Before democratic Georgia disappears down a memory hole — if it is to do that — I thought I’d cite a couple of things. I found them in a Wall Street Journal article, dated August 11. I was interested in, “Faced with corruption, [President] Saakashvili decided to tackle the traffic police, hated in Georgia and across the ex-Soviet Union for the bribes they extort from drivers. He fired half of the 30,000-strong force.” Sounds Reaganesque.
And, “Mr. Saakashvili introduced flat taxes and started enforcing collection. The government budget soared.” Finally, there was that gross provocation, the opening of a museum of Soviet oppression in Tbilisi. (When they established the House of Terror in Budapest, the “post-Communist Left” — if post it be — screamed bloody murder (so to speak).)
Yes, let us remember democratic Georgia, if it slips away . . .