Is the Georgia/Russia issue similar to US wars in the mid 19th century

[Faramir]

I was reading this thread, and it stuck me that many of the arguments on both sides sounded similar to the US military actions of the mid 19th century, specifically the Mexican War and the US. Civil War.

I just wanted to know what my fellow history buffs thought?

[lilpixieofterror]

In what way?

[Nicholas]

I haven't really been paying attention that thread, could you give some specific examples?

Whether one event is considered similar to another in history depends a great deal on who is looking and from what perspective they are looking at it from. Some aspects can seem alike while others are completely different.

[Abelard]

No. If anything it's like the Cuban missile crisis in the 60's. Putin is completely aware that Georgia would not have invaded Ossetia if their US advisors had not convinced them that Russia would not retaliate.

Bush thinks the more military influence we can position around the globe the better off we are. This is a major error - there is no way people are going to support going to war with Russia over Georgia. Or Poland for that matter.

All Bush has accomplished is losing Russia as an ally against Iran. Iran is the gold medal winner in this competition, with Russia getting silver for threatening the Ukraine and bronze for winning Ossetia.

[Faramir]

No. If anything it's like the Cuban missile crisis in the 60's. Putin is completely aware that Georgia would not have invaded Ossetia if their US advisors had not convinced them that Russia would not retaliate.

Bush thinks the more military influence we can position around the globe the better off we are. This is a major error - there is no way people are going to support going to war with Russia over Georgia. Or Poland for that matter.

All Bush has accomplished is losing Russia as an ally against Iran. Iran is the gold medal winner in this competition, with Russia getting silver for threatening the Ukraine and bronze for winning Ossetia.

Interesting. I asked this same question to my pastor's wife (a history major) and she sees more similarities to the Georgia situation and Europe in the late 30's (i.e. Nazi agression).

Sorry for not answering the other posts, but when I posted all the thoughts about the similarities were "fresh in my mind" the responses came about a week later. I will now have to re-read the original thread to respond coherently, and just haven't had the time to do so.

[Darth Executor]

All Bush has accomplished is losing Russia as an ally against Iran.

This is pure fantasy. Russia was never an ally against Iran. Quite the opposite, they've been a good ally to Iran and an enemy of the west for a long long time. If anything, we should be punishing Russia for their support of Iran, not groveling at their feet.

[Abelard]

I did word that too strongly. Darth is right; Russia never has been a true ally.

But the US punishing Russia?...that's a true fantasy! Russia's punishment is going to come from Islamicism. The Russian birth rate has dropped to the point where they cannot recover. They are going to be forced to reintegrate the independent republics in order to maintain cultural control.