Hell, I smell a conspiracy! 2014 is, by coincidence (?), also the year Microsoft will stop supporting XP! Say no more, say no more... Just casually mentioning the referees' computers will have to rely on Vista...

what do you expect, USA sending their aircraft to the georgia and start bombing the russians, making a WW3?

You can never be sure today, despite all technological and social "progress" we supposedly made the world is still as barbaric as it was during the time of Ghenghis-Khan when it comes down to arguments between nations.
Fortunately the international relations are quite good right now so there aren't going to be nuclear rockets flying towards two parts of the world as people were afraid in the 70s and 80s.

I've always liked the Einstein quote, which I will probably mangle here...

"I don't know with what weapons world war three will be fought, but world war four will be fought with sticks and stones"

Fills you with a warm fuzzy feeling of hope? eh?

But more realistically, I would hope that when it came down to it, noone would want to push the button, unfortunately they now are developing small-yeild "tactical" nukes... be afraid.

Man kind is so stupid and evil, all the politicians go to school to study political science for 15 years only to make mistakes, when someone who doesn't have any knowledge of politics at all can walk in and only have the people in mand, and try and make things good for them

If we ever get a politician like that, I shall smile

Those who see the mistakes of the politicians are usually not keen to become one themselves, simply because they have the wisdom the politicians with their intrigues lack. You don't really become politician to improve the world, you become politician because of good pay and influence.

which is exactly my point. BBC has it nicelly written - it appears both sides are to blame.

On this note it was Georgia who first used disproportionate force.

an i still don't understand why they don't let the south osethia out of the country. they didn't control it for 16 years now. people who live there obviously don't want to be in this country, so why force them to stay in? where is the democratic principle in that? If they want to be out then let them be out.

Ok so let's say Georgia would succeed in capturing the province (which they probably would since they invested so much in military in past years). And the Russia would let them do that. Then what? people living there still wouldn't wan't to be in the country. they would still be involved in various civil disobedience or even worse (terror attacks or guerilla war). Oh and what would be the penalty for the South osethian fighters caught? Death by hanging on nearest tree for treason?

And indeed Sadam Hussein attacked the Kurds that wanted to succeed. So is Bush now saying he had the right to keep and defend his territorial integrity? But didn't they just hang him for that specific reason? Wasnt' that the charge he was facing?
Wasn't Milosevic charged with crimes because he attempted to assert territorial control over Kosovo? Wasn't Belgrade bombed by NATO because he wanted to get Serbias territory under control? Remember how they bombed not only military targets but also Chinese Embassy (this one could have been colateral), TV station (this one was on purpose), bridges across Danoube river (on purpose).

If you get a minute can you link the BBC article please? I'd like to read it :)

Genghis Khan had only basic weapons, yet he killed millions of people.

As long as there are people, there will be wars.

It seems it's over. For now...

Look arround here or related articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/...ct/default.stm

I think it was one of those that is about diplomats and their sessions.it also says that Russia was apparently caught by surprise with the move of Georgia (well i believe that is part that also made them angry since they just brokered a ceasefire and few hours later Georgia invaded the South Osethia).