...After the Soviet Union dissolved, there remained areas in which, despite the fact that new states were created, there were tensions. One of those is the Ossetia or South Ossetia, which is where we've seen the fighting, and the other one, inside Georgia, is Abkhazia. There were agreements signed in the early 1990s that sort of solidified these as semi-independent territories. In one, there is a UN peacekeeping force, and then in South Ossetia, there is essentially independence, and, you know, they sort of ran their operations separate from the Georgian government. And then, tensions began to increase over the past few months, because the president of Georgia has promised to retake--his words--retake the--particularly South Ossetia. That was a problem, because, by now, 90 percent of Ossetians there were holders of Russian passports. They had voted to become part of the Russian Federation. There was clear movement in the direction of this enclave, closer and closer ties with Russia...
And then, tensions began to increase over the past few months, because the president of Georgia has promised to retake--his words--retake the--particularly South Ossetia. That was a problem, because, by now, 90 percent of Ossetians there were holders of Russian passports. They had voted to become part of the Russian Federation. There was clear movement in the direction of this enclave, closer and closer ties with Russia...
In Chicago:
We get it here in ultra-conservative Colorado Springs, so surely it's available where you are...
Thanks for the kind thought. I live in Mountain Home, Ar. I have no local NPR. The closest is through Missouri State University's repeater in West Plains, Mo and it gets drowned out by Christian Radio half the time and is fading in and out the rest of the time. My best receiver is in my Camry. In the house I have to listen via the internet. We are supposed to get a relay station when the switchover to digital is completed, but I doubt we will get Democracy Now, which I can listen to on KPFA or KPFK, via the web. I probably should do pod casts.
But I don't worry so much about what I get. I have pretty robust bullshit detectors and reality distortion deconvolvers. The concerns I have been expressing go to what the US body politic has at their disposal for forming opinions and making decisions.
My biggest concern has been that this "adventure" would be used to raise the profile of NATIONAL SECURITY in the elections, to Obama's disadvantage. Surprisingly, it appears McCain could be vulnerable, if anyone drove home the reality of this fiasco. It looks like Move-On or other 521s will have to do the heavy lifting for his campaign on this, if it gets done As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
