Tallin, Estonia -Pro Georgia Demonstration

AUG,12,2008 In the center of the old Medieval City of Tallinn the capital of Estonia a large rally was held to show support and union for the Georgia republic which is under attack by the Russians. The main theme I heard echoed is that Perestroika is dead, and the old Soviet hardliners are emerging from the Gorbichev years to flex their muscles. Perhaps the main reason for this union and demonstration is fear and self preservation. After all, countries represented here were once dominated by the Russians. They have reason to be afraid, after seeing the Russians sweep through Georgia in 4 days with little resistance. And they have no one to really rely on. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are still on the outskirts of the European Union. Siuliai,Lithuania is the only place where there is currently a large NATO base: a former Soviet strategic air defense base. This base is as big as the USA's Lackland in Texas. It was a real prise for the US and NATO to get this foot hold so close to Russians Western boarder[600Km].

I noted that there is a lot of coverage in the US for the Russia/Georgia conflict. However, I did not see any coverage of last nights rally to arms by these former Soviet satellite countries. Perhaps the west sees this as just posturing , because together they have no real military threat, and all probably with the exception of Lithuania because of NATO have little or no self-defense.




European news casters reported a rally of 500 people. There were considerably more, and they cheered and waved flags from all the Baltic states and other former Soviet states. I even saw a large American flag; someone thinking Bush really cared about their problems. In fact Bush was at the Olympics sitting near the former Russian leader Vladimir Putkin. Bush publicly declared that he expressed strong concerns over the Russians actions in Georgia, and then they both went back to watching the fake Chinese fireworks and the games.


My sense, and the sense of the crowd in Tallinn's Komondadi and Luhike Plots [square] was one of frustration. These countries have been through this many times before. They can claim independence and call themselves an elected republic, but the fact is they are sadly for them, still pawns on the world chess table. It is sad, because these people have human faces not just strategic importance for super powers who play with their lives.

The Russians set out to break the spirit of Georgians by targeting civilian populations. This is the Russian way of saying if you want democracy, elect a guy who will play ball with us, or you will die. In all of the cities I have visited, the Russians marched in and took over in 1917--20 and punished the vanquished by mass deportation to Siberia. They did it again in 1941 an then after pushing out the Germans deportation to Siberia began again in 1944. This was followed by 50 repressive years of tracking, spying and domination by the Russians. Russian was required in schools. The native languages were not taught,and Russian culture was forced on these people. Russians owned everything; got all the best housing, and cars, and the locals were treated like second class citizens.

Most likely the real reason for the invasion has to do with "Oil". Yep the same problem all over the world. Only ow you don't have a few Arab camel drivers who have no army sitting on billions of barrels of oil, you have the Russians who do have an army and an agenda. Ye the Cold War ended, and the Russians tried a new economic system called Perestroika. They let their military fall into a weaker state over the past few years, but they are still strong, and recently they have been exercising. Georgia may have been the Russian punching bag to gt the troops back in shape. While doing so, the Russians are showing the surrounding "Democratic" States that they still need to be on the Russian team. Russia discovered oil in a place they used to dump all dissidents, and they want to pump it to their neighbors; not as a good will gesture, but as a calculated economic threat to the EU. EU has become very strong over the past 10 years since the end of the Cold War. Russians are paranoid and have always been paranoid of anyone near their boarders growing in military or economic strength.

Lets look at a brief history of Tallinn, It has been ruled by the Finns, Russians, Germans and Swedes, and for a few years they had self rule. In the 1oth Century they were and still remain a key port and market for Scandinavia and Russia. What's to stop Russia from taking them back now that they have become a modern booming port town filled with western and Russian ships. It is a nice port, and free if ice more time than any other north Russian port.

So why does Russia want to take back or intimidate Georgia: could it be the oil pipeline route to Ukraine and eastern Europe, and the port of Poti, a major shipper of oil drilling parts and equipment, and the key link to all Caucasus trade? Funny thing is that Georgia's president Mikheil Saakashvil made a deal with the Arabs just after the 2004 completion of the Caspian oil Project . This project sponsored by the Russian Lukoil co. cost 3 billion. to build a pipeline to take oil from the Caspian sea drilling platforms through Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia. This upset the Russian plan to beat the Arabs at their own game. Russia has changed a little because of Perestroika. They now realize that in order to dominate, they need something more than a strong military. They need a stronger power, like the US has: MONEY! The Arabs are making so much with their oil, and they have the US and EU pinned to the mat, yet they only have a small army, and a few terrorists. But they have oil. Now the Russians have oil too, and if estimates are correct: more than the Arabs. So with a military force as large as the US, and billions of barrels of oil why should Russia care about world opinion. Let that sissy stuff for the US. The US is seen as a foolish country to people from this part of the world. The US takes over a key oil producing country; spends a billion a week to stay there; they get demoralized by terrorists, and allow the Arabs to bring them to their knees with high oil prices at US pumps. The US is funding its own downfall, and the Arabs, Qutar and the Russians are getting rich.
Russians are enjoying that new wealth too. Towns like Tallinn, Jurmila, Palonga, and Klapeda are all big beach resorts for wealthy Russians. And why not when the Russian currency buys a lot more than a Lithuanian lita, or Estonian Krona or Latvian Let.
Had the Russians been in the same spot as the US. They would have taken Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and simply stated to the world "to the victor belongs the spoils" They would have then built a pipeline to Moscow, and the world would have yawned, and said" that's how the Russians do it". Which is about the same world opinion we see with the Russian invasion of Georgia.
Several times I have tried to talk with locals about the war years, and people my age who lived through it treat you as if you were a Russian spy trying to pry information out of them. To say the least, they don't want to talk. They want to forget.
The invasion of Georgia is a stark reminder that the Russians are still next door, and they could still easily break in your door at any minute.