Robert Bradbury <bradbury@genebee.msu.su> wrote:
> It tooks some time for me to understand the situation in Chechniya
> because we really don't understand Russian history very well.
If you actually understand what's going on in Chechnia, I'd love
to have it explained to me. Or rather, can anybody recommend any
pointers on where to read up on this "conflict"?
All I know about that situation I got from the popular press--which
means I effectively know zilch.
It all started with the Russian army moving into Dagestan to quell
some independence movement there. Then the Russians crossed the
border into neighboring Chechnia, supposedly only to hunt down
Dagestan rebels who had fled there. Somehow this changed into a
mop-up of all of Chechnia, and now we have another siege of Grosny.
Dagestan is entirely forgotten.
I don't even know *who* the Russian army is fighting. "Terrorists"?
Obviously some kind of guerillas. I mean, this is the Russian army.
Who are those people that manage to put up what seems to amount to
fairly effective resistance? And what keeps the Russians from
crushing them? Lack of money? Commanders' incompetence? Political
considerations? I can't believe that the Russian army is incapable
of putting an end to this quickly.
Now, desperately trying to turn this back into a marginally extropian
issue:
> However the situation in Chechniya and the recent articles on micro-states
> do point out some very interesting problems we will be facing.
And where can I get information on what's going on in such situations?
Waiting ten years and reading the history books will probably lead
to the best quality information, but obviously this approach isn't
always applicable.
> Will the only solution be for the pro-technology people to move to
> a specific location and declare independence? If so, how does one
> accomplish this.
The same way it's always worked in history:
Grab land.
Declare independence.
Fight bloody war for independence.
Win.
-- Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.rhein-neckar.de
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 14:02:10 MDT