The more you ignore me, the closer I get (4)

Revered international statesman and bringer of peace to troubled parts of the world, David Cameron, has hit on a solution to the Georgia crisis. Stop those Russians shopping in Selfridges (sandwiched, naturally, between suspending Russia's membership of the G8 and inviting Georgia to join NATO.)

'Russian armies can’t march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges' says Diplomat Dave. (Erm.... Hasn't he got that the wrong way round?)

Regular readers of this blog will note that I have resisted the temptation to use 'Georgia on my Mind' or 'Midnight Train to Georgia' or 'The Devil went down to Georgia' as a title. So far...

The more you ignore me, the closer I get (3)

I think the Indy's leader column gets it spot on:

"Although Gordon Brown has been conspicuous by his low profile, at least he has avoided making a dash to Tblisi, as David Cameron has done, to show disingenuous solidarity with the Georgian people and to repeat – apparently on behalf of the British Government – the promise of Nato membership. Instead of looking statesmanlike, which may have been the intention, he looks concerned but unworldly and immature."

Except I don't think he comes across as 'concerned' about anything except getting his picture in the paper.

The more you ignore me, the closer I get (2)

Another knock-back, but nothing deters Dave... Next stop, Sunderland.

He'd send in the army

Been a while since we've heard from James, our very own Bristol Tory Boy, so thought I'd check out his website for his unique take on recent international events. He reveals to his reader(s) that Bristol and Tbilisi are twinned - which is very apt as "both cities are constantly assailed by ex-communists. Fortunately the local bunch don't have tanks."

Glad to see you're keeping things in perspective James.

Something's gone wrong again

Recess Monkey congratulates Sky News on its expert coverage of the war in South Ossetia. Almost as good as the Daily Mail's take on it. (Katie Melua is worried about her family out there. She should definitely have been in the Top Ten).

World domination

Last night I started trying to write something about Georgia, but decided there were probably other people out there far more qualified to do so. But here's my two pennyworth... Last time I was in Russia (I did Russian at uni, been there 5 or 6 times) the persecution of Georgians was becoming widespread, with mass rounding up of ethnic Georgians (even those born in Russia), deportations and racial attacks. I met someone involved in the St Petersburg Youth Movement, who told me about an anti-racism campaign, where everyone wore T-shirts in sympathy declaring 'I'm a Georgian'. No-one else at the Conference - which was a couple of years ago - would admit there was a problem at all, which is typically Russian. There was 'no racism' in Russia. This was at a Conference of centre-left/ left Russian political parties.

The other thing I was going to mention was the fear that the Crimea could be next; it's part of the Ukraine, but ethnically Russian and obviously strategically important. About 60% I think are Russians, cf 25% Ukrainians and 12-13% Tatars; nearly 80% speak Russian as their first language, but Ukrainian is the only official language. When I was there (2003 I think, went to Simferopol which is a god forsaken place and then took the world's longest trolley bus ride down through the mountains to Yalta, which is much nicer, tho' a bit touristy) I asked a few people whether they'd prefer to be part of Russia; some did, some wanted to be independent. Needless to say, both would be resisted strongly by Ukraine.