the tbilisi matador

by Mark Hunter Mulvey

Published: August 12, 2008

“In bullfighting there is a term called querencia. The querencia is the spot in the ring to which the bull returns. Each bull has a different querencia, but as the bullfight continues, and the animal becomes more threatened, it returns more and more often to his spot. As he returns to his querencia, he becomes more predictable. And so, in the end, the matador is able to kill the bull because instead of trying something new, the bull returns to what is familiar. His comfort zone.” - Carly Fiorina, (b. 1954)

“Any occurrence requiring undivided attention will be accompanied by a compelling distraction.” - Robert Bloch, American fiction Writer (1917-1994)

Nestled squarely between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia should be the very symbol of racial harmony and acceptance. But the world we live in is not governed by linguistic anomalies, as Georgian forces have been accused by Moscow of “ethnic cleansing” pursuits in an effort to rid the country of native Russians.

This forms the backdrop to the recent conflict, which is seeing a Russian military stomp toward the Georgian capital of Tbilisi in what the Russian government claims is an act “to protect the separatist Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia’s military.” It’s an ugly political mess with no clearly defined poles on which to side. Georgia’s surprise attack on the province of South Ossetia - the move that ignited this crisis - was made in an effort to reclaim South Ossetia as its own after sixteen years of muddled ownership. The U.S. motive in the affair is foggy (but, for what it’s worth, Georgia is part of the U.S. supported “Southern-energy corridor” due to its oil deposits. George W. Bush has been vocally opposed to Russia’s actions), and Russia’s rationale is questionable at best.

I can barely grasp all the angles and pawns here, but the timing of these cascading events brought forth some clarity. I was reminded of China’s relations with Tibet (touched on here in a previous Rebuttal piece), and the “world’s stage” that is presently ongoing in Beijing. It so happens that Bush’s public denouncement of Russia’s military policy occurred the very day he arrived back at the White House from his excursion at the Olympic Games.

It seems Georgia used the Athletic Distraction in Beijing as their red cape of misdirection, a strategy that Tibetan rebels used in reverse in March, when they took advantage of China’s spotlight to shed light on the violent oppression occurring in Nepal. One thing is undeniable: the Olympic Games continue to influence foreign policy and violent motives (a concept that almost necessitates a mention of the Munich massacre).

It makes poetic sense: the Games are a collection of the most focused and intense athletes on the planet, a tradition that began in Greece and no doubt featured some of the finest warriors among them. Focus and intensity require a complete rejection of distraction - these are the perfect conditions for an enemy to strike. Our global contest leaves the globe susceptible to attack.

This is not a new concept, and all nations are very aware of this danger. Some argue that we should do away with the Olympics altogether, but I argue the opposite: The Olympic Games enhance vigilance as much as they promote distraction. The nationalist spirit present during these times can actually heighten the world’s awareness of impending violence, and it is crucial that the whole world never fall into a comfortable rut of inattention for more than 4 years at a time.

The Olympics strike me as highlighting basic military strategy: imagine a bull that avoids deception and, instead, uses the red cape to pinpoint where exactly the matador’s vital organs lie. Any distraction can serve to bring greater focus on that which warrants the distraction.

Georgia may have used the Olympics as their red cape, but Russia’s swift reaction makes me wonder if they could see the Tbilisi matador the whole time.

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