Is West still best?

By joining Nato, the EU and other Western organizations, the Czechs made a clear statement about where they belong. That was then, this is now. The Georgia conflict is altering the map. Recent comments by Vladimir Putin suggest that the conflict will accelerate the already rapid shift in global power, wealth and influence from the West to the East. When asked by ARD why he had risked isolating Russia, Putin said the world doesn't end with the U.S. and Europe. When asked by CNN about the possibility of being excluded from the G8, he questioned the significance of a group that doesn't include China and India. That's about as clear as Russian vodka. Russia's pipeline, trade and military deals can't be renegotiated overnight, so the Czechs have several years to decide whether they want to go down with the West, up with the East, or find a happy middle ground in the middle of Europe. [Czech Republic Group of Eight Canada France Germany Italy Japan Russia U.K. United Kingdom U.S. United States of America European Union North Atlantic Treaty Organization]