Russian plan for Georgia made clear in March: "Divide & Destroy"

Here's a story back in March about the Kremlin's attitude toward Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO.

This provides some background as to the how and why of Russia's attack on Georgia.

A quote from a Kremlin guy lays out the Russian plan:

Gleb Pavlovsky warned on the program that Ukraine shall be “destroyed, divided” if it pursues a MAP leading to NATO membership. To deter Kyiv from pursuing a MAP, Pavlovsky recommended that Russia should raise the full range of complaints regarding the Russian language and rights of ethnic minorities in Ukraine and present Ukraine with a “yes-or-no choice.”

Russia is carrying out their stated plan, but instead of Ukraine, they're picking on a smaller country to check the commitment of NATO. Putin's plan is to show the Georgians that NATO is all talk. That way, the Georgians will grow angry with the West for failing to help them.

Putin is a genius and we're on the receiving end.

We've seriously dropped the ball and now we cannot effectively deal with this.

Putin is a danger to the world--Bush could have warned us after he looked into his soul.

Robert Kagan provides a glimpse into the purpose and intentions behind Russia's attack on Georgia.

I think this has been a long time coming.

Putin has managed to jail, kill, or exile all the Energy barons of Russia, nationalizing its vast energy resources for himself.

Putin is consolidating his power with oil and natural gas because the West is too dependent, so we will tow Putin's line.

The West has stepped into a pile of Russian intrigue.

We cannot afford to sit back and let Putin and his mobster-like crew put us in an energy strangle-hold. Alternative energy is one step.

Next, we must act fast to counter Putin's shenanigans. This may raise the specter of open hostilities, but I suspect China and India would get on board. China won't like a jingoistic and imperialistic Russia knocking around. India likes its prosperity too much to sacrifice it now.

I don't like war, but we must address it now.

Unfortunately, we are weakened by our preemptive war in Iraq. We have a weakened economy from the war and bad economic policy here.

We also have no discernible energy policy aside from one that subjects us to Russia's growing energy hegemony.