Look, as best I can gather, Georgia does have some legitimate claim to these two territories as part of their country. Perhaps they have been abusive of some people in those territories; perhaps most of the people in those territories -- but clearly not all -- want to form a separate state.

Does that mean that we must uphold the "right" of the people in those territories to break away from Georgia? What if the likely consequence of doing so is that, in fact, those new territories are going to become vassal states of Russia, and/or real ethnic cleansing takes place in those territories after they are taken over by the people who want to break free (which already may be taking place, under Russian supervision)?

(Here's a quote from the Wash Post editorial regarding this:

Remarkably, the Russian-allied "president" of South Ossetia acknowledged the ethnic cleansing yesterday in an interview with the Russian newspaper Kommersant, although he did not acknowledge the killings of Georgian civilians that others have documented. Eduard Kokoity said that his forces "offered them a corridor and gave the peaceful population the chance to leave" and that "we do not intend to allow" their return.

How proud will our posters be when such ethnic cleansing is continued if South Ossetia becomes independent?)

And, forgetting about the "liberation" of South Ossetia, and Russia's noble interest in pursuing democracy, what about the larger picture, in which Russia is only encouraged to believe that there will be no real penalties if it finds some provocation to invade other countries? What about the likely consequences of that?

Any way one looks at it, and ignoring the "moral" issues involved in this local conflict, the far more dangerous player in this whole affair is obviously Russia. In the larger scheme of things, Georgia's own treatment of South Ossetia, right or wrong, pales by comparison to the consequences of a Russia that once again, under the leadership that only too much resembles and is even based on the previous Soviet leadership, starts to bully its neighbors and, perhaps, attempts to assemble a empire of vassal states -- or states that are entirely intimidated by the Russian presence, knowing that on the slightest provocation, real or invented, Russia might invade.

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev assured South Ossetia and Abkhazia of Russia's support in their bid for independence as ceasefire held in Georgia and the focus shifted to a post-war settlement.

"Russia's position is unchanged. We will support any decisions taken by the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," said Mr. Medvedev at a Kremlin meeting with the leaders of the two self-proclaimed republics. "We will not only support but will guarantee [your decisions] both in the Caucasus and throughout the world."

Mr. Medvedev in fact declared Moscow's readiness to brush aside the West's objections to the two regions' split from Georgia in much the same way as the West ignored Russian protests against Kosovo's independence.

Mr. Medvedev's statement signals a major shift in Moscow's stand.

Our very own Little Dictator.