Russian resurgent explores the limited responses available to the West concerning Russia's invasion of Georgia. The Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, was not the sharpest tack in the box to rattle sabers with Vladimir Putin. Saakashvili should have known better to provoke Russia by invading South Ossetia. With Georgia on the eastern border of the Black Sea, any military response available to the West would be a very serious and dangerous escalation.
What puzzles me is why Putin selected this event to growl at the West. Putin is an old KGB believer and arguably knows more about intrigue than any of his western counterparts. Why would Russia provoke or even arouse the West over an insignificant Georgian province? Russia may be angry, but Putin is far too experienced and wise to move a chess piece solely from emotion.
Some observers have commented that the Russian Prime Minister is attempting to reconstruct the former Soviet Union. However, the Russian Federation is a complex organization of oblasts, republics, and other federal subjects. It would require considerable cajoling and force to return even these federal subjects to a Soviet-style hierarchy, much less begin annexing Poland and other former bloc satellites. So what are his intentions? To increase tensions in the world which subsequently increases the value of Russia's oil exports? Or something else? I'm betting something else.
Many events of the past year have been disturbing story threads in my current novel, Butterflies Escape. I am having to replace some story threads because they are no longer fictional, but realized. I'm wondering whether some of the more shocking threads will also cross the bookshelf from fiction into history. Those sort of keep me awake at night.
Speaking of writing, Amazon has published several free books for the Kindle lately in promotions (where they can only be downloaded free for a short time). I have downloaded over 10 free books and have really enjoyed a couple on recent cross-country trips. In particular, I have enjoyed Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson and Reiffen's Choice by S.C. Butler. Both belong to the fantasy genre - very clever and well written.
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