Three years after the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia, the temporary ceasefire lines between the two look increasingly like permanent borders.
I think Georgia should be grateful despite losing. It could have been worse.
And there is a silver lining. Let Russia pay for them and deal with the locals. Georgia is small, but those two provinces would have been a drain on their resources. Georgia is unlucky enough to live on the border of a giant country with post-imperial sanity issues. But that insanity at least led the Russians to take pieces of Georgia that Georgia is better off without.
If Georgia focuses on the future and doesn't cling to the past, they can build a pro-Western and prosperous nation in the shadow of Mordor, and make those who wished for the loving embrace of Mother Russia regret their choice in August 2008.
I still can't believe that some people believe Georgia started or provoked the war. Before the war I noted Russian preparations. After the war, those preparations were brought to light again. Russia engineered the war--period. Georgia's leaders may have made it easier on Moscow by falling for the ruse, but Russia would have gone in one way or the other. They have their ways. It was predictable. And they have props for doing so again.
But the desire to stick one's head in the sand is strong for some. For all I know, people still believe Georgia is at fault, as the European Union concluded.
