scubaman3D

Russia voted on several occasions in the UN to recognize SO as part of Georgia. Also, if anybody was going to diffuse the situation, it should have been the Russian "peacekeepers". They did nothing. Once again, for those of us who are a bit more dense than others. What Russia is doing is called political opportunism.

See, I always figured they both spoke out of their asses. So what's your point?

It might have to do with the fact that Georgia attacked the province and the russian troops there? Osama calls the US "The great Satan". So does Chavez. I find the similarities between them curious. And the war was Russia's fault, more so than Georgia.

South Ossetia has been seeking re-unification with Russia ever since it was dissolved into Georgia. It's independance was only ever going to be the first step. I find it funny that Russia has previously voted on the UN Security Council to affirm that the region belongs to Georgia. Now that they stand to gain more politically, they are reversing their position. This is nothing more than Russia taking internationally recognized, sovereign territory from Georgia by force.

The difference is that I have never seen a group of rowdy conservatives doing the same to a CNN reporter. People also have to keep in mind that its good to have a variety of opinions available as sources of news. Otherwise, its even easier to lie to your audience if you know everybody else will agree with you. Personally, online I will only read CNN and BBC, Global Security, or FAS. If I listen to the radio for news, its just whatever station has the news on - for example, NPR or another local station. If I watch TV, I like to watch MSNBC Fox News. I think I'm exposed to a pretty good variety of opinions. Nobody relies on just Fox or just CNN for all of their news.

I hope your limited knowledge of the French language doesn’t carry over into the formation of your political ideas. Fox and faux sound nothing alike. Please find me one example where Fox news deliberately lied to their audience. Try not to use anti-Fox propaganda websites to do it and don’t waste my time with "he-said, she-said" examples - where one individual says what Fox said is a lie. Give me factual examples where it has been documented with facts and references that Fox News deliberately lied. Then do the same type of research into CNN or another network. What you will find (since you will always be using an anti-Fox or anti-CNN website), is that you will always find examples of alleged “lies†for any network. Use your own brain. Don’t regurgitate the crap you hear from other sources. Also, what case is this you're referring to where our legal system gave Fox the right to lie? Give me the reference, I’d like to look into this.

abs, I think I can help you out. I have a bunch of buildings I had been working on that could probably be applied to your project. I think I have about 12 or so. Also, I haven't forgotten about that LAV-25 / Coyote...its on the list.

This belief of yours is enough to ensure that communism will never succede on this earth. Ever. Even Chavez is a 'devout' Catholic, who uses religion as part of his propaganda. He calls the US "The Great Satan" - strangely similar to the propaganda used by Osama and his ilk.. You admire Chazez, yes? You have already spoken favorably towards him. @ ch_123 He's not going to tell us. Doing so would only serve to discredit his opinions. I have already given my analysis that he's near native, if not a native speaker of English and speaks British English - so he's definatley not from the US. I'd even venture to say he's not from anywhere in north or south america, since he's not in a timezone near me. He's probably in a westernized, commonwealth state - which means he's probably an overprivelaged kid with liberal guilt and too much time on his hands.

@AK I'm calling the Georgian army vastly inferior to the Russian army. Its obvious that the Russians would have completely wiped the Georgian army out if they were allowed to continue. You dissagree with this? I know english must be difficult for you so maybe take more time to read before replying? You're replies have been ambiguous and difficult to understand and I'm not sure if we're even talking about the same thing half the time. @Shadobug: Personal attacks add nothing to this conversation. If you can't discuss the ideas without resorting to calling me "stupid, ignorant, and brainwashed", then, stay out of it. Anyways, this whole debate is really getting tiring. A fools errand in this place.

no, not me. You just did :-) My personal opinion is: They need some escalation, but small one, not war. They didn’t expect that idiot to bomb slipping city at night.  They didn’t expect Russian to humiliate Georgian army in couple hours. They train them for last 6 years. They must be “showcase†for all others. Instead we see how remaining “solders†drop their weapons and run away. Leave even civilians behind. There many “players†watching that conflict right now.  They pissed because this “paper tiger†image will be hard to fight from now on. Quit opposite. I am wandering what 1 millions Georgian illegal workers in Russia will do now? When they broke diplomatic relation, do they forget that 40% Georgia budget = money who Georgian working (illegally or legally) in Russia sending home. I'm not sure, but I think the language barrier between us it too much to have this type of conversation. And anyways, I wouldn't call loosing what, 6 fighters, and taking 64 casualties and 350 wounded in 4 days against a vastly inferior military as an awesome display of power. Those numbers don't take into account the "voulenteer" thugs that the Russians armed and transported to Georgia either. At least NATO can now analyze the weaknesses of the Russian military. Sure, in the long run, the Russians could have taken the entire country - it was a completely lopsided fight, but I wan't really impressed, given the resources involved.

Whats interesting too is I see a lot of guys using the magazine/magwel as a sort of vertical grip too. This isn't the "correct" way of shooting but people are doing this. Also, I find the small sized hand guards funny. People put them at the front end of the RIS, far away from where they are grabbing the upper receiver, so I'm wondering "whats the point?"

You must be kidding, right? 150 US instructors didn’t even notice how Georgian moves 10.000 troops and 300 tanks and artillery across the country at night? And then “officials†sad they didn’t know anything about it. … Subscribe to any other cable TV package. Look like you have 900 channels of FOX alone. So you're saying that you prescribe to the conspiracy theory that the Republican party ordered Dick Cheney to start the war between Georgia and Russia to get John McCain elected? And you think that Putin knows this how? Did he find Cheney's passport in Georgia? Maybe he saw some graffiti of elephants on the wall? Or a sign that said "Republicanz in da house"? How does the puppet master and his advisers know this? He can't offer any proof but people of feeble intellect buy it hook, line, and sinker.

We're talking about the extravagant story Putin came up with about republicans/Bush/Cheny/elections, etc. What proof did Putin put forward for any of this? Isn't it possible this passport could have belonged to a mercenary? A contractor? God knows, there are many of those from the US. An adviser to the military? In any case, its not enough to draw conclusions about some vast conspiracy regarding the election. And I wouldn't gives a crap if he was US military. I wish we could have done more to help, but neither side wants open war with the other.

They're RAS Pannels. I'd rather hold them with my hands than the bare rails. Or I'd rather use a vertical grip - but we all know that won't be happening Maybe ArmA2?

Actually, I imagine only the simple minded would buy into it. I read it on a Russian news site during the fighting. They said that according to Russian officials, the war was a big fat conspiracy by the Republican party. The news site said that the Republican party put pressure on George Bush to start a war in Georgia, but he didn't want to. Â They then turned to Dick Cheney - who gave the order. Â This was to ensure the election of Sen. McCain for president, since Barak Osama, is widely believed to be weak on national security. This would force Americans to vote Republican because they would be afraid of the threat Russia poses to US interests. You know, it does sound like a Bruce Willis film to me...or maybe the Russian equivalent action film - maybe a Konstantin Khabensky film? Anyways, this is the stuff fairy tales are made out of... I mean, how could they even know all of that, Â if they can't even prove that there were Americans there fighting the Russians? Believe me, they toned down the propaganda a bit to make it seem more believable for the western audience but its still a lie. Again, they are unable to put forth any evidence to support their outrageous claims.

Welcome to the fold

Old news. The Russian propaganda machine has been turning this bunk out since the fighting started. Its only now that the western media has picked up on it and they are giving a stage to bold-faced lies.

Refute the ideas, don't attack the publisher. We can't go down this road. By this logic, we shouldn't trust anybody who is funded by somebody - which is everyone.

Most of your arguments are becoming ridiculous but I will address some of them. To begin, I don't know what you mean about conspiracy theories. I didn't say anything about a conspiracy. Ok, sorry, I should replace hundreds with "hundred and fifty or so" - because that's the estimate last I heard. Minor arguing point. Â The Red Cross is working to sort out the details, I think. It was you who made Russia out to be the only party seeking diplomacy. You're lucky not to have first hand experience of corruption but I do - from each of my trips there. I was floored when my taxi driver bribed a cop who got him for speeding. I couldn't believe it. Now I know better. So to answer your question, its better for Russia to be an example of democracy than corruption. Of course Russia didn't want the US to go into Iraq...there were too many "Made in Russia" labels there. Â And why does every terrorist organization and rogue state in the world have Russian weapons? Your assertion about emigration from the US is lame too. Its nothing in comparison to Russia, who's population is estimated to decrease by 0.5%/year. The death rate is out pacing the birthrate and the emigration is hardly mitigated by immigration from poorer surrounding countries. On the other hand, the population of the US increases by nearly 1%/year. The birth rate is almost 2x the death rate and there are ~3x more immigrants than in Russia. Its got to tell you something. Also, your comparisons between the 2008 South Ossetian war and the US war in Iraq are really stretching it. That shit sounds like conspiracy theory right there. Anyways, I'm sorry. I'm becoming tired of this topic and I'm starting to feel foolish for continuing to post here.

No. Sorry. I'm not buying it. Russia did nothing to stop the S. Ossetian rebels from attacking Georgian interests before the fighting started. Russia escalated the fighting to a whole new level. It is so blatantly obvious that this was politically motivated, I worry for those who can't see it. Russia's diplomacy consists of massing troops at the border of a sovereign country without cause. To threaten targeting Poland with a nuclear strike if they make closer ties with the US. To pretend to be concerned for civilians and then killing hundreds of them. And to say that the Ukraine is provoking Russia closer to wrath - just like Georgia. Its government is more analogs to a wild dog ready to attack its former pack. It can't stand to see their growing ties with the west. It is threatened by NATO without reason. Tell me, for such a great beacon of peace, democracy, and diplomacy, why are tens of thousands of Russians leaving the country and going to the US and UK? Why do they have to pay people to have more children? Why are they allowing the recognition of dual US/Russian citizenship now? Why does corruption pervade the society at every level, from the president down to students who bribe their teachers with money and vodka for grades? As, I've said - I travel to Russia frequently and its not as if I'm simply ignorant and have pre-conceived ideas about it.

They've been doing these missile tests for a while. Every time Russia feels the need to flex a little bit, they fire a missile. Its juvenile. Its a government suffering from short-man's syndrome.

Well done Pandabear! Its come a long way since the last time I saw pics.

Its ok...he didn't have anything intelligent to say so he just took a pot shot at me.

The point is there were many diplomatic efforts to avert war in Iraq. Russia didn't make any diplomatic effort to avert war in Georgia. You simply can't equivocate what the US did in Iraq with what Russia did in Georgia. You're grasping at straws. Also, you're on crack if you think Georgia killed 700 Russian soldiers. Where'd you get that figure? Russia states they've lost less than 100 soldiers total in the war.

Nah, I've been to one of these protests. It was funny because my sister had a chance to meet George Bush so I went with her. I had to stay outside the building but got to see him drive by in his motorcade. On her way out, my sister was booed and called a bitch, and slut, and whatever - just for being there. That's who these people are. They have no respect at even a basal level. Teen angst all grown up.