September 4,2008: Russia has proclaimed five strategic operating principles for how it will operate in the future. First, Russia observes international law. Second, it rejects U.S. dominance of world affairs in what it calls a unipolar world. Next, it seeks friendly relations with other nations. Fourth, it will defend Russian citizens and business interests abroad. And fifth, it claims its own sphere of influence in the world.

The idea of obeying international law would be commendable if Russia hadn't just invaded Georgia in August and asserted it was going to annex the Georgian separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Its cloak for the Georgian operation was to prevent "genocide" in the two regions. This shifted any blame of international law violation to the Georgian government.

Such Russian doublespeak continued with its insistence that it seeks friendly relations with other nations. Such Russian platitudes reminds one of the constitution of the former Soviet Union. To a reader who didn't know about Soviet terror against its citizens, it might look just like the American Constitution wrapped in extra flowers of freedom.

The old Soviet Constitution guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and the right to religious belief and worship. In addition, the constitution provided for freedom of artistic work, protection of the family, inviolability of the person and home, and the right to privacy. The document also granted the rights to work, rest and leisure, health protection, care in old age and sickness, housing, education, and cultural benefits. Of course it was all a sham. And it sprang from the same source as Russia's twenty-first century operating principles -- the Russian capital of Moscow.

Americans might accept Russia's right to defend its citizens and business interests if the Russian policy wasn't coupled with a direct threat against American dominance on the world scene, and a statement by the Russian president that Russia reserves the right of privileged interests in nations within its sphere of influence, which it does not restrict to border states.

The best that can be said about Russia's five points is that at least the West has been warned.

On September 1, the leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) nations ended a three-hour special summit, and declared that relations with Moscow were at a crossroads because of Russia's invasion of Georgia. Despite pressure from Poland and other former Soviet bloc nations, the EU countries made no mention of diplomatic or economic sanctions against Russia. NATO also has dithered from the beginning. And the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left America's armed forces too extended to move combat troops into Georgia. Because the United States and the world bodies are speaking in whimpers, the past is peeking over our shoulders and breathing heavily into our ears. It is reminding us of 1938 when the UK Prime Minister announced "peace for our time," while the Nazi army was carrying out his own strategic operating principles by overrunning Europe. -- Fred Edwards