Russian troops, armor and aircraft invaded Georgian territory today in the restive ‘South Ossetia’ region of northern Georgia. The attack was in response to Georgia’s capture yesterday of the separatist-held regional capital, Tskhinvali (map). Russia has long supported the separatists and wants to annex the region. Georgia’s strong alliance with the United States, desire to join NATO and basing of U.S. military trainers has antagonized Russia since Georgia achieved independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991.

Georgia is the third largest contributor of troops (2000) in Iraq after the U.S. and Britain. Georgia announced the immediate withdrawal of 1000 troops to face the fighting back home.

CNN’s Johnathan Mann interviewed Georgia’s President, Mikhail Saakashvili. The compelling video is here (Georgian president speaks). Composed and speaking fluent English, Saakashvili was frankly inspiring:

Q: What should the United States and the West do now?

A: Wake up. Wake up. What is happening now is not about Georgia, it’s about the basic values the West has, the basic values that the U.S. has always preached to us. We are a small country. We are attacked because we wanted to be free. We are attacked because we wanted to build genuine democracy. We are attacked because we built a non-corrupt, free enterprise society that is prospering and thriving. We are under attack because we never wanted to accept the old corrupt rules of the game and wanted to be close to the West and go into the Western fold where we believe we belong - into the European fold. If Americans and Europeans don’t stand up for their own values, for their own principles, then those principles and values will be in danger - today in Georgia, tomorrow elsewhere. And this will be a never ending story.

Q: What would you ask U.S. President George Bush to do right now for your people?

A: Look, we are in the same situation as Finland was in 1939 when Stalin’s brutal dictatorship attacked because it wanted a piece of Finnish territory. We are in the same situation Afghanistan was in 1979. It took the courage of Ronald Reagan to reverse the Soviet adventures in Afghanistan. Looks like the adventures are back, and peace is endangered again, and human rights and freedom are in grave danger again. President Bush always said Georgia is a beacon of liberty, a successful case of his whole freedom agenda. But we didn’t do it for him, we did it for our own people - we believe in democracy, we believe in freedom. You know, I went to University in America and I was always taught that America stands up for its freedoms, and America always helps freedom loving countries. This is the moment of truth for everybody, for President Bush, for the United States, the rest of the Western world and for all of us - are we are willing to stand up for our own ideals? Are we willing to fight for freedom? Are we willing to protect people who deserve to be protected? … This is really a crucial moment in history for Europe, and high time to wake up for everyone.

Seems to me that Russia is in clear violation of international law. The United States should fully support Georgia and not relent until every Russian soldier has withdrawn from Georgian soil. Russia is a serial bad actor on the world stage, and must not be allowed to bully its smaller neighbors. What do we stand for if not for freedom from aggressive tyranny for ourselves and our allies?

NPR has excellent coverage here, and expert commentary here.

B

Two interesting matters that have been dormant for some time, worthy of an update.

Odyssey Marine v. Spain update:

A report in El País newspaper has revealed that the 500,000 coins which the Odyssey Marine Exploration company found off the coast of the Algarve last April and May are Spanish coinage. …

The revelation was made by the company itself when if [sic] completed customs forms in Gibraltar on April 10 and May 16, the dates that they took their haul out of the colony and back to their base in Florida. …

The fact that the Odyssey company has admitted the coinage found is Spanish, does not, the company claims, mean it was found on a Spanish ship. On that point they insist that they still have not been able to establish the nationality of the vessel, a point key as to which nation or nations might later claim part of the treasure. (emphasis mine - the nationality of the ship is crucial to Spain’s claim to ownership) …

One theory is that the ship concerned is the ‘Nuestra Señora de la Mercedes’ which sunk in 1804 in the battle of Cape Santa María during an attack from British ships, although this has been dismissed by the Odyssey director Gerg Stemm.

He told the EFE news agency that his company invited the Spanish Ministry of Culture to take part in his expedition last year. ‘At first’, he said, ‘they did not show any interest, now they do. They have tried to force us to give information which we consider could put the site where we found the treasure in danger’.

Louis “Outraged Octogenarian” Montgomery update:

The 81-year-old man accused of hitting a Sheriff’s deputy over the head with a paint roller is suing the county and the deputy involved in the case.
Louis Montgomery has filed a claim for personal injuries he says he sustained as a result of excessive use of force. Montgomery also claims his arrest in March was illegal.

He says the arrest by Deputy Steven Williams was not made with a warrant or based on probable cause. The claim was filed with the County on Sept. 4. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Montgomery became violent with Deputy Williams after Williams asked Montgomery to stop painting a neighbor’s fence.*

Montgomery claims he didn’t hit the deputy with the paint roller, it fell on his head. The 81-year-old man faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

If you haven’t been keeping up, let me point out the crucial point that Montgomery was painting his own fence, NOT his neighbor’s as reported in the article. Montgomery had build a concrete block fence under a court order related to his neighbor’s irritation with Montgomery’s mini pig farm. To annoy his neighbor, Montgomery was perched upon his wall painting the side facing the neighbor in the tradition of tasty, but unlovely Neapolitan ice cream. It is debatable as to whether this otherwise legal activity represented a breach of the peace in which the responding deputy could lawfully interfere, or whether it was merely a “so sue me” nuisance properly dealt by filing suit.

B

A woman is suing for $25,000, claiming a Starburst Fruit Chew candy pulled her jaw out of joint. This news comes on the heels of the $65 million lawsuit against a dry cleaner for a suit and the $2,000 lawsuit for a pair of torn pants. Do you think the name “Fruit Chew” is insufficient and a warning label on the harmful risks of the candy’s chewiness is needed? What about other warnings, like blowing bubbles with bubble gum can cause gum to be cut out of hair?

Source:

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,286855,00.html

Recently, it was reported that eBay’s President and Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman received over $11 million in compensation last year. In contrast, departing Delta Airlines Cheif Executive Officer Gerald Grinstein refused roughly $10 million in bonuses, citing the overinflated nature of corporate pay packages. What would you do in either person’s shoes?

See the articles at:
http://news.findlaw.com/ap/f/66/05-01-2007/d848001fc77bae8e.html
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070321/BIZ/703210344/1005

On April 10, 2007, a judge in Austin, Texas granted a family’s request to continue life support of their 17-month old child who is suffering from a progressive illness that does not allow him to breathe on his own. The hospital had ordered that he be taken off life-support pursuant to a Texas futile care law that allows hospitals to end life-sustaining treatment in similar situations as long as they provide ten days’ notice to the family. Do you believe the family should have the right to make the decision of when to end medical treatment? Do you think the futile care law should be overturned? Do you believe hospitals should be allowed to end treatment when their efforts are deemed futile and without medical benefit?

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