Why Georgia, Once on Democracy’s Vanguard, Is Drifting Toward Russia
Why Georgia, Once on Democracy’s Vanguard, Is Drifting Toward Russia
www.nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Georgia’s tumble toward autocracy has come with a most peculiar twist. As might be expected, Georgia has long existed in the shadow of Russia, that great colossus to its immediate north. Since gaining its independence in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia has seen Russian-supported separatist forces carve out two mini-republics, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, amounting to nearly 20 percent of its national territory, through force of arms and murderous ethnic-cleansing campaigns. The wounds from those wars have never healed — tens of thousands of war refugees remain displaced today — nor have Russian protestations of innocence gained much traction.
Good article trying to explain the backgrounds at the beginning, but very much petering out at the end where it tries to describe personal connections and feelings. My current vibe on the situation in TBS is that most (young folks) have resigned on saving the country and trying to get the f* away to Europe, with some misconceptions about the situation here. There is a very strong underground culture among the young, stronger than I've seen anywhere in DE, and I very much liked it, but they seem to keep to themselves while it lasts.