War Games

Athletes representing both small and large countries from around the world are presently engaged in civil competition against each other as part of the XXIX Olympics. But beyond the opulent confines of Bejing's Olympic Village, the world is hardly a civil place. In fact, in the sovereign nation of Georgia, a civil war is raging, and the Russians, who stand to gain from it, are lending their might to Georgian separatists. It's hard to be sure who initiated this bloody contretemps, but it couldn't be a better time for it if one desires minimal interference. After all, the world is preoccupied with a once every four years international sporting extravaganza, so who has the time or inclination to intervene between warring nations?

True to form, the United Nations is issuing toothless condemnations, and world leaders from Nicolas Sarkozy to our own President Shub are intoning about the possibility of a peaceful resolution. But it's not likely anything will be done to stop what looks for all the world like a well planned power play by Vladimir Putin's Russia. Enjoy the Gymnastics!