Fleeing to the woods.

When I was in sixth grade a new family moved in to the house next door to ours.  It turns out they had a son exactly my age who shared a lot of the same interests.  We spent a lot of time together that summer and developed what I thought was a pretty good friendship.  Then school started.  Once my new 'friend' started getting acquainted with other kids in our grade, we didn't hang out as much which was fine by me.  We both needed more than one friend.

One day I was called out of class and into the principal's office.  It turns out that one of the teachers was walking down the hall and saw that the entire contents of my locker were scattered all over the floor.  I told the principal I didn't know how it happened, but I was given a demerit anyway.  (Yes, students actually got in trouble back then.)  After assessing the demerit, he walked me down the hall to clean up the mess.  When I opened my locker I discovered that it had been filled with underwear, bras, panties and condoms.  I was so embarrassed.

After investigating the incident, it was revealed that my new 'friend' had done this to me on a dare from some other students who enjoyed picking, poking and generally being horses asses!  Needless to say, he and I didn't spend a lot of time together after that.

Why am I telling this story?  Well, a peculiar thing has been happening over the last few days.  It seems that Vladimir Putin (you know, the one that President Bush called a "good man") decided he wanted to flex a little muscle and used the occassion of Georgia (the country, not the state) trying to squash an illegal resistance movement in their own country to do it.

So, the Put-ster loaded up a couple of tank divisions, a fighter wing or two and 50,000 men or so and took a little road trip into the sovreign territory of Georgia.  After killing some innocent civilians, destroying buildings and roads and nearly destroying a great big oil pipeline, he said he was going to "pull back" and honor a cease fire brokered by, of all people, the French President.

(...meanwhile in Beijing, President Bush is playing beach volleyball with girls in bikinis...)

But, it seems now that Vlad and the boys didn't exactly do what the said they'd do.  No, they're still there in Georgia causing trouble, destroying roads, killing innocents and sucking up Georgian territory like it was the Oklahoma land rush!

(...meanwhile in Beijing, President Bush is taking batting practice with girls in tight pants...)

Back in 2003 when the US was trying to get the world behind it in finally getting rid of Saddam Hussein, we had very few nations willing to take the risk.  But, one of the ones that did was -- you guessed it -- Georgia.  A very small nation with a very small army committed troops to the cause because it was the right thing to do.  They did it because they are an allie to the US in the War on Terrorism.  Fitting, since the Georgian people spent the better part of 50 years being terrorized by Soviet dictators in Moscow.

(...meanwhile in Beijing, President Bush is sharing a brewsky President Hu of China and watching a bunch of millionaires play basketball...)

Enter Condoleeza Rice.  Now that the first cease fire has failed to cease the firing, Dr. Rice in over in Georgia trying to convince the Georgians to accept a new cease fire.  That's right, she and five other "diplomats" around the world have come up with a great plan to save Georgia from the invasion.  All they have to do is agree to let Russian troops stay in Georgia as long as the want and give them carte blanche to do whatever they want whenever they want to do it.

WOW!!  What a great plan.....errrr, wait....isn't that what is already happening?  Maybe Condi should find a piano, sit down and play the Georgians a tune or two.  I hear there's nothing like a little Tchaikovski or Rachmaninov to make you forget that your country has been invaded by the Russian army led by a former KGB agent.  And, who doesn't love a little Chopin to help you ease into acceptance of a foreign power controlling your home?

(...meanwhile, in Beijing, President Bush is watching young men in Speedos swim...)

As the Georgian people cry, "where is America?" we should all wonder the same thing!  Where is America when one of the few allies we still have is being invaded?  Where is America when innocent civilians are being killed?  Where is America?

Ummm...excuse me, could you folks pipe down over there?  We are busy watching the Olympics right now.  But, don't worry, we've got a plan -- just accept it.  Like Clayton Williams once said, "you can't do anything about it, so you may as well lay back and enjoy it". 

In the great tradition of Neville Chamberline, the United States is apparently prepared to accept this unlawful invasion with only a figner wag to offer as resistence.  We can't stop it, so we just as well accept it, right? 

I voted for George W. Bush twice -- proudly.  And, if I thought either Al Gore or John Kerry could have done better, I'd probably go back and vote for them if I could.  But, to my shagrin, I'm not sure there is a leader present in the US that could or would.  We no longer have the stomach to do what is right in this country.  We are a nation of quitters.  If we weren't a nation of quitters our troops would already be home from Bosnia, Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq.  We've just got better things to do than the right thing.

(...and, meanwhile, in Washington, President Bush is taking a nap to recover from jet lag brought on by his busy summer vacation...shhh, do not disturb please...)