U.S. to announce over $1 billion in aid for Georgia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration will announce on Wednesday an aid package of more than $1 billion to help Georgia rebuild after its war with Russia over the separatist enclave of South Ossetia last month, U.S. officials said.

The aid was to be unveiled as Vice President Dick Cheney began a trip to the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine designed to show U.S. support for its allies in the region despite Russia's military intervention.

Moscow sent tanks and troops into Georgia last month to crush the Georgian government's attempt to reassert control over South Ossetia.

Russia's action, and its subsequent recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region, as independent states has drawn condemnation from the West but few tangible actions to punish Moscow.

Sources familiar with the U.S. aid package said it was expected to total about $1.07 billion for reconstruction, with $570 million to be disbursed this year and $500 million subsequently. None of the money is expected to go for military aid, a highly sensitive issue to Moscow, the sources said.

A significant proportion would be devoted to budget support as well as to rebuild housing, transportation and other infrastructure destroyed in the conflict, one source said.

The White House plans to approach the campaigns of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain to seek their commitment to continue the assistance after President George W. Bush leaves office on January 20, the sources said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to announce the aid package Georgia and Bush was to issue a statement about it.

I am getting tired of stunts like this. Why the fuck should we fork over a billion dollars to aide Georgia, when we can't even afford our own expenses? How come we don't force Russia to pay for the damages they've made in Georgia's country?

These asshole Republicans have no problem sending our money overseas and helping other countries but we can't give money to our own citizens to help them. We seem to care more about other countries than we do our own. Isn't this fucking sad? Fuck the other countries! Fuck the Republicans! You assholes are going to have your asses handed to you in November.

Wasteful Spending?

The conservative Republicans talk a lot about keeping taxes low and cutting wasteful spending, but what do they mean by wasteful spending? You know what I call wasteful spending? All the money we're wasting in that shithole named Iraq. Now that's what I call wasteful spending. They don't seem to mind dumping ten billion dollars a month into Iraq, though. But god forbid, should we establish a national health care system and let the government foot the bill. Nope, we can't have that. I could think of a lot of ways to wisely spend that money here in our own country – to our own benefit.

And not only wasteful spending, but look at all of the lives sacrificed on this meaningless war in Iraq. Do the Republican Conservatives really think we're going to win the war in the long haul? I think not. The Islamic extremists have nothing to lose. They will sacrifice their own lives because they are convinced they are doing right, and will do everything and anything in their power to defeat us. Other than their lives, they have nothing to lose. We are the ones who are fighting to retain what is ours. Look at what this war is doing to our economy. It is killing us. The value of our dollar is decreasing, while the Euro is getting stronger. We are in debt like never before. We're borrowing money from China because we can't afford our expenses here at home. Fuel prices are skyrocketing. Our own citizens are struggling to survive and our own government doesn't seem to give a fuck. We are crumbling. We're indebted to China and soon they are going to own us.

And these asshole Republicans are naive to think we are winning? HELLO!! The Islamists are winning! We're in the exact position they want us to be in. We are the one sacrificing our young soldiers.

The Islamists are going to win, folks. It's only a matter of time. Those who have nothing to lose will always prevail over those who are trying to protect something. We are the losers, and the sooner we realize that, the better off we'll be.