Monday, March 17, 2014

A word of wisdom regarding some of the extremism found in the post soviet states.

If one recalls Oliver Stone put together a series of history programs. He did review the history of the extremism now found in the Ukraine. 

These groups have facilitated the change of government in these nations. They appear to be the bad guys because The West is accustomed to viewing them in that light. The question comes to mind, how extreme do movements need to become to push back against Russia. Russia is a major military nation. What chance do these nations have in stopping Russia?

It would be a mistake to ignore the fact it takes this type of right wing movement to take back their government from Russian influence and control. The way of bringing them into alignment with international standards of civility and government is to welcome them to their new status. Empowerment of their cause needs to be a focus and not their methods to achieve that status. They have proven their priorities in the 2004 Ukraine Constitution. These people are not to be feared. The sooner their iconic status is replaced with legitimate governing, the sooner Russia will no longer have ammunition for it's propaganda as occurred in the Crimea.

These people are ready to govern. They have sacrificed a great deal to achieve this status. Stigmatizing them would only lend to Russia's plans to end their autonomy.

The Ukraine has no reason to focus on oppressive social laws or stigmatizing any aspect of the diversity of its population. It needs to solve it's problems. That needs to be the focus of the people as well and not this Russia distraction with faux attempts to annex land. International observers have stated the referendum went forward with calm in the Crimea, but, the vote was under the gun and illegitimate regardless of what Moscow claims.

Conn Hallinan

...The Ukraine is in deep economic trouble, (click here) and for the past year the government has been casting about for a way out. Bailout negotiations were opened with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU), but the loan would have required onerous austerity measures that, according to Citibank analyst Ivan Tchakarov, would “most probably mean a recession in 2014.”

It was at this juncture that Yanukovych abandoned talks with the EU and opened negotiations with the Russians. That turn around was the spark for last November’s demonstrations.

But as Ben Aris, editor of Business News Europe, says “Under the terms of the EU offer of last year—which virtually nobody in the Western media has seriously examined—the EU was offering $160 million per year for the next five years, while just the bond payments to the IMF were greater than that.”

Russia, however, “offered $15 billion in cash and immediately paid $3 billion…Had Yanukovych accepted the EU deal, the country would have collapsed,” says Aris....