If you’re thinking about a great present for someone special, consider a gift of Georgian wine. Today’s New York Times has two great essays on the improvements in the Georgian wine industry: “In Georgia, a Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Wine” and “Where Visits End with Toasts.”
A purchase of Georgian wine would be one small response, considering recent events, to the gift given yesterday to President Vladimir Putin, on his birthday.
So I guess this means you have definitive evidence that Putin ordered the death of Anna Politkovskaya. Not bloody likely.
And when you drink that Georgian wine — bitter stuff, that — you might propose a toast to the “democratic” dictatorship of Saakashvili, who is busy arresting his opponents, closing down the opposition media, and filling his notorious jails with dissidents. Pretty disgusting for a “libertarian.”
No, Justin.* I don’t have such proof, which is why I didn’t write or even suggest that Putin ordered Politkovskaya’s death. Someone gave him a birthday present. The timing was clear to everyone. I hope that we find out who did it. (Indeed, most people don’t make gifts to themselves. They’re usually given by somebody else. But the leads should be followed wherever they might go.)
Unlike you, I have drunk Georgian wine and it’s quite good. I’ll be in Georgia soon. It’s not perfect (one reason to go and visit), but it’s no dictatorship. Just check out the meetings of the opposition, the free elections, and the opposition media.
*Giving a phony Slavic name and a “moskva.ru” email address but posting from an Internet Service Provider in Marina Del Rey, which is where the other Justin Raimondo postings come from. Really. You’ve gotta come up with another schtick. Being an active, enthusiastic, and slavish defender of Russian imperialism is one thing. That’s just evil. But being stupid. That’s something else.
Thank you, Tom, for the information about the articles. The situation in the Caucasus is very worrying and this is a good reminder that trade helps freedom. The cutoff of all trade to Georgia and Moldova by the Russian government is an act of aggression, all justified as protection from “health threats”.
What does the first commenter mean by ‘bitter stuff’ ??? Georgian wine is famous for being sweet. That is what people from the former USSR usually prefer. I myself prefer some of the semi-sweet varieties. There are also good Georgian wines on the market that are dry and the quality is improving for all of them. The first commenter clearly has never had Georgian wine, not even the counterfeits made in Russia, which are really sweet, but also not good. I have not been to Georgia, but I like their wines.
Can you imagine that they closed my fav Georgian in Moscow? What next? make the Valery Meladze CD’s disappear from the stores? NV
Georgian wine is great for good taste and for friendship. Drink it and make toasts to freedom!
Its a little late to comment on this post however here is a nice send-up by the Economist on the underlying tensions between Georgia and Russia, I especially liked this quotable blurb: “Every country that teams up with Russia ends up regretting it.”
Economist: Georgia’s Prospects
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8068850&fsrc=RSS