Georgia very narrowly avoided having a color revolution.
So far…
It’s still possible, but seems like the peak moment has passed, and I think with NGOs getting reigned in things will start looking up.
i think this has been the most ridiculous attempt at a color revolution. seriously, protesting a transparency law ???
Seriously, it’s been hilarious to watch people in places like reddit try to twist this into something nefarious. Like all of a sudden transparency is bad for democracy. 🙃
That’s great news.
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geez would be much better if georgians aligned themselves with the very communist NATO.
I’m not familiar at all with Georgian politics, but if what you say is true, I do kind of agree that the author should have included some discussion on the matter. That being said, I don’t see how this makes it not “great news”. Regardless of who holds power in Georgia, do you think that having better relations with Russia, its neighbor with which they share a border, will be a bad thing for Georgians?
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As others have said, the article is about Georgia’s decision to strengthen its relationship with Russia at the expense of its relationship with the west. The rose revolution is important to understand Georgia’s current position on this.
Has IvanishviIi not already established a regime? In what way does improving relations with Russia allow him to further consolidate his power? While I certainly don’t support oligarchy, Georgia’s struggle against western imperialism is surely worth critical support.
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I’m supporting the decision of the Georgian state to improve relations with Russia, its neigbour and the regional power. I support this because improved relations can lead to security and trade agreements that improve the material conditions of the Georgian working class. If the state ultimately backs away from this decision due to it being a ploy to gain leverage over the west, then I will absolutely be critical of such a move. On the other hand, I can imagine how following through can be beneficial for the ruling class as well and I don’t think that your conclusion is a guaranteed outcome.
However, he ultimately is a reactionary puppeteer who always lands on the side that lets him keep his grip on Georgian politics.
Well yeah, who wouldn’t in that position? And so why exactly wouldn’t such a person choose to realign back towards Russia, or at the very least hedge their bets and try to play both sides, considering that the West has been orchestrating protests and riots aimed at overthrowing this government and Russia has not? This is pretty elementary stuff.
Once a puppet outlives their usefulness for the US they usually discard and replace them. If that puppet is smart and has any self-preservation instinct they will see it coming and know when it’s time to switch sides.
The fact that such a switch is even possible is what’s interesting here. Twenty years ago the US was the only game in town. Now no longer.
Not if you are a socialist or communist…you should really look up who founded, funds, and runs the Georgian Dream party.
Why wouldnt a socialist or communist at least tactifully support a man who was alive during the USSRs soviet era, who wants to normalize relationships with a country alligned with communist ones? (Russia > China)
The EU is clearly not friendly to communists, half the countries there ban communists from running!
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He is one of the “seven bankers” employed by Yeltsin to destroy and sell the communist government… He literally has made billions destroying communism.
This is greviances from the 90s, im taking the actions as they are now. We can agree Putin, this billionare are likely opportunistic captialist butchers while still seeing this as a move that benefits communists.
And who do you think was the person most responsible for Georgia joining the EU?
Im taking the actions as they are now, even if for cynical reasons breaking up the EU further and moving towards a direction that communism is permitted, and of which the most powerfull member of that bloc is a communist country is progressive.
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Right, but what makes you think they are actually going to leave the EU? He’s just emulating countries like Hungary, turkey, and India, who are utilizing geopolitical schisms to consolidate authoritarian regimes while staying plugged into the western capital apparatus.
Im not sure, if they do would you eat your hat and support it?
Do the communists in Hungary support removal from the EU also?
I don’t buy into the false dichotomy that anything that seemingly opposes western imperialism is automatically a win for communist.
Breaking up a bloc that was setup to counter communist infulence, is in fact good.
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Georgia is not in the EU.
The communist/socialist parties in Georgia are part of the opposition groups
So “communists” are aligned with western backed and funded opposition groups? That’s kind of sus don’t you think? I mean come on, it’s gotta raise some red flags for you about what kind of “socialist parties” these are that associate with liberal NGOs and participate in color revolution attempts.
He’s just emulating countries like Hungary, turkey, and India, who are utilizing geopolitical schisms to consolidate authoritarian regimes
Again with this word “authoritarian”. Funny how it’s always used against governments the West doesn’t like. It’s a very unserious word used by unserious people.
Now, the undoubtedly reactionary nature of these governments aside, isn’t it objectively a good thing that they are behaving that way? That they are undermining the western hegemonistic order for their own selfish interests? Hungary for instance has been a real thorn in the side of the pro-Ukraine warmongers in the EU and NATO. As much as i hate Orban, it’s been frankly pretty entertaining to watch. Don’t you want dissent and disunity in the imperialist camp? I certainly do.
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Right, but what makes you think they are actually going to leave the EU?
Are we still talking about Georgia or are you referring to a different country now? Is this a hypothetical scenario in an alternate reality?
Because in this reality Georgia isn’t in the EU, never has been, and, inshallah, never will be.
Putin was also america’s guy, see how that turned out.
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capitalism in the west is fair and free but in Russia is ruthless and authoritarian.
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How does it materially help workers if Russia does fight off NATO? It’s just exchanging one capitalist hierarchy for an even more authoritarian capitalist hierarchy. Their resources and labour are still being extracted from their country into the hands of billionaires.
The enemy of our enemy is our friend, it is as simple as that. When the west focuses it’s resources on fighting Russia, it gives the rest of the world breathing room, thus we have seen progressive movements grow in many places that would’ve been immediately crushed under other circumstances.
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I don’t particularly believe that Russia is anything but the first western state to evolve from capitalism to an authoritarian kleptocracy.
The U.S.?
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who do you think was the person most responsible for Georgia joining the EU?
Georgia isn’t in the EU. I think you’re a bit confused mate.
This article omits that sort of discussion because it is not relevant. This article is about Georgia mending its relations with Russia, which is objectively a good thing for both countries and a defeat for the US empire.
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This isn’t about geopolitics
This is about geopolitics, that’s exactly the point of the article. You seem very fixated on this one individual but there are larger forces at play and there is a bigger geopolitical context that this fits into.
If bourgeois interests that once supported Georgia’s submission to US diktat and aggressive anti-Russian policies are now turning in a different direction and in doing so are daring to draw the ire of the US empire that is a sign of which way the geopolitical winds are blowing.
It means that something has fundamentally changed in the global balance of power and various actors around the world are reorienting according to what they perceive as being in their best interest.
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He has a long established history of supporting whatever side further empowers his grip over Georgian politics and economics.
And currently the West doesn’t seem to be offering that support. They seem to be doing the opposite by organizing protests aimed at toppling the government.
Hell, never mind “Georgian Dream,” I’d even (very critically) support a “Georgian National Socialist” party in the sole and specific action of breaking away from the western imperial bloc (which is the entire cause of Georgia’s political issues to begin with- not that a Nazi party would likely break with their western sweethearts to begin with, to join all the non-white, non-western nations in anti-imperialist struggle at that).
It seems you can’t understand- as your other comments clearly suggest- that we’re dealing with a global world system here, and that imperialism, as the highest stage of capitalism and its most abhorrent, destructive, and explicitly genocidal one is what we’re dealing with. That you fall for the “AuThORitARian” smear in your comments below (without recognizing that the most authoritarian system imaginable, is that of the imperialist bloc against the global democracy which is emerging, however problematic its various actors may be), as well as your clear lack of genuine understanding for the actual realities and constraints of the western military-industrial complex (if you can’t realize the US has been in a neoliberal equivalent of a “wartime economy” for decades, for instance- and if you can’t recognize that the MIC has been running the show for a long while now, and manufactured the current Ukraine crisis, and would simply manufacture some other crisis if that hadn’t been possible) is very telling.
Hell, never mind “Georgian Dream,” I’d even (very critically) support a “Georgian National Socialist” party in the sole and specific action of breaking away from the western imperial bloc.
you said what i didn’t have the guts to say.
- The Georgian Dream Party fucking sucks.
- But any loss on the US’s imperialist machine is a good one.
actually shocked they still hadn’t normalized relations since 2008, my god Russia is on half their border. apparently these bad relations have adversely effected their trade relations as well.
this will surely be a beneficial step forward
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This article does not endorse Georgia’s current ruling party, and neither do we. It is simply pointing out that relations between Georgia and Russia are stabilizing, and that this is a good thing for both countries while at the same time being a blow to the plans of the US empire to drive a wedge between them and turn Georgia into another Ukraine.
Georgia has been a US puppet for decades but it appears that enough people in Georgia have understood that that was not to their advantage and are now seeking to regain their autonomy and adopt a more neutral alignment.
As for the breakaway regions, so long as there is no pressing need for Russia to annex Abkhazia or South Ossetia the status quo is best left as is.
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As long as it catches mice (aka anti-imperialist)
Ye gotta a friend from Georgia, cuz seems like ye speak from someone’s personal experience…
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What part of this article or the post shows support for Georgian Dream specifically? Do you think we support Putin’s party or Iran’s current government in the same way? Not trying to come off as smug
I mean, we do support them, but critically, not blindly like the word “fans” or “aligned” may suggest. I don’t get what’s the difference in this situation wrt Georgia. If you think this isn’t worth critical support you should just say that instead and explain materially why.
critical support for Georgia in their struggle against western imperialism.
this article has completely omitted the role of Bidzina Ivanishvili
I guess the left are supposed to be fans of Bidzina Ivanishvili now
This is faulty logic. Omission of something is not endorsement.
Apparently it’s great news that the left is now aligned with a billionaire
First of all the author of this article does not represent “the left”. His views are his own.
Secondly, nothing in the article suggests alignment with this person you mentioned, because as has already been established, said person is not even mentioned in the piece.
You need to work on your reading comprehension skills. You are reading things into this article that it simply does not say.
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Welcome to the club, buddy. Yes, we CRITICALLY support anyone who throws shit at the U.S Empire. Obviously, Yeltsin’s dog isn’t someone we blindly support. Someone already told you that this is a sign of larger geopolitical reorientation; even if only briefly for a “bartering chip” that shows how the overall world reacts under U.S “international law” and how those reactions are changing compared to even five-six years ago.
That’s it. You should know that the author likely has his own views. That this was likely shared here because we support any chip in the U.S empire and global hegemony, even if only momentarily. “The Left” is a completely disingenuous statement which tells me you likely aren’t a regular here and think we give a shit about people politics. We aren’t Ivanishvili fans. No one here is defending them and multiple people have tried to point out their actual positions to which you just reiterate that we’re supporting X and must believe X.
Are you trying to be a wrecker or something?
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the only governments outside of China that just so happen to be “reorienting” their geopolitical alignments are led by authoritarian conservative governments
You keep using this word “authoritarian”. How are these countries any different from the average western capitalist country? What exactly is so much more “authoritarian” about them?
I’ve been told that, but I haven’t seen any kind of evidence supporting the theory.
The example you’re discussing is the evidence. Reorientation does not mean fully reoriented. It means things are changing. An example that shows a changing relationship is evidence that relationships are changing. This remains true even if you don’t like the type of change or if things go back to the way they were.
At the moment we are still witnessing quantitative changes. Enough of those and we will see qualitative changes. The fact of quantitative change does not discount the fact of change i.e. reorientation.
