American democracy is malfunctioning to the detriment of our foreign-policy decision making. The hysterical and one-sided U.S. media coverage of the August war between Russia and Georgia is just the most recent example.

For now, the moment is Obama's. He has the opportunity to create the anti-Reagan coalition, which is clearly his aim. In my view, the pundit class continues to underestimate his real ambition. He wants to go down as one of the great presidents in history.

Because all of us are individually rebels against the system of lies and violence, against the system which was probably never stronger and more cunning. Our creations are our flags of resistance.

In just a matter of months, the Kosovo precedent has backfired on the United States and generated dangerous tensions between Russia and the West.

The one thing it does not clarify is who is ultimately responsible for an American policy towards Russia that since  the collapse of the Soviet Union has been aggressive, militarily overbearing, and threatening to the integrity of Russia, to absolutely no useful purpose.

It is now the people of Georgia who are paying the price for the stupidity of EU Foreign Ministers such as Dermot Ahern’s with the currency of their lives.

The Serbian general public is practically undivided when it comes to opposing Kosovo's independence, and even though it is lacking a clear idea about what would be an ideal solution.

As war rages between Georgia and Russia, some NATO advocates argue that peace would reign had the Western alliance offered Georgia a Membership Action Plan last spring. Actually, Georgian and Russian perceptions of potential NATO support for Georgia almost certainly radicalized both sides, making war all but certain.