Janet McBride for the Reuters Blog
Ever since Russia launched a massive counter-offensive in response to Georgia’s attempt to retake the pro-Russian, breakaway region of South Ossetia, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been omnipresent in Western media. He has appeared on CBS, CNN, BBC and pretty much every other English-language TV channel to accuse Russia of penetrating Georgia far beyond Ossetia, planning an assault on the capital and plotting his overthrow.
On Aug 11 he wrote an opinion column in the Wall Street Journal warning Georgia’s fall would mean the fall of the West.
At the start of the conflict the verdict was unequivocal. Saakashvili was winning the media war hands down. While the Kremlin’s press operation was largely silent, Saakashvili, an urbane, U.S.-educated lawyer, was assured in putting Georgia’s case. The world’s media and many political leaders swung behind him (in words if not deeds).
But is the tide turning? Saakashvili’s wall-to-wall media coverage may be starting to work against him and the Russians have become more nimble in dealing with the media and countering Saakashvili’s accusations.
Even close ally the United States has reined him in, knocking down his assertion that U.S. forces would take control of Georgia’s airports and ports. Is Saakashvili’s well-oiled public relations machine starting to work against him? Is he losing sympathy internationally?
Outside of the U.S. I’m not sure Saak ever had that much sympathy. Much of the world would love to see a counterweight to the U.S., even if they have no illusions about Russia.
Within the U.S., I think the MSM impact is less that it used to be. With one contrived villain after another people become desensitized to it.
Saker,
how good are the Russian secret services? Do you think they could take the analogy of Kosovo a step further…meaning can they gather up a domestic color revolution of their own and replace Saak? That would be the masterstroke if they pulled it off.
@how good are the Russian secret services? Do you think they could take the analogy of Kosovo a step further…meaning can they gather up a domestic color revolution of their own and replace Saak? That would be the masterstroke if they pulled it off.
They are very good. Better than the old Soviet ones by many accounts. And, did you notice that Saakashvili was almost booted out of power recently?
The thing is that secret services do not need to actively get involved in processes which are already happening without their intervention lest they mess it all up. There is no doubt in my mind that Saakashvili now tops the list of rulers which the Russians want to out, but does that mean that they need to do it directly?
A good secret service will understand that there are times when it should not get involved, or very minimally and just let the inevitable processes take place.
Also – what is more in Russia’s interest: having the Russians give the boot to Saakashvili or let the Georgians do it themselves.
Lastly, think about it like a SVR analyst would. Is Saakashvili not just about the perfect person to totally discredit the very idea of being allied to the USA? He is not the living proof that Uncle Shmuel cannot save your lard when the shit hits the fan? Is Saakashvili not the perfect poster boy for the idea that people should stay AWAY from any alliance with the Empire?
If the answer to the above is ‘yes’ – then maybe the Russians would actually want to leave Saakashvili in power for a while longer ;-))
interesting point. Long live the Saak!
Last night I saw C-span cover AEI and listened to Fred Kagan and the got to see Bill Krystal in the audience smiling his chechire cat smile. All day, all we hear is the official US line. There are NO MSM coverage that is not propaganda. Why is the MSM not still control? For the average American coming home from work, and turning on the TV for some news, he gets the propaganda- that’s all. He can spin the dial- doesn’t matter. He can go to radio, all you get is Glen Beck, Hugh Hewwet, Sean Hanity on their 50 thousand watt blowtorch. talkers. Pick up a newspaper- you get Sam Zell’s Tribune, and the equally as bad Sun Times. No balance- just bad entertainment and propaganda.
If your boarding house served only
fish heads or dirty rice, democrat or republican, – are you sure you have a choice that matters much? You can ask the proprietor for other selections, but you can’t demand it if you want to live there. We are totally screwed. The internet won’t save us because the masses don’t get their daily dose of propaganda that way. They spin the TV dial and maybe listen to Rush or quickly scan a newspaper from time to time. This is the voter that gets to choose- fish heads or dirty rice.