Unsophisticated low-down

Alright, here is the unsophisticated low-down from John (as of today). Please tell me otherwise if you have a different opinion.

Georgia is a major corridor country for Caspian-basin oil to Euro-Atlantic markets, via the Baku-Ceylon pipeline from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Once the cross-Caspian pipeline connects Turkmenistan with Baku, Russia loses a monopoly on the European gas market from the -stan countries, which it currently holds. As everyone knows, fossil fuel energy is non-sustainable limiting resource, so those that control the next (and probably last) 50 years of supply hold the keys to global and regional political and economic power.

Washington wants a stable government in Georgia so that the pipeline keeps flowing. Moscow wants a pro-Russian government in Georgia so that the pipeline keeps flowing... under Moscow control. Washington policy in Georgia is to support any democratic government that comes around with lots of candy in order to promote free market economic development (western), while Moscow policy is to create or maintain at least a minimum level of chaos so that no Georgian government, democratic or otherwise, can stand on its feet long enough to dream of asserting itself beyond the "Russian sphere of influence." In other words, when it comes to Georgia, peace works in favor of Washington, war works in favor of Moscow.

One would think that the Georgians might just leave the frozen conflicts to the side and focus on rapid economic growth, so that eventually they could entice Abkhazia and South Ossetia into an economic partnership of traditional South Caucasian allies. After all, the interests of Moscow are obvious to all parties here and every Caucasian group knows their own history with Russian invasion and conquest.

But Moscow knows that Georgia will never allow slivers of its country to be shaved off without a fight, because this has been the main flash point for Georgian resistance and fighting for the last 3000 years. They are not about to change now. By maintaining the 'frozen conflicts,' Moscow knows that Georgia will never manage a 'rapid growth,' as Washington hopes and expects, but will continuously bog themselves down in internal fights and sometimes, such as now, in debilitating armed conflicts.

In this case, Moscow policy is more effective than Washington policy for meeting its unspoken agenda but ultimately, it sows seeds of hatred that will last into future generations and result in future conflicts.