Soviets Get Nostalgic

Russia is up to some of its old Soviet tricks: military grandstanding, corruption — even shooting down planes over foreign soil.

None of this prepared me for the sad state of South Ossetia. A breakaway republic formerly part of Georgia, it is not recognized by any foreign governments except for Russia and Abkhazia, its sister breakaway republic. Foreign journalists are harassed, arrested, and often told they need to return to Georgia. Russian troops walk the streets, and much of the population works for the security services or in law enforcement to squelch dissent and end demonstrations. The “security” is paid for by the Russian government. The rest of the population is forced into subsistence farming.

You ought to read the article. The word “former” in the title is, I believe, an attempt at humor:

Travels in the former Soviet Union