"However, I think the Georgians brought the mess down upon themselves...or rather, their government leaders did."

So, how many dead Georgians from South Ossetian attacks do you think they should have allowed before respnding?

The attacks against Georgia preceeded the Georgian offensive, if you look at the timeline. There was a truce ( by the Georgians) as of 7 Aug, which the Ossetians broke ( according to at least one side)

How can you determine the "blame" when the truth about what happened is still in doubt?