from the EU? Isn’t the question how to deal with the aggressor Russia in the future, especially in the Arktis, in the Baltics in Crimea, Moldova and in the South America to mention some? As for who started the war: The Russians started it several years ago by provocations, ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia, troop build-up in Abkhazia, armouring of the separatists in both rebel regions, airspace violations, economical sanctions, presecution of Georgians in Russia, among other things, and is only a clear sign of Russias modus operandi in future conflicts. I also want to urge Dr. Chipman to spend a couple of extra hours in his tank wondering why Putin increases Russias defence budget with 27% next year.

Descartes stated: ”I think, therefore I am”. For think-tank Chairman Chipman it obviously might be more appropriate to say: "I think in a tank, therefore I am a bit limited".

“Business as usual”

Etnic cleansing formalized

Eduard Kokoity, the South Ossetian separatist leader, stated that Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) could return to their homes in the villages where they have been subjected to burning, looting and killings by the separatists and Russians ONLY if they abandon Georgian citizenship and become South Ossetians (Civil Georgia, 20.09.2008):

“As far as ethnic Georgians, who lived on the territories occupied by Georgia [referring to Georgian villages inside the breakaway region] are concerned, we are giving them such an opportunity [to return], but let them give up the Georgian citizenship and take the citizenship of the Republic of South Ossetia.” ( Georgia Online 19. september)

The September 8.th agreement reached between the Russian and French presidents says that “return of refugees based on the internationally recognized principles and practice of post-conflict settlement” will be discussed during the international discussions. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on August 17 that although return of displaced persons and refugees was guaranteed under the international law, it “as a rule is a long process.”

Things are lightening up for Putin

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) from Radio Free Europe September 20, 2008 - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said talks on a Russia-EU pact, postponed after Russia's invasion in Georgia, could resume in early October.

"The EU position is clear: We hope the talks will resume as soon as the provisions of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan are carried out," Fillon told a news conference after talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The pact is due to regulate relations in the energy sector and on trade. This EU deal is important for Putin in order to prohibit the US from forming a united front with the EU to put joint pressure on Moscow.

Russia and France have put aside disagreements over the August war in Georgia in a move to promote bilateral relations, especially in key energy projects, judging by Fillon's statements in Sochi. The final document of the meeting said the two countries will focus on developing relations in the high-tech, energy, and space sectors, including cooperation in developing the Shtokman gas field and a joint project to launch Soyuz spacecrafts from a French launching pad. "We will conduct with Russia a direct and tight dialogue of true partners. Differences happen, indeed, but they should be resolved through a dialogue," he told the gathering of government officials and businessmen co-chaired by Putin. Putin said relations with France were not affected by the Georgian crisis.
"I believe the events in the Caucasus did not affect our cooperation in any way," Putin said. No projects have been put off or suspended between France and Russia in the wake of the Georgia conflict. (Civil Georgia, 21.09.2008)

”Business as usual”

To me this looks like “business as usual”, and that France, like I all the time have believed, not only brokered a poor ceasefire agreement, but also uses this as an opportunity to establish closer ties with Russia as if nothing has happened. But then EU is about business, and not about human interests or ideology. We should bare that in mind too when assessing Germanys statement that “Saakashvili was not little to blame” in the conflict that erupted in august. This is a wrong assumption if you draw the timeline a bit further than the August 8.th. 2008. In the light of all the provocations, recent military build-up in Abkhazia, sanctions and violations imposed to Georgia, and Georgians in Russia during the period from 2003-2008, this is only a convenient stand opening for German business talks with Russia. It is wise to remember that former chansellor Gerhard Schroeder, now employed by Gazprom and Putins hubby, still have some influential contacts within politics and business in Germany.

Finally Putin also decided to celebrate his budget of 27% increase in military budget by sending a brand new nuclear rocket, thoroughly exploding on the Kamchatka peninsula.

The question is: Who cares?

Dead Man Talking

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev yesterday called President Saakashvili “a political corpse”. “For us, the present Georgian regime is bankrupt,” he said in an interview broadcast on Russian television on September 2. “President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes. He is a political corpse.”( Civil Georgia, 3 Sep.'08 / 12:22)That of course leads us to assess the doings of this dead man Saakashvili. Yes, he has erratic behavior. Yes, he acts funny sometimes. Yes he never stops talking when he should. But really: He has managed to stand upright through the worst nightmare any leader could face through war and occupation and still have a united country behind him in his obvious military defeat. In his naïve and enthusiastic way he also has managed to be a mirror, to hold all the western leaders political gala speeches about democracy and sovereignty up in front of them and in that way captured them in their own rhetoric. He has managed to get Georgia and Ukraine (who knows what happens there with the loose canon Tymoshenko who is flirting with the Russian party these days) a lot closer to NATO membership, got a free trade agreement with the EU, put Russia in a very difficult position, and finally get observators from OSCE in the rebel regions: a goal he has persued for many years.

I’d say that not bad for a corpse.

"New Russian world order: the five principles"

I really think you should read this dystopic scenario, "The Five Principles" Medvedev have presented us today. Paul Reinolds (BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7591610.stm) summs up the challenge western countries are facing regarding Russia. The article also interprets the 5 principles: Everything is going to be OK as long as Russia gets what it wants. Exactly like the situation we had 65 years ago with The Third Reich.

Europe has to take the confrontation in order to avoid becoming a slave for the Putinocracy, or the Souvereign Democracy which he calls it ( another woprd for dictatorship). Wilhelm Konnander explains on his website what this really means. He even presents a paper worth reading for those who are more than mildly interested in how the Russians try to formalise their FSB oligarchi: http://vilhelmkonnander.blogspot.com/

Steinmeiers lack of creativity

Allready in 2006 I considered Germany (Remember Gerhard Schrøder, former Chansellor of Germany is Putins pedigree and one of the chiefs in Gazprom) and France ( Putin and Sarkozy / Chirac have exchanged honors, medallions and champagne frequently) as the weakest link in the EU - Russia relation. it's of no surprice to me that Germany and France now voices an unison aversion against sanctions on Russia. Speaking earlier in the week, the German forreign minister Mr Steinmeier rejected the idea of sanctions, saying "someone should first tell me what a sanction against Russia could be". BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7590642.stm).

But of course Mr. Steinmeier, I will enlighten you with some humble suggestions. Suggestion 1 I think you are familiar with (otherwise please review "Sanctions imposed by Russia on other countries last 3 years": Import/Export: Georgia-wine/ mineralwater/ airtraffic/ eletricity/gas, Norway - salmon, Ukraine - gas, Moldova - wine..and so on....)

Suggestion 1: Economic sanctions on export ( The easy solution)

Norway has foought a decade against sanctions on salmon imposed by the EU. The sanctions used was extra taxes du to allegations of dumping salmon into the EU. (Now this allegations have been thoroughly rejected by an EU commission)

Suggestion 2: No WTO, G8 and other club memberships.

Suggestion 3: Reevaluation on the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

Suggestion 4: More rigid VISA rules to EU for people from the Russian federation.

Suggestion 5: Freezing of the many KGB-accounts the current leadership in Moscow personally have in Europe. ( Might take some pressure to convince Switzerland though..)

Suggestion 6: Calculate and reasess the strange knowledge that the quarter of energysupplies from Russia will create disaster in Europe: It means that a substantial amount of oil will not be sold, bringing in much needed money to Russian economy.

Suggestion 7: Impose a review of the "environmental consequences" of the pipeline from Russia through the Easter Sea to Germany, bypassing Poland.

Suggestion 8: Punish EU and US based companies with economic sanctions, (deny governmental contracts) that invest in Russia.

Really, Steimayer. You don't expect me, an average Joe, to come up with this in five minutes, and still tell the world that you havent thought of this? I guess not. You just demonstrate what I have said before: It's the will that is the real problem here. It's the question of money and reelection before the basic principles of democracy.

Russians kill critical website owner - more trouble ahead!

BBC World (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7590719.stm) reports today that a owner of a internet site was shot dead in custody of the police in Ingushetia. Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the ingushetiya.ru site, was a vocal critic of the region's administration (Russia).

Oh, and by the way, website owners is not the main worry at the moment: The opposition in Ingushetia also says they wants help from the international community to become independent from Russia, Echo Moskvy reports today on their front page..(http://www.echo.msk.ru/)

Well, Vladimir. Maybe you opened Padoras box...

Despair and growing Isolation

Following a pretty optimstic visit to the SCO - the organisation of Asian countries (as a counterwight of NATO) including omong others China, Khazakstan, Uzbekistan, Tadsjikistan (BBC World), Medvedev brought a rather preliminary victory to the media: "Heavy support for Russia", "something for the west to take notice of"! But when the resolution hit the road it instead stated a BIG worry for the situation, and no recognition for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. China also found it neccesary to further elaborate on their worries in a separate statement saying that conflict MUST be solved through discussions and negotiations (BBC World, Echo Moskvy). That means isolation for Russia. I might add that Australia also joined the west in condemning Russia (BBC World)

So what's the Russian scores then? Well Hamas and Belarus have supported Russia together with Cuba and Chaves in Venezuela. Quite a team. I guess Lukasjenko had no option, being already isolated with Russia as his most friendly naighbor. Naturally desperation increases as Kouchners hints about EU-sanctions against Russia. Putin therefor tried changed the story of genocide and the heroic liberation of the innocents, and went for the usual Big Conspiracy: US rigged the conflict as a favour to presidental candidate McCain. And finally Lavrov has managed to give "Russian Diplomacy" a face.

Besides that Finland today assured the world that it has the ability to defend it self, contrary to their NATO neighbors (Aftenposten).

A Russian Disgrace

As reporters from CNN and BBC World reports from Georgia, it gets more and more clear that the russian troops and Sout Ossetian separatists have burned, looted and destroyed a lot of Georgian villages. The savagery is total with the Russians use of cluster bombs. Further Georgia Online reports that the Russian plan according to military officials in Cremlin is to still occupy the important black sea port Poti and Senaki in addition to establish a "security zone" around South Ossetia. CNN also reports that SS21 missiles are present in South Ossetia. There is impossible for the UN securitycouncil to reach a decision on the conflict, because Russia threathens with a VETO. They will VETO it if they are forced to fulfil the cease-fire agreement which they signed. The key point of dispute now seems to be the West's insistence on Georgia's territorial integrity and Moscow's unwillingness to even recognize it, Victor Yasman writes in an article on Radio Free Europe. http://www.rferl.org/content/None/1192611.html

He continues:

The main trophy for Moscow in the conflict is clearly Abkhazia, which in Soviet times was called the pearl of the Black Sea coast. The region lies just 30 kilometers from Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Russian government is expected to invest around $30 billion in that event, and Abkhazia is playing an important role in the process of "absorbing" that investment. The region has long been known as a zone for laundering criminal capital from across Russia and, particularly, from Moscow.

So it's of course a matter of money for one of the richest men in the world, Vladimir Putin and his corrupt "oligarchs". This war and occupation has been characterized by extreme brutality and severe destruction from the Russian side, and one can ask the question of how this nation became so uncivilized? Putin is undoubtably a man for whom human lives / costs bares no significance for decisions as long as he benefits from it. But it's not only about this former KGB man: During this conflict Russia has lost all credibility. In fact the war crimes they have committed is so serious, that any other leader would have faced criminal charges. In the end this is a matter which must be solved within the Russian nation. The Russian men and women have a responsibility to protest when the elections is rigged. They have a responsibility to say NO when savagery and destruction is conducted in their name.

The peoples feeling of responsibility started the Rose revolution in Georgia, and lead to the young democracy Russia now has destroyed and occupied. Putins notion of democracy is something he calls a souvereign democracy. That means: People can vote as long as they vote for him, people are free as long as they do what he says.

We call it dictatorship.

A Russian defeat - media crushes Russias “truth”

What appeared to be a perfect timing for the attack, media being occupied with the Olympics in Beijing, ended up as a fatal mistake for the Russians. They had prepared the story about genocide and aggression well, but miscalculated some basic news criteria. The Norwegian professor Sigurd Allern mentions polarization, conflict, relevance, possibility to identify culturally with the matter, and how important and powerful the countries involved are. And as such this conflict fulfils all criteria’s for news coverage.

The old rhetoric from the cold war was revitalized, and it was very easy for the readers / viewers to get a hold of the story and identify with the old conflict lines. It was after some time evident that there was good-guys and the traditional Russian bad-guys. The US president spoke clearly about all traditional western values, and was supported by European leaders. There was drama! BBC and CNN was our eyes on the ground and told the story about David being crushed by Goliath, and the US marshal on his way to rescue. Beijing Olympics were completely abandoned in this context. It just could not compete, so the media ran Georgia vs Russia as top story for now 10 days with analysis, background, live coverage, victim reports and interviews. All parties, the Georgian president with his emotional messages tailor-made for media on English, Pres Bush’s threats, Merkels visit to Medvedev in Sochi, and Sarkozy’s negotiations with the Russians all contributed to create the biggest LIVE drama in Media possibly on line with the Invasion in Iraq. (Or maybe even bigger). We had constant and very fast development through the entire conflict. Words like "cyber war" increased the tension and the feeling of something entirely ”new” in warfare. It also helped that Russian soldiers uploaded videos from their cell-phones to Youtube showing them looting baracks and shops in Gori.

The Russian propaganda machine had no chance withstanding this massive coverage where action on ground contradicted all the Russians was saying. The ”humanitarian” rescue operation was contradicted by the excessive damage the Russians inflicted on Georgia ”LIVE”. ”The Genocide” was effectively revealed as a lie by Human Rights Watch after 6 days, when they entered South Ossetia. That being the only thing giving legitimacy for the Russian attack, the whole charade fell apart. The last message from Churkin was that he accused media of being wrong. Something usually regarded as a major mistake. Another important point is that Russian media does not reach outside Russia to the western world, and is known to be limited in trustworthiness due to governmental control. An example of the Russian media coverage is the internet newspaper Echo Moskvy, which today reports from their defence sources that...

“Georgians, Ukrainian nationalists and Chechen bandits have set up an armed group outside of Gori. This group plans to enter Gori in Russian uniforms to shoot and humiliate the local population. This is going to be videotaped and distributed to the world to show the world what kind of barbarians Russians are”.

(Echo Moskvy http://www.echo.msk.ru/news/534641-echo.html)

Now why would they write something hillarious like that? Simple. The videos showing Russian soldiers looting Gori has already been showed to the western world..the soldiers have uploaded them to You tube and tapes from surveillance cameras have been showed on TV ( TV2 among others), so when the videos finally show up in Russia, the explanation is already clear: This is Georgians and Ukrainian nationalist trying to make the Russians look bad.

At this moment it seems like the big looser in the conflict, despite the obvious military victory, is Russia. Through it’s savage attack and persistant destruction of Georgian infrastructure even after the ceasefire deal was signed they probably scared Poland to make a quick decision to host the US missile shield, contributed to unite the ex-soviet republics even more (which the manifestation I Tbilisi by the Baltics, Ukraine and Polands presidents showed). It also has pushed Ukrain to seek cooperation with US on their missile defence, worry the whole of Europe, and deteriorated relations with EU. They face possible eviction from G8, and there is serious questions about the SOCHI 2014 Olympics. Another leverage from US is economical sanctions, which can be catastrophal for Russia according to commentators on CNN. This leads up to isolation and of course no WTO deal. The Russians got an international attention around Abkhazia and S-Ossetia, with EU and US clearly stating that Georgian integrity is not up for debate.
The Georgians has lost many troops and civilians, but managed to get a long sought attention around Abkhazia and S-Ossetia. Get international support for their territorial integrity. They have a destroyed infrastructure which EU and US have committed to rebuild very fast. Georgia also today got a rather sensational reassurances from Angela Merkel ( CNN / BBC) that Georgia WILL be a NATO member. Sensational because Angela Merkel was the one that brought Russias protests to the NATO countries (NRK)

The Russians have been revealed by the media as the real aggressor, and has lost the legitimacy they though they had given the operation - much thanks to the media coverage from particulary CNN and BBC World. One can argue that this are western media, but the Russian actions on the ground verified by independent organizations has contradicted their statements, and as such contributed to further undermine their credibility. In this conflict media has played a very active and important role reporting from a very tough, unpredictable and dangerous situation on the ground. Many have been killed, and we have seen journalists being shot at in cars (Turkish TV reporters), targeted actively by Russian fighter planes ( BBC Worlds reporters), and shot during reporting ( Georgian reporter). All documented on video, and shown in news reports. And as we all know: The politicians listens to what the media says – they create the opinion. As victim the Georgian President Saakashvili has played an important role. In spite of emotional and erratic behaviour, ha has in a strange way managed to communicate the essence of the conflict in a clear and understandable manner. It’s easy to be sympathetic to this man fighting for freedom, democracy and his small country against the destructive aggressor. He manage to hold the wolrd leaders responsible for his own mistakes; a too direct interpretations of diffuse political intentions and support. And he has been a master in this game. Saakashvili might be finished as president after this, but one should admire his efforts and success in communicating and maneuvering in this extreme situation.

How this conflict will evolve from here is difficult to predict. The Russians have accomplished little else but damaging their reputation and another country severely. And the damage increases for every day Russian forces stay in Georgia with news coverage showing looting and destruction of infrastructure. It doesn't seem to be perceived that way by the Russian leaders, and I would be surpriced if they pull out their forces tomorrow, as promised by Medvedev.

A new Chechenya?

Russian troops are digging in and heads towards Tbilisi. They have occupied six more cities after the ceasefire agreement has been signed. Lies, lies and more lies. To me it seems that the purpose of the whole operation is to create a new Chechenya. Vladimir Putin, being the particular nasty piece of work he is, have used cluster bombs, vaacum bombs and SS21 missiles on the Georgian population: Veapons of mass destruction. That's nothing new. His total destruction of Chechenya is a good example. Interestingly he is using mercenaries and regular troops from..yes Chechenya, where the less than human Kadyrov is his puppet.

A Scent of the Seventies

An amazing collection of personalities I thought disappeared during the seventies have emerged on the media scene the last week, stuttering away on english to reach the masses. The effect of the Russian communication hasn't been quite like expected. Obviously the Russian story about who started the war, who really is the agressor, and their peacekeeping humanitarian mission has been completely dismembered. Vitaly Churkin, the Russian UN ambassador accused the media of being totally wrong about everything. I guess he is used to the media he can control. This has upset many Russian officials used to construct and interpret their own distorted reality freely. Most of all I have been impressed by the persistance theese Russian officials have tried to communicate this VERY thin story with, even though their actions on the ground have told the contrary. But after this, at least I have become convinced that the black and white men from the seventies driving around in Ladas loaded with skopalamin and taperecorders still exists.

The Alledged Massacres in S-Ossetia

Russian Human Rights Watch has been inside South Ossetia and says that the allegations of genocide and massmurders are false. Doctors and personell inside South Ossetia estimate the number of casualties after Georgian shelling to be tens, Tatiana Lokshina says. Not houndreds or, as Russians claims , thousands.

For those of you reading Russian, the whole report can be found here: http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/304956.html

Another article from the same representant says that Georgian villages were burned inside South Ossetia:
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/305031.html

Novaya Gazeta is the newspaper Anna Politkovskaya worked

Russia, a case for the psychiatry

Medvedev was allowed to say that "The agressor has been punished". Looking at all the "prominent" leaders in Russia who has been present in the media the last days, you might wonder how they manage to be so consistent in their distorted view of realities and portrayal of them selves and their nation. The grandiose self emerges in their "punishment" of the bad naighbor, failing to consider that most of the world remember FSB's blowing up huge apartemets buildings in Moscow in 2000 to legitimize the extermination of Chechenya by blaming "Chechen terrorists" for the deed. The massacres in Chechenya have been documentet throug many documentaries and pictures, not to mention through reportages from now killed journalist like Politkovskaya. And not to mention the ethnic cleansing Russian military forces did in Abkhazia in the early 90ties, where nearly 400 000 Georgians were forced from their homes by Russian SPETZNAS forces in cooperation with terrorist Shamil Basajevs forces, and into Georgia, where most still live in extreme powerty without any belongings. The Georgian army had ealier, with considerable brutality, tried to fight the separatisk groups, and thereby lit the fire.

I wrote on this blog 11. july that I feared for a war. That was because of all the provocations Russia did to the Georgians. I watched the events leading up to the armed intervention in South Ossetia by the Georgians. It started early in july with separatists attacking official Georgian vehicles with bombs, and a threat to asassinate the South Ossetian leader which is loyal to the Georgian. (There are two different groups in S-Ossetia, one of them ethnic Georgians. The South Ossetian separatists have been armed and financed by the Russian, like the separatists in Abkhazia). And the night of 7. august separatist started to shoot at them, placing Saakashvili in the impossible dilemma of protecting Georgian citizens or run. Georgian forces entered the region, and protected their citizens. Then out of nothing 150 tanks came rolling out of from Russian side. Saakashvili ordered a unilateral ceasefire, but failed to get contact with the separatists. This was widely covered by several TV channels. ( And I have a degree in media analysis, so I am not easily fooled by propaganda). The parliament speaker Bakradze later stated that they had fired at this massive force of Russian tanks to stop them entering Georgian territory. This was the Russian trap. A carefully planned trap, where Georgia was forced to protect their citizens, and thus gave the Russians legitimacy to attach, seize South Ossetia, and ALSO Abkhazia which has been on their wishlist for several years. They deployed 3000 new troops in there in may-june. It also need to be said that Saakashvili for several years have tried to get sufficient monitoring of the breakaway regions without much luck. This is also something that Transparency international has pointed out as a crucial point fuelling the conflict.

Another aim was also to exercice power towards the west, remove Saakashvili, and destroy Georgias possibilities for a NATO membership.

Who was the agressor, and has he been punished? I think Russia is a case for the psychyatry and Haag rather than the Securitycouncil.

My sister in law

So what do I tell my sister in law? She called now at approx. 20.20 and asked what to do, as russian fighters now are crossing over her appartement in Tbilisi where she's alone. After some thinking I adviced her to go from the fifth floor and down to the ground, a bit away from the building in case it taks a direct hit, like so many buildings in Gori.

I hope this is the correct advice.

The Russian cancer

As Russian troops now enters West Georgian cities Zugdidi and Senagi it seems clear that the plan is to annex Georgia. South Ossetia was the trap that gave the russians "legitimacy" to invade Georgia. This is of course by no means a surprice, given the fact that Putin deployed thousands of peacekeepers into Abkhazia in may-june. The Russians are indeed not interested in any ceasefire.

It is a sad day for democracy and human rights. With half my family in Georgia, I cannot find strong enough words to describe my feelings towards the murderers and psychopaths residing in Moscow. The Russian cancer has spread over the mountains.

The Georgians doesnt deserve to be annexed by the degenerates in Russia for the 3rd time. Now there is time for deploying NATO peacekeepers into Georgia. If not, Georgia will be lost as a democracy.

Putins Blitzkrieg

Swedens FM Carl Bildt also uses the image of Hitler and his ruthless blitzkrieg when he describes Putins devastating destruction of Georgia. "We remember Hitlers doctrines", he says to Aftenposten today. The obvious question then ofcourse surfaces: Where is our Churchill?

What I think is particulary useful to do is to ask "what or who is NOT in the media" when I analyse newscoverage. In this particular case the answer is: Gordon Brown, Nikolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. Even Norways FM Jonas Gahr Støre has condemned the Russian aggression together with Bush and Carl Bildt.

Why is that, do you think?

Stop this psychopath!

The Russians extreme violence in Georgia is surely a proof of what I have been saying for almost two years now: Putin couldn't care less about international law and nations. Also listening to the Russian UN ambassador Victor Churkin speaking in the security council made me sure that diplomacy is a wasted exercise on that kind of intellectual level he represents. Russia has become a serious headache that must be dealt with. We need active measures to prevent this gang of thugs to infest more countries with their precence.

Speaking with my family in Tbilisi, it is obvious that all internetconnections are dead, no mobile networks are up, but SKYPE works. So for those who wish to contact friends and relatives, getting a SKYPE account is a solution.

Putin - our times Hitler

Now this Russian operation seems to have been planned long ahead of the events. Obviously they want to use the Olympics in Bejing as a diversion from their annexation of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. So while the world leaders attend banquets and smile in Beijing, Russia does it's dirty work so they once more can show up in 2014 in Sochi to smile, shake hands and surely celebrate Putins new triumphs. Maybe he by then has managed to put another moron in charge of Georgia, like the degenerate in Chechenya.

We get the leaders we deserve, but surely nobody has deserved Putin. Not even his mother.

Russian attack on Georgia

Yesterday I returned from 5 weeks in Georgia, and as most of you already know, the Russian war-machine has started it's destructive work in Georgia. I feel the need to remind you that they up to now has killed 500 000 in Checheny, the neighbouring country of Georgia. Now the Russians claim to protect "their citizens" in South Ossetia. That is som few thousand people which the Russian has handed out passports to. The region is infected with separatists and criminals running illegal trafick of black market goods and drugs to Georgia, and as such serves as a channel of money for a huge number of russian officials. Yes it's the local Sopranos. The clash in South Ossetia escalated due to constant provocations during the recent month, where Ossetian separatists targeted Georgian officials with Russian made radiocontroled car-bombs at several occations. Of course this is Russian citizens which must be protected. So now the Russians bombs Poti, a prestige project wich consists of new harbours and a special freezone for economic development at the Black sea, far away from Ossetia.

Georgia can expect no help from the impotent Europe, which up to now also has been content with just urging the Russians to stop the genocide in Checheny. I am utterly ashamed of being an European, allowing the Russian criminals to act like they please without doing something to prevent it.

Breakfast in Tbilisi

Since the war obviously is postponed, I think I can allow my self to adress a less depressive theme without being considered an outrageous optimist: Tourism in Georgia.

Now, as my wife decided to entertain me with Mozart on her piano while I enjoy a late Georgian breakfast, I suddenly started to feel a bit uncomfortable being pampered like a little king, noting that I also am enjoying a service from my mother in law worthy of royals. What should disgust you even more, is that my breakfast is ready whenever I decide to get up in the morning. I won't even mention dinner. So what has this to do with tourism? Well, you see it's not only my mother in law that treats me like a royal. It's happens everywhere, and this disturbs me as I can be defined as an average middleaged, male from anywhere. Wherever I am invited, theres a lot of extra attention given to me, and I am always treated with the best of food, always being served first, receiving presents all the time, and always being denied paying the bill - in a very persistant manner.

Yesterday we, the whole family, went to visit Signaghi in Kahkheti. It's an old city, now beutifully restored and commercialized in a civilized way. I visited a shop wanting to buy mineralwater for the family. My wife went in with me. And as I paid, the shopkeeper said to her that this was the first time he had seen a forreigner pay for anything, or buy something for others in his shop. Even the guides and translators gave the tourists mineralwater and food as presents, he said, obviously supposing my wife was a guide. On the way back to Tbilisi we stopped at a road house for dinner. Suddenly we had a big bowl of chicken at our table, curtesy of the Georgians on a table nearby. They thought I looked like a tourist, and wanted me to feel welcome in Georgia. Now there's more: This year me and my wife travelled together with a couple of young Norwegian students to Tbilisi. They went to Khazbegi for trekking, and returning from that trip they told me with great surprice they hadn't paid for food and transport because their new Georgian friends wouldn't let them.

The Georgians regards a guest as sendt from God. So it's great to be a tourist in Georgia. It's right down fantastic. But realizing that most Georgians have very little money you must ask your self the question: How do I pay back? In the western culture we are mostly vampires, sucking the blood out where ever it is possible. I think a good start is to pay the taxidrivers a couple of lari's extra, never dispute the prices anywhere, maybe leave some dollars for a hospitable person/family a place where it can be found after you leave, and generaly try to figure out a way to pay back. If you are a tourist that might be a nut to crack. If not, I fear that being a tourist in Georgia will be a very different experience in a very few years.

War with Russia?

Russia has declared that their forces in Abkhazia is on full alert, ready to attack Georgia. Lavrov, Putins & Lilliputins porchmonkey is spreading the word around. Admitting violations of Georgian airspace with a SU fighter ysterday, russia has clearly stated that they couldnt care less about the international opinion. and why should they? Nothing is really going to happen if Russia occupies Georgian territory. Condi visited Tbilisi yesterday too, and reiterating her stand on the issue.

I am in Georgia at the moment, and have been following both russian and Georgian news closely. There is, as usual, nothing about the escalation of the conflict in western media. The situation is explosive.

Now taken in conderation the deals Lillyputin and Gazprom have been closing with Khazakstand and Azerbadijan about a monopoly in distribution of oil and gas in Eastern-Europe and Asia, I would go as far as saying they got Europe by the balls. Now it's time to se the nervous whiteshirts on the stockmarkets around Europe and America sending the oil and gasprices to Putin heaven, and the European leaders moderate their rethoric towards Russia and not committing to solve the problems for Georgia. I think it's a bit too late for action. What do you say, Angela? What will happen if Lilliputin closes the valve on you? And what will happen with Ukrains steel industri if they apply the MAP? No more gas, at least it will be too expensive for them to compete with other vendors.

I guess Lilliputin will continue annexing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, force Ukraine to stay out of NATO, and finally build The Empire.

Smart move, Godfather...

As a PS, I saw that more than 60 journalists have been killed during the war in IRAQ. In the same time span 115 journalists have been killed in Russia.

What happened in Tbilisi?

Can somebody please explain to me why Lagidze disappeared? In fact most of the cafe's and shops in the centre of Tbilisi vanishes, and in comes shops with a lot of fancy glass, 4 or 5 different cellphones and three inactive persons in blue shirts, and a securityofficer at the door. If not there are chainshops from whatever complete uniteresting business from USA and Europe, or some bank. Tbilisi is losing its personality and starts to get MacDonaldized. Needless to say progress means standardization and decay; the price of western capitalism.