I know -- so what else is new?
After bucking the Russians to secure the independence of Kosova, the United States now finds itself in an awkward position: defend the rights of the South Ossetians against Georgia, its close ally in Iraq, or do the right thing by the South Ossetians even though it promotes Russian foreign policy?
We could avoid this kind of problem if we pursued a morally consistent foreign policy. With respect to secession, the only stand a nation that is itself the product of secession can take is to promote the self-determination of all peoples. As the Liberty or Death article linked above explains, Ossetia is an area that has been divided between Russia and Georgia. The South Ossetians simply want to reunite with their North Ossetian brethren. The Russians have given them a high degree of autonomy, which seems to satisfy them.
If the American government were morally credible, the United States might offer its good offices as a neutral mediator between the three parties to this dispute to work out a settlement most satisfactory to the South Ossetians.
However, the American government is not morally credible, and isn't likely to get any more so...
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