Turbulence or flatulence?
I have been receiving letters asking me to comment on the recent development in Georgia. The reason I haven't posted anything about it, is that the situation is very much unclear to me. On the one side you have the opposition apparently lead by an oligark in exile. On the other hand a triggerhappy government harming their position with radical measures. As far as I can see, the opposition is weak, and makes more noice than the it's size should call for. Thir claims is rather diffuse: To have an early election, and general improvment of living conditions. The rest is namecalling and noice.
Invading the Imedi TV-station is a set back for the democratic claims the government make, and gives at least me the cold creeps. It's a totalitarian approach to demonstrations. The government friendly Rustavi TV is still going on the air. Blaming it all on the Russian seems to be either a tactical move in order to gather the people. But, hey, who knows what the allmighty Tsar Putin have up his sleves. They constantly violates Georgian airspace, and dropped a missile near Tbilisi last time I visited Georgia.
As for now, I think the Georgian government have handled the situation rather disappointingly with its measures taken against the demonstrants.
Invading the Imedi TV-station is a set back for the democratic claims the government make, and gives at least me the cold creeps. It's a totalitarian approach to demonstrations. The government friendly Rustavi TV is still going on the air. Blaming it all on the Russian seems to be either a tactical move in order to gather the people. But, hey, who knows what the allmighty Tsar Putin have up his sleves. They constantly violates Georgian airspace, and dropped a missile near Tbilisi last time I visited Georgia.
As for now, I think the Georgian government have handled the situation rather disappointingly with its measures taken against the demonstrants.
posted by Eistein G. at 12:24 am
2 Comments:
Certainly the government overreached in its reaction, without considering how things could spin out of control.
Having said that, imposing a state of emergency was a very good decision, since a slide into anarchy would have set the country back many years. Yesterday early in the evening the first people already started to get worried about looting.
Imedi behaved in a highly incendiary fashion, and I believe that in quite a few other countries a station that calls for the overthrow of the existing constitutional order (still elected, for better or worse) would be closed as well.
Don't misunderstand me, I am incredibly critical of the government, but it's a complex case, and too many people have resorted to the simple cliché of pseudo-democracy now unraveling.
Therefore I think your sentiment is exactly right: it's a very complex, much the picture and it doesn't fit into any quick assertion.
Hi Hansg,
I agree with your evaluation of the current developments in Georgia. A very complex problem.
One thing I can't understand: why so many intelligent (in my opinion) people, like some Imedi-jounalists and political activists, as for instance Goga Khaindrava, do and act like they do. I refuse to believe that they are betrayers. Is it their naivety, or? I am not sure. I am more then confused.
Georgian
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