Earlier Monday, as Russian warplanes launched fresh raids and the central Georgian city of Gori was falling to Russian troops, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke by telephone with most of the foreign ministers belonging to the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations.
The G-8 consists of the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia. Russia, which officially joined the group in 1998, was absent from Monday's discussions.
Here is that post from June 4 of 2007:
In my posts on the economy, I have often referred to the G7, which are the advanced industrialized nations of the world. But the G7 evolved into the G8 some time ago when Russia was invited to join the other 7 nations (the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, and Italy). It's time to un-invite Russia.
Russia hosted the G8 meeting last year, and it seemed to go well. Things are different this year:
Putin has gone from genial host to scary guest. In the last 12 months he has been at the center of a series of ugly incidents, including rows with neighbors and the expropriation of foreign oil company assets in Russia. Moscow has also sold air-defense systems to Iran, jet fighters to Syria and a nuclear reactor to Burma. Inside Russia, meanwhile, Putin's opponents have started turning up dead, or have been jailed and beaten by the police.
And now we have this:
MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Moscow could aim nuclear weapons at targets in Europe as part of "retaliatory steps" if Washington proceeds with building a missile defense system on the continent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
...
"If a part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States appears in Europe and, in the opinion of our military specialists, will threaten us, then we will have to take appropriate steps in response. What kind of steps? We will have to have new targets in Europe," Putin said, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin. These could be targeted with "ballistic or cruise missiles or maybe a completely new system" he said.
What, he hasn't heard that missile defense systems can't work? Just ask the Democrats, they'll tell you.
But my real question is this: What is Russia doing in the G8? A 2nd-grader to see why Russia does not belong in this group. First, let's look at per-capita GDP in the G8 (the numbers are for 2005, though any year would do):
Does one country stand out as being not like the rest?
Next, let's check political and civil freedom scores for the G8, as compiled by Freedom House:
A rating of 1 indicates free, whereas a rating of 7 indicates not free. Again, does one country again stand out as being not like the others?
Why, yes, one country clearly does not belong in this group, and that country is, quite obviously, Russia. I think it is past time that we demote that country by excluding it from future meetings of the G7. We obviously need to talk to the Russians about many issues, but we don't need to artificially and inappropriately elevate their status by pretending that they belong in a meeting of economically advanced democracies.
10 comments:
Now you are a Russia expert? Russia should jsut use the same arguments Israel did when it destoryed Lebanon. Then you would no doubt support mass destruction. I have no doubt you support its destruction of Chechnya, after all. "Terrorism" and all that.
Good day.
I cannot believe you are a professor, an educated man.
Russia would NEVER attack Georgia – for there are rich civil and historical сonnections, these nations lived in peace since the 19th century and helped each other.
Many families are both nations origin: mom's Russian, dad's Georgian and vise versa.
In World War two in the Soviet army both, Georgians and Russians struggled together against nazis of Hitler.
Lots of families live on the both sides of this nowadays border.
I'm half Russian, half Georgian myself.
It's a pity that USA behaves and speaks in the terms and actions of Cold war.
Shame on you. For Iraq, Yugoslavia. And now – Georgia. This people did nothing to you - and now you, Americans, use them for your dirty purposes.
People got killed when Georgia (of course with American military and “psychological” “help”) attacked South Osetia. They killed hundreds of people with bare hands. Their hands are dirty now – but yours’ are “clean”.
I’m sure – not for long, professor.
Good day.
I cannot believe you are a professor, an educated man.
Russia would NEVER attack Georgia – for there are rich civil and historical сonnections, these nations lived in peace since the 19th century and helped each other.
Many families are both nations origin: mom's Russian, dad's Georgian and vise versa.
In World War two in the Soviet army both, Georgians and Russians struggled together against nazis of Hitler.
Lots of families live on the both sides of this nowadays border.
I'm half Russian, half Georgian myself.
It's a pity that USA behaves and speaks in the terms and actions of Cold war.
Shame on you. For Iraq, Yugoslavia. And now – Georgia. This people did nothing to you - and now you, Americans, use them for your dirty purposes.
People got killed when Georgia (of course with American military and “psychological” “help”) attacked South Osetia. They killed hundreds of people with bare hands. Their hands are dirty now – but yours’ are “clean”.
I’m sure – not for long, professor.
Good day.
I cannot believe you are a professor, an educated man.
Russia would NEVER attack Georgia – for there are rich civil and historical сonnections, these nations lived in peace since the 19th century and helped each other.
Many families are both nations origin: mom's Russian, dad's Georgian and vise versa.
In World War two in the Soviet army both, Georgians and Russians struggled together against nazis of Hitler.
Lots of families live on the both sides of this nowadays border.
I'm half Russian, half Georgian myself.
It's a pity that USA behaves and speaks in the terms and actions of Cold war.
Shame on you. For Iraq, Yugoslavia. And now – Georgia. This people did nothing to you - and now you, Americans, use them for your dirty purposes.
People got killed when Georgia (of course with American military and “psychological” “help”) attacked South Osetia. They killed hundreds of people with bare hands. Their hands are dirty now – but yours’ are “clean”.
I’m sure – not for long, professor.
Wow...anonymous - -
It is not often that someone can write a post so absurd that I cannot tell whether it was intended to be sarcasm, or whether the person truly believe what they were writing. Your post is one of them.
Which is it?
And if you believe what you are writing, then surely there must be some factual basis for these extreme beliefs - some evidence of American military involvement in the "attacks" on South Osetia. Some well-planned strategic goal of the USA which has been accomplished in this disaster?
We all can see the restraint shown by the Russian military, in targeting the oil pipeline which must actually be a hidden weapon system disguised as a pipeline, and in marching toward to destroy and capture the entire nation of Georgia once their "peacekeeping" mission in South Osetia had been accomplished...
Please tell me that you were just being sarcastic.
Another regular reader
THANK YOU!!
Yes, Russia should be excluded as there is really no comparison. I assume they were included in the first place for there supposed military strength and an attempt to involve them to a greater extent in world economic affairs after there collapse. A "feel good pill" for the power mad political elite of that failed communist/socialist/demoncratic so-called nation of slaves. So many screaming the doom of the U.S. and as there usual proof they reference Russia, China, and the EU. The EU will likely see its last day as a single monetary unit within a few years as it collapses under the burden of broken economic rules of membership, China's masqurade as a super economic powerhouse will fade away soon, likely as internal civil unrest and greater competition of outsourcing sites used by the U.S. become apparent, and Russia's oil card in their sleave will be played out in a losing hand with home sources being used by the U.S bringing the market demand down world-wide. Then their ultimate motive, their true hate filled warlike natures, will come forth in a show of military force, which too will be dealt with in success by the ZION of the world, the United States of America, and her true allies. Onward to victory in this economic warfare stage!
Russia has been watching and waiting to do this. What both candidates and the American people don't know is the White House has been in Georgia for the oil and the pipelines. Most of the small countries the US used with bribes to get area's of their land for oil drilling and pipe lines. Russia has been watching and knows what the deal was. The Bush Administration is make up of criminals and have committed crimes all over the World, this is just one of them.
Of course they are in Georgia for the oil. Oil from Azerbaijan bound for Europe has to go through Russia, Iran, or Georgia.
Russia is happy to block energy supplies to Western Europe when the urge strikes it, as they have proven a few times. Iran is Iran. Which leaves Georgia...
Even ignoring the blatantly over the top reaction of Russia, your post of a year ago still stands. It does not require a Russia expert to realize that the G7+1 is not the G8. The Russian economy, while boosted substantially by high oil prices, is not a powerhouse. The G7 is about economics, not power, IMO.
The internal politics and Putin-love are irrelevant to understanding Russia's role in the global economy. Which is relatively small.
Also, the fog of war prevents us from completely understanding the events of the past week or so. What precipitated the Russian response? While there appear to be massive conflicts of interest in Russian engagement in South Osetia, if Georgians attacked and disturbed what appears to have been a peaceful status quo, then some Russian response was predictable.
I think Russia went over the top in their response, but again, that is complicated by the lack of information we have. I have no reason other than my inherent cynicism and my imperfect understanding of Russian strategic goals.
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