Russia Update

While tensions between Russia and the West over the invasion of Georgia can hardly be said to have eased, they at least haven't ratcheted up any in the last week or so. Nonetheless, it cannot be that pleasing to the Russians that we are now sending $1 billion in aid to Georgia to help them recover from the disastrous war with Russia. In addition, Vice President Cheney flew to Georgia to condemn the Russian attack, signalling our commitment to Georgia. Russia in the meanwhile is busy reverting to the type of heavy-handed, brutal and clumsy repression of political dissent and free speech that we are accustomed to seeing in more inept dictatorships. Handy little wars that rile up the population only make this easier.