Georgian Success And The Power Of Freedom

S. John Massoud writes of a heart-warming story of triumph out of Eastern Europe .  The Republic of Georgia, a key ally in the "coalition of the willing" in Iraq, had its first free and truly fair election in its history [over the weekend].  And it seems that current President, Mikhail Saakashvili won a large victory with 52.8% of the vote.  This election and its results are significant for several reasons:

1) Other than in the Ukraine and the Baltic States, most elections in the former Soviet Republics have been little better than propaganda, with the incumbent winning 90 or more percent of the vote.  However in this election, the Republic of Georgia invited in about 2000 election monitors and 160 media organizations from around the world, including the Associated Press. 

2) Georgia is the land that also gave to us such monsters of history as Stalin and Lavrenty Beria, the former KGB head who ordered the murder and torture of over 1 million Russians, Ukrainians, and once had 10,000 Georgians murdered when his own people demanded their independence from the USSR.  To see it go from the land of Stalin to a successful democracy shows that freedom and democracy can flourish anywhere. 

3) Just a few months ago, separatist protesters went into the streets of Tbilisi and demanded that Saakashvili resign, charging corruption.  Saakashvili responded with tear gas and water cannons.  There was some concern among Western nations that the ideals of the Rose Revolution may be short lived.  However with a free election having multiple candidates that was so obviously fair, one can see that democracy is taking hold in Georgia. 

4) In the past in the rough and tumble world of Soviet politics, a political loser would lose all priveliges and maybe even his life.  However after this recent election, Saakashvili and Gachechiladze met at a church service on their Christmas Eve (December 6) to show that while they may be political opponents, they were Georgians first and foremost.  As recently as 4 years ago in the Ukraine, current President Victor Yushchenko was poisoned, most likely by his opponent Victor Yanukovich.

Georgia is a country on the rise.  They have an economic growth rate of 9.4% and their average per capita income has doubled in the past 3 years from $1800 per person per annum in 2004 to $3,900 per person in 2007.  While still very low, this is a very significant rise in the standard of living. 

Saakashvili has also steered Georgia toward being an ally of the West, and Georgia will soon be applying to NATO for membership.  Even when we were having problems in Iraq, the Georgians did not cut and run, but instead upped their troop level to 3,000 combat and support troops.

Why should you care about this?

This is important for two reasons.  First, the foreign relations aspect - when we help other nations free themselves from tyranny, they're usually pretty friendly to us, right?  And, when it comes to foreign relations, you can never have too many friends.  Second, and probably the most important, it shows that people everywhere in the world have the desire and ability to live free and independently.  Quite simply, this is the right thing to do.  Setting people free to achieve their greatest dreams -- which can only happen in a free society -- is a true gift.  Look at how their economy has grown in just the past few years!  Some of these Eastern European nations are the biggest American allies in Europe precisely because we helped them get free of Communism and oppression.  If Georgia, with its hideous past, can scratch its way to true democracy and freedom, any nation can.  Bush understands that, and it's one of the driving motives behind U.S. action in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.  America was founded on these principles, and has become the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth because of it.  How can we not seek to spread our success to others and let them experience the same awakening?

There's my two cents.