The Prague spring then and Ossetia today?

On this day 40 years ago was the day of the Soviet intervention in the Czechoslovakian reform movement, later to be called the Prague spring. It was a brutal military act against a country which should be an allay, and in which, the leaders tried to learn from the fail Hungarian uprising that failed in 1956. Dubček didn’t want to provoke Moscow, and clearly stated he wouldn’t leave neither communism, nor the Warszaw pact. But for Breznev this was not enough, and his freezing “Not even I can do as I want”, as comment, just closed the iron curtain like then what would seem like forever. It’s peculiar, the reforms of mr Mikhail Gorbatsjov in the 80ties, have lot in common with those from Dudcek and his men. And in the velvet revolution of 1989, the Prague spring finally got is summer, to be a little poetic, here.

Nowadays, the situation is not very poetic in Ossetia, and the tension between Russia and NATO, espescially Russia and USA, is turning very bad. In my opinon, the conflict is more between these super powers (or wannabes), than between Russia and Georgia. Not to mention South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which everyone seems to forget now. From Russian side, the aggression from Georgia towards their independent seeking republics, is compared both to the attack of 9/11 and Saddam Hussein’s violence in northern Irac. The message to the USA is clear, you attacked then, we attack now. From USA and – a little less – from NATO, thoughts go back to the Prague spring, and the Russian intervention now, is compared to the Soviet intervention then.

I think both this comparisons is partly redicilous, partly dangerous. By changing history, Russia is made to be a greater aggressor and a bigger enemy, than they should be. The intervention in Prague in 1968 was completly wrong, it was a one sided demonstration of power and violence against a peaceful allied. In South Ossetia, no one should forget Georgia shot first shot. And the self declered peace keeping NATO and USA allience, should make a thought or two on how they reacted, in a similar situation in former Yugoslavia not that many years ago.