End of the Saakashvili era

[luvdovz]

There's an election going on in Georgia as we speak (the country Georgia, the one in the Caucasus). And it marks the end of an era. The era of Mikheil Saakashvili. After two terms at the helm, he doesn't have the right to run again for president. So he's stepping down. But the deep mark he left in the Georgian society remains.

Comments

[htpcl]

The Saakashvili era actually ended last year. Or at least started to end. With the first peaceful change of guard since Georgian independence, the pendulum started swinging toward the opposition (who are in control now).

Saakashvili was too focused on the relations with the West and overlooked quite a few crucial domains domestically, starting with the judicial system (which he failed to reform) and ending with social measures and steps to balance the budget. And don't even get me started on the whole South Ossetian thing which virtually sealed his fate. He took a big gamble there, relying on support from the West, but he had done his calculations wrong. In fact he failed to realize that the West has little to no influence in Caucasus. So he bet on the wrongest card possible.

As for the new rulers, they might be a bit more pragmatic than him (really... in hindsight, anyone might be more pragmatic than him), but if anyone believes they'd embrace Putin now, they're getting it all wrong again.

[underlankers]

It's kind of ironic that a failed strongman did a great deal to boost the cause of democracy unintentionally. Nonetheless it seems that's what Saakashvili managed to do in spite of himself.

[rimpala]

I never understood why "The West" always has to set the standard for what is good for a country. Like eww you Asians should stop acting so Asian all the time!

[sophia_sadek]

Chauvinism is a peculiar beast.

[rimpala]

This is now a discussion on gender.

[sophia_sadek]

Male chauvinism is not the original chauvinism just as racial bigotry is not the original bigotry.

[luvdovz]

Probably not for the reasons most people might expect, i.e. "the new guy is Russia-friendly". For lack of viable support from the West, they might rather be compelled to, let's call it, "take Russia's interests in consideration".