A letter by Emmet Dunphy on the 19th said "the letters by Frank Schnittger and John Gunning attempting to link America to the catastrophe (in Georgia) were ludicrous", that "insinuations about a supposed role played by the McCain campaign in fomenting unrest in the region, would be laughable if they weren't so serious" and implied that such concerns expressed "a virulent anti-Americanism."  As he offered no substantive arguments in support of these statements, I presume you enjoyed the overall tone of his response.

Mr. Dunphy seems to argue that the ferocity of the Russian Bear's roar and bite when provoked some how constitute a justification for that provocation.  Curious logic that.  Rather like the small boy who goes running to his mommy crying that the dog growled, barked and bit him when he stomped on its tail.  Bad dog!  The little boy is obviously upset.  BBC recently showed him, (Saakashvili), on TV chewing on his necktie!

As a citizen of the USA whose most recent immigrant ancestors were the parents of my great, great grandmother, America McInnis, from northern Ireland, I will inform you that there are very many other US citizens who are equally disgusted with the crude and destructive uses to which foreign troubles are put by US politicians for domestic US political purposes.

It is the civic duty of a citizen of a true democracy to speak out and oppose actions by his country that he sees as detrimental to that nation's good name and to the prospect for the survival of democracy in that nation.  Mr. Dunphy obviously disagrees.

Mr. Dunphy's tone seems more appropriate to a loyal subject of an imperial monarchy than to a citizen of a republic.  He wants everyone to fall in line and not question the alliance leader.  Ireland and Europe are entitled to look to their own interests, especially when those interests are put at risk by US politicians posturing for purposes of domestic US politics.

Georgia had been a member of the Soviet Union and a province of the Tsarist Russian Empire before that, for almost a century longer than has Puerto Rico been a US territory.  Both Georgia and Puerto Rico were obtained by force from previous empires in decline, Georgia from the Persian Empire and Puerto Rico from the Spanish Empire.  Imagine the response from the US should the Governor of Puerto Rico try to use a local militia to seize US military bases and/or corporate facilities.

There is no shortage of US media critics of the conduct of John McCain and the Bush Administrations' conduct in Georgia.  Bush and McCain tell Saakashvili that they will stand behind him.  In GWB's case he is standing behind him while on vacation in Crawford.  He has and had no available troops to send.  All he can do is bluster.

Who benefits?  Possibly Mr. McCain, by raising the profile of US NATIONAL SECURITY during an election.   Certainly not the US.  When you have a weak hand and are overplaying it it is not a good idea to put your cards on the table.  I cannot see how this debacle benefits Ireland or the EU.  I will leave to others.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."