Try the Wine of Freedom

Today's Diena includes commentary by the veteran columnist Askolds Rodins, "Gruzijas mugurkauls" ("Georgia's backbone," in Latvian). Georgia and Moldova, small countries whose sovereignty has been crippled by so-called "frozen conflicts," are the two primary beneficiaries of Latvian development aid.

In English, David McDuff's blog is one of the best spots on the Internet for those following the most recent of Russia's attempts to recapture its sphere of influence.

David notes that Gennady Onishchenko, Russia’s chief health inspector, used the term “territorial-national formation” when describing Georgia -- Russia destroyed 70 000 liters of Georgian-produced alcohol last week.

The photograph is from an article in Ukrayinska Pravda (available in English) anent a Kyiv ad campaign for Georgian wine ("banned in Russia!"). Bearing in mind that the "cartoon scandal" may have actually helped the Danish economy (which The Guardian seems unhappy about), I recommend opposing Russia's renascent imperialist ambitions by buying Georgian wine. Georgia produces some of the best wines I've ever savored.

Update: the crisis continues to escalate, with Lt. Col. Putin issuing "shoot to kill" orders. Besides David's blog, a good place to keep up with events is the UNA-Georgia Magazine.