Kosovo - South Ossetia and Independance

I began writing some months ago on the Kosovo Independence situation, wondering aloud if this sets a precedent for other people groups to try and remove themselves from recognized nations in the world.

Gates of Vienna does a nice write up on some articles obviously relating Kosovo to the current problems in South Ossetia (Georgia) and other people groups in and around Russia.

If you were a United Nations expert, or even State Department expert in the US, what position would you take on these people groups attempting to establish independence worldwide. What is the affect on Israel, Pakistan, China, Russia, the Kurds in Iraq, or a whole host of Balkan and Caucasian nation-states?

Could race and language tensions be the "wall breakers" of our century? Where capitalism brought down the Soviet empire, can people groups bring down dictators in Russia, China, and Iran? Is there a silver lining possible?