Isn't Russia only interested in protecting their pipelines?

Question

Isn't that really why they have been feuding with Georgia all along? Georgia has no oil or anything that Russia needs. Please explain.

Answer 1

No. Russians have considered the Caucasus a territory since 1801.  But Muscovite Russians have always thought themselves a bit superior and Caucasians think themselves tougher.   It was a part of the USSR and Stalin was from Georgia.  In 1993, the USSR offered nations the opportunity to become independant or stay in the Russian Republic.  A few such as Chechnya and Tartarstan wanted independance, but were smack dab in the middle of the country so it wasn't practical.  Russia offered them semi-autonomous status and everyone but the Chechans took it.  Sure there were pipelines, but the cost of moving them would have been miniscule compared to the cost of occupying a country full of people who don't want to be occupied.  

So imagine East L.A. wants to re-join Mexico, but the rest of California does not.  What would the US do?  I think we'd  insist they stay in the US.  Now what would we do if Mexico attacked Southern California in order to "liberate" East L.A.

Don't you think we would repel them and attack Mexico until they surrendered?    

The only thing that doesn't add up is why Georgia with 230 American tanks and a few thousand men would attack a nation with 1.1 million many and unlimited tanks unless they pre-arranged it with President Bush to protect them in the event they failed (and they had to know they would).  So perhaps its all just a ploy for Bush to inconvenience Putin by making him miss the Olympics.

Answer 2

The truth is always a lot more complicated than one simple thing. People seem to need to package everything as good or evil, right or left, liberal or conservative and pick one side or the other without thought or circumspection, or even research.  

Answer 3

no. they're interest is in real estate. ala, germany under the tutilage of hitler. bet you didn't know hiltler was still alive and, living in putin.

Answer 4

it is going to be interesting to see what China's answer will be now that Georgia has asked China for backup since the United States hasn't backed up their word of helping them follow the path of Freedom that Bush promised!

plus Cheney is in the background huffing and puffing that we are going to retaliate for Russia taking action!

their is probably a deal between them to stir this mess up to get the fear factor back into action and the War drums beating again so people will choose McCain as their hero and Savior!

Answer 5

Protecting the pipeline, defending Russian citizens in South Ossetia, keeping the US from eroding their sphere of influence.