“So, it is war – we know who our enemy is. But we encourage everybody in the world – freedom is worth fighting for.” – Gia Jandieri, New Economic School
Last week Russian tanks entered the South Ossetian region of the Republic of Georgia. Since Friday the violence has escalated, with battles on the ground and airstrikes on several Georgian towns, including the captial of Tbilisi. Russia claims to be acting on behalf of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But, even amidst a promised ceasefire and the withdrawal of Georgian troops, bombings continued. Martial Law has been declared for two weeks, Georgian websites have been targeted by cyber warfare and are down and people are evacuating the capital.
Atlas’s friends in Georgia at the New Economic School have kept us informed about what is taking place in their country:
Not only is this news disheartening due to it’s unjust nature, but it is particularly worrisome given the great potential for economic freedom and reform that Georgia has shown in recent years. Low tax rates, hospital privatization, among several other reforms, put Georgia on the track to great prosperity. Yes, the nation has it’s issues, but it stood to be another example of the growth that could occur from limited government and individual liberty.
We hope and pray for a speedy and just resolution.
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My heart sinks at this news of Russian troops apparently now headed to Tbilisi. It was just two years ago that I had the pleasure of visiting what was clearly a city and country on the upswing. It was on that trip that we announced that Georgia’s New Economic School had won Atlas’s Freda Utley Prize for Advancing Liberty, and now our email is full of ominous messages from our friends at NES. Gia and Paata and friends, you’re in our thoughts and prayers…
People of the world. You deceive! World mass media conduct propagation of a false information. Russia DID NOT ATTACK Georgia! 07.08.2008 at 22:00 Georgia has attacked South Ossetia. At 3:30 08.08.2008 tanks of the Georgian armies have entered into city Tskhinvali. Artillery bombardment all the day long proceeded, fights with use of tanks and heavy combat material, both against ossetic armies, and against peace inhabitants were conducted. 1400 civil people already were lost. The Russian peacemakers have arrived to South Ossetia in the evening 08.08.2008 for settlement of the conflict and prompting of the world in republic and protection of the Russian citizens living on territory of South Ossetia. Georgia has attacked South Ossetia on eve of Olympiad, it is top of cruelty and cynicism. Proofs and video-materials look on : http://www.1tvrus.com/ , http://www.1tv.ru/owa/win/ort6_main.main , http://www.rian.ru/ , http://www.vesti.ru/news , news.ntv.ru/ , http://www.ren-tv.com/ , http://www.newsru.com/ .We shall tell is not present to WAR!!!
Thank you for your comments Aleksander, unfortunately, all of your sources are in Russian, which the majority of our readers cannot understand. Perhaps you could provide sources for your arguments in English, then our readers will have the opportunity to judge for themselves.