What Was That Question?

Ever since the Russians foolishly held back from seizing all of Georgia in their premeditated attack, I've judged the Russians as essentially losing this war even though they triumphed on the battlefield.

I've asked, what exactly has Russia gained? They have South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but they had those regions before the war. And they will lose much more as a result.

This author notes the outrageous Russian claims about the war. And he makes this important point:

I struggle to see what Russia will gain. It is friendless. Governments and foreign investors alike now know that Moscow’s word is worthless. The price of aggression will be pariah status. Mr Putin, of course, will blame the west.

What has Russia gained from pounding on a new democracy that dared to assert its independence from Moscow?

I mean, other than a short-term false self-esteem boost that will rapidly disappear and leave Russians with that same old "we lost our empire and all I got was this lousy 'Summer in Gori' t-shirt" sense of loss?

Not that those Soviet wannabees don't deserve all the grief they get from this act of aggression.