Under cover of an Olympic Games, Russia has invaded another sovereign state, with no UN resolution, and has deliberately bombed residential areas of Georgia. Whatever the Georgian's have done on their own territory to assert their own sovereignty, there is little doubt that the Russian's have overstepped the mark in a way that should send a shiver down the spines of the Baltic states and other former Soviet Republics.
But our response to this has been almost laughable. Why ? Because we are utterly dependent on Russia for our gas supplies and we cannot offend the Russians for fear that they would seize British Oil asserts from BP and Shell, as they have threatened to do in recent months, and they could simply turn off the gas supply to Western Europe.
What an utter mess we have created for ourselves that we have made ourselves dependent on a despotic one party state, for that is what Russia has become under Putin and Medvedev, and we leave ourselves in the position where we cannot do anything, either economic or military to help assert Georgia's independence.
Would we have been so naive as to become reliant on Coal from the Saarland in the 1930's ? Of course not. Energy independence and self reliance is a key factor that any government needs to ensure, but we have drifted further away from this simple objective and have made ourselves "junkies" to Russia's "fix".
Again, this government should hang it head in shame. Labour once spoke of an "ethical foreign policy". The truth is that this government's lack of planning, vision and forethought means we have lost our ability to have an independent foreign policy, not because we have become America;s poodles, but because we cannot stand up to Russia in any meaningful way.
I don't blame the Russians really, they must laugh at us and think our government stupid, and they'd be right.
11 comments:
Yep... I think you have got this exactly right, Nich.
so Kosovo should remain part of Serbiaon the same basis?????
On the same basis that we are dependent on Russian Gas ?
I think you are mistaking my post for a debate on the whole Georgian issue. The point was the athe UK is dependent on Russian gas and has signed away the country's independence.
Oh, and don't hide behind the "anonymous" label.
Imight post annon as work for Gov agency
at least Iamnot quoted by Iain Dale ob BBC News (tonight) saying this it a new Cezchoslovakia circa 1938
These Russian voted to be part of Russia just like Kosovo
and when attacked by Georgia asked for aid
Russia isnot invading Georgia
they are stopping a nationalist/fascist Georgian government from killing Russian people whowant to leave
just like KOSOVO
You've still completely missed the point of my post.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
READ READ AND READ AGAIN !
sorry but this is just wrong. The UK does not import russian gas in any significant quantities, so I don't think this has anything to do with the govt's response to Georgia.
"Imight post annon as work for Gov agency"... Department of Education?
Ministry of Silly Walks !
You beat me to it Harry. If that is the standard of English in our Government agencies it is no wonder everything in this country seems to be falling apart.
Even the ability to undertake a basic comprehension exercise, to understand what Nich has written, is notable by its absence.
There is a nice big strawman there that Anon is desperate to knock down.
I blame my teacher
working for a local council in East Anglia...I can see your actions at first hand....Iain Dale is great at spelling ...duh...
But unlike hime I at least know where South Ossetia unlike Iain Dale, who wants WW3 but has never heard of Ossetia
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