Why has the hard left gone soft on Russia?

THE Russian invasion of Georgia got me to thinking of the response of our local politicians in Cork — one in particular, Cllr Mick Barry, a socialist member of the city council.

During the US invasion of Iraq, Mr Barry and his fellow-travellers fought day and night against this unmasked act of imperialist aggression.

Now when Russia flexes its imperial muscles, where is Mr Barry and where are his like-minded colleagues?