Are We Heading Back to the Cold War?

During one of the most exciting Olympic Games and possibly the most entertaining in history where over two hundred counries are competing, getting along in the spirit of interrnational cooperation and equitable participation, we have just the opposite situation taking place in the real world. In a country that has a less than stellar record of civil rights and where the kinds of freedoms that we in the United States take completely for granted don't exist, athletes from all over the globe have come to fairly and earnestly perform at their highest levels to compete on the international stage.

It would be lovely if the rest of the world operated under the same rules and fairness doctrines that the Olympics does, but that is just a pipe dream at this moment in history. It was be one thing if the more cruel and dictatorial countries were contained by international organizations or the countries in the region around them, but that is not always the case, either. But the United States has traditionally been the moral compass and the country that represented what is right with proper justice, but lately, I'm not as certain as I have been in my half century on this planet.
I have been under no illusion that Russia, the principal player in a region that was once known as the Soviet Union, has kind of been the hibernating bear that seems to have woken up in kind of a bad mood. In what looked like a solid attempt at democracy and a desire to be a responsible and active participant in the international community of nations, Russia is once again showing its might by making quite certain that the entire region knows that its military is potent, prepared and itching for a fight.

What we have been spoon fed in the last week by our mainstream media working in concert with George Bush and John McCainn is that the conflict stems from an unprovoked attack on Georgia by the big bad Russians. John McCain has even described the Country of Georgia as a "good little country," a fledgling democracy that is led by a Columbia educated maverick who, like himself, is just out to protect his people, mind his own business and keep his nose clean. He even said that "we are all Georgians." I really doubt that.

But sadly, McCain's version just isn't accurate. Not by a long shot. Now I don't excuse Russia's aggressive action, but I sincerely feel that it would not have even begun had Georgia not created the original problem by having its own military enter the territory of South Ossetia, disturbing Russia's military guarding the area and generally causing havoc at best and violence against Russian troops and South Ossentian citizens at worst. This is my rudimentary understanding of what has happened in the recent couple of weeks.

The real issue and my rising concern is that John McCain is taking advantage of this regional issue to severely ratchet up the rhetoric. To listen to McCain is to believe that Russia is getting ready to invade many former Soviet satellite countries, namely Poland, Lithuania, and who knows who else. To the best of my knowledge, there are still international organizations, such as the UN, NATO and I'm sure other outfits that oversee incidents between countries that make it unnecessary for the Unites States to go it alone. McCain doesn't seem to remember that or acknowledge that fact.

George W. Bush, McCain's partner and current leader of this country, has used some rather tough words on Russia, as well, along with Secretary of State Rice. Both Bush and McCain have demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of the seriousness and tenuousness of the relationship between Russia and Georgia, and I have no doubt that McCain's foreign advisor, who until recently was on Georgia's payroll, has a lot to do with Georgia's provocation and McCain's current criticism of Russia's activities.

All of this accusatory talk against Russia is so reminiscent of the Cold War days when Richard Nixon and ultimately Ronald Reagan spoke of Russia and the old Soviet Union. Yes, they were bad guys, but in 2008, instead of creating additional animosity, placing blame, pointing fingers and making the Russians the fall guy, maybe it would be better to either stay out of it or at least tell the people of this country the truth of what actually happened.

The truth is that Georgian president Saakashvili isn't such a Boy Scout after all. We would not tolerate his brand of democracy in this country, although the Bush-Cheney regime sometimes seems to be heading that direction. I am afraid that John McCain likes the kind of leader that Saakashvili is. When there are demonstrations and protests in the streets, instead of allowing them their right to speak out, like a democracy is supposed to run, Saakashvili sends in his military to knock some heads around and break it up. He certainly doesn't operate under anything resembling our constitution and Bill of Rights.

The bottom line is that a future under McCain seems too full of these kinds of problems. I am scared to death of what a President John McCain would say or do, and I don't think he would hesitate for a moment to send troops anywhere to prove his manhood and bring him back to his glory days in the Naval Academy and to quell any demons that he still has for his painful and torturous days in Vietnam.

For my president, I want a level-headed, thoughtful, skilled negotiator who doesn't shoot from the hip, but considers what the circumstances are and what his words mean, looks at all the possibilities and consults with advisors representing many different viewpoints before taking any action that could have such dire consequences on this country and the rest of the world. Barack Obama is the leader we need to face the difficult challenges that lie ahead, and I believe that the last week or so has provided us with more than enough of a glimpse into what a presidency under John McCain would be like.