DISCUSSION: Is Russia morphing into another USSR? (theglobeandmail.com)

Globe and Mail Update
August 13, 2008 at 1:04 PM EDT

"It's not only the South Ossetians who are back in the USSR this morning," John O'Sullivan, executive editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, wrote Tuesday in his article Is Russia morphing into another USSR?

"Other Georgians; countries in Russia's 'near abroad' from the Caucasus to the Baltic; 'national minorities' such as the Chechens; the West; and even Russians themselves now have to deal with a country and political leadership that bear an eerie similarity to Soviet models. They are authoritarian, militaristic, greedy and not overly concerned about where their borders end."
Mr. O'Sullivan wonders where Vladmir Putin's redrawing of international boundaries will stop.
"Russian tanks crossed into Georgia proper .... Might he dismember the country still further and block the one pipeline that brings Central Asian energy to the West without going through Russian territory? And if so, will the West let him get away with it?

"Moscow apparently calculates that its brute seizure of another country's territory can be disguised as a 'peacekeeping' operation to prevent 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' by the Georgians. A sophisticated press operation to popularize this mendacious "narrative" is being mounted internationally and at home."
A tough and thought-provoking commentary. We are pleased that Mr. O'Sullivan joined us in a discussion of his thesis. (This theme has been picked up by Globe and Mail correspondent Marcus Gee in his analysis

"Moscow apparently calculates that its brute seizure of another country's territory can be disguised as a 'peacekeeping' operation to prevent 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' by the Georgians. A sophisticated press operation to popularize this mendacious "narrative" is being mounted internationally and at home."
A tough and thought-provoking commentary. We are pleased that Mr. O'Sullivan joined us in a discussion of his thesis. (This theme has been picked up by Globe and Mail correspondent Marcus Gee in his analysis ...

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