This is the future of war...

[softball]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

disinformation campaigns are as old as the hills. Propaganda in all it's forms is a very old trick, you can go back to WWI or so and find radio stations set up to send the message to the population of the opposition, claiming all is well. The Korean war was packed with this sort of thing, and to this day the US spends tens of millions of dollars each year to try to broadcast into Cuba.

Hacking websites or trying to shut down web access is a very useful way at this point to create disinformation or at least to stop the flow. Heck, sending in a bunch of geek troops to take over data centers and redirect traffic or modify websites would probably be a really interesting way to change the tide of a battle.

This is beyond propaganda. I remember when they shut down Lithuania. In a couple of days the country was nearly paralyzed. This brings commerce and communications to a halt. This is Russia pushing buttons. Putin, as I have said many times, is hell bent on restoring Russia as a Superpower. Just recently, the US had been referred to as the world's only superpower. Think again. Russia is consolidating its control over all of Europe through energy. And this idiot Bush thought that Georgia would be a great addition to NATO. Wait and see what the Russians do in Cuba next. There is not much anyone can do to stop them.
As Russia gets stronger, they will make sure that Iran is taken care of. The Israelis and Americans can bluster and bullshit all they like, but Putin knows that an alliance with Iran gives him an Iron grip on the world's oil supply.
Georgia is just the tip of the iceberg. Also remember Stalin was Georgian and there is still a lot of support for Russia in Tbilisi.
I think this is the kick off of a new world order and it will happen pretty quickly.
The next US president will need to be resolute and get the economy back in order and cut the oil umbilical quickly.