Friendship linked our dinner with Irakli and Anna, our drive to the Caucasus Mountains, and our final discussions in Tbilisi on conflict resolution. Friends inspire us to escape the monasticism of our thinking by asking us to embrace people who live outside our home.

October 1st saw once again that liberalism does not equal democracy.

On Tuesday, Georgian TV unveiled unprecedented facts of torture and rape of inmates, some of whom are under age of 18 that were used by the government of Mikheil Saakashvili, friend of Mr. Bush and Senator McCain.  This is not just a copy of Aby Ghraib tortures but even going further.

“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”  —George Orwell

Zurab Rtveliashvili is one of the authors of polyphonic discourse poetry and shmazi transformative street theater.  His books are widely read in Georgia and in Europe and he is a prolific performer.  His book Anarx and his street theater performances have influenced very much the events at Georgia's 2003 "Rose Revolution".

Georgia is one of the top recipients of American aid.

George W. Bush called Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili a “Beacon of Democracy” of the new world in 2005.  Saakashvili had always supported the Iraq War and all other wars and has even started his own war with Russia. George Bush was trying to help him, and Saakashvili returned a favor.  He has named a street after Mr. Bush.