This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, August 22, 2008. I'm Caleb Brown.

The Russia, Georgia conflict is further exposed weakness in NATO and the United States

ability to project power around the globe.

So what is the U.S. to do?

Stanley Kober, Research Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute comments.

One of the lessons I think the Russians learned from the experience of the Soviet Union.

Empires are expensive.

That's why they let it go.

You know, when Gorbitrov took over, I was beginning to see stories I saw them even earlier

you know the cost of the empire it's just it's just bleeding us dry you know it wasn just Afghanistan, so you have to support all these other countries.

And we Americans should recognize that.

How did this country come into being no taxation without representation?

What was that as a result of of the French and Indian War?

The British said, oh, you know, Imperial Defense is expensive.

You should contribute to your defense.

And we said, fine, we should have a voice then in Parliament.

And I said, that's not the way it works.

And we know how that story went.

Well then let me ask you this.

Did Georgia have a

have a profound misunderstanding of these entrees

that they may have had in terms of being welcomed somewhat to a path

...