Most important event on 8/8/08

I know everyone expects me to say the Olympics, but what struck me as the most important event to begin that day was Russia's invasion of Georgia.

It's the first time the old Bear invaded another soverign nation since Afghanistan. As of today, four days after hositilities began between Russia and Georgia, there is a shaky cease-fire. What was most amazing to me, was the overwhelming amount of force Russia used against Georgia to supposedly defend their soldiers and citizens in South Ossetia. Yes, Georgia was stupid for thinking they could just waltz into South Ossetia and the Russian "Peacekeepers" would just melt across the border back into Russia proper. It should've been obvious that they were just waiting for a reason to punish Georgia for leaving the Communist Bloc and seeking membershiop in NATO. That Georgia allowed themselves to be baited so cleanly, caused over 2,000 people to be killed. The speed with which Russia counterattacked Georgia, the volume of forces arrayed against Georgia proved that Russia was waiting for an appropriate provocation. The rhetoric out of Russia all these years telling Georgia to leave Souther... alone or else, matched the rhetoric of Georgia's president saying he would take back Souther... at all cost.

If the ceasefire does hold, the result will be that all the newly independent countries in Central Asia that emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union now realize just how tenuous U.S. support is for their regimes. If Russia herself - not a satellite like Serbia - sets foot on another country's soil, the US will back away, rather than face a full blown war.

Russia is back, and as aggressive as ever.