Track Mangoes

Yesterday, Tuesday the 12th, 2008, I and millions of Americans, in a vain attempt to retain consciousness at work and appear busy, fled to the internet. We were greeted by a large headline on the MSN homepage which read, in large, bold letters, "Should we punish Russia?" Morbid curiosity led me to read the corresponding MSNBC article (found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26159742/?GT1=43001/). At the bottom of the page, after reading the article, I saw in the "more from msnbc" section another appauling headline: Images: Swimmers smooch, gymnast heartbreak. (Jens, do you want the url?) These are grossly sensationalistic headlines. However onto more pressing matters, what the article on Russia revealed was, to put it lightly, discouraging. The introduction paragraph reads:

"WASHINGTON - Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of powerful nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday."

Bravo MSNBC! Everything is forgiven. In one paragraph you have provided a succinct summary of all of the issues at stake, and even hinted at hidden significances that lie festering beneath your sensational journalism. All our glorious western power has been reduced, essentially, to kicking Russia out of an exclusive club. They go on to say, "Washington and its friends have been forced to face the uncomfortable reality that their options are limited to mainly symbolic measures, such as boycotting Russian-hosted meetings and events, that may have little or no long-term impact on Russia’s behavior, the officials said." The is all in direct contradiction with what president Bush told a crowd in Georgia in 2005, "The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy, but you will not travel it alone. Americans respect your courageous choice for liberty. And as you build a free and democratic Georgia, the American people will stand with you." Apparently we will only stand with them symbolically.

Above all, this headline prompted me to write this post today in lieu of checking the headlines. I'm sure it was a better use of my time.