Here is why i have supported any involvement from the West (including from the US) in Ukraine - with one new reason... 1.) This is NOT a civil war - It never has been. Maidan was a civil war - and the folks who aligned with freedom and democracy prevailed. Everything post Maidan has been Russian fueled, funded and stoked. Were it not for Russian propaganda (see point 2) and confusion - there would not be such fear in the East - yes Ukraine did some silly things after Maidan (like an attack on the Russian language) but t hey have since corrected course, Yes there are some legitimate claims in the East - and they have been and are being listened to. The majority of the people there want peace and want the Peoples Mayors and Peoples governors to give up - but they rule with iron fists and have scared the population. 2.) Russian Propaganda is absolutely horrible. Ive shared this before. But I have talked to many people. Friends, strangers on trains and people I trust and have gotten to know and love. Every one of them tells me of friends, relatives or colleagues afraid to come to Kyiv or Western Ukraine - because they believe that their Russian heritage, Russian passports and Russian language will cause violence to visit them. These are peoples sisters and mothers - calling their family members in Kyiv and Western Ukraine and pleading with them Please.. come to Russia. it is not safe for you there, we hear about the violence and want you home now! There is NO violence towards Russian anything - in fact that is the language I heard most in Kyiv. Ive heard this about peoples family members and friends in Russia and along the border or in the regions in trouble. Ive also heard this from a fellow IT geek - who has heard this from fellow Russian IT geeks who are fearful to come and speak or work in Kyiv because of the propaganda.. Putin has sent horribly effective propaganda. 3.) Russian troops, Russian equipment and Russian intelligence officials have been shown numerous times to work with the separatists and are working to secure Putins interest. He needs Ukrainian Industry. He needs Ukrainian land. He needs Ukraine as a buffer to the rest of Western Europe as he seeks to rebuild an empire hes never lost fondness for. Putin continues to say if Ukraine just stops this all stops except not a single person outside of the range of his propaganda believes it. Im not sure if he even doesnt believe it - I think hes convinced himself. 4.) Putin is dangerous. He has overwhelming support at home - partially because of fear, partially because there is 0 negative coverage of him - lest a reporter or opposition leader end up under house arrest (or worse). He has his nation eating out of his hand - but that is because there is no where else to eat. He has them convinced that going back 30 years to the glory of the USSR and the Russian Empire would be good for them. Except they were even more miserable then and theyve forgotten. By giving him a pass the world is condoning more of his behavior. He is trained by his KGB days in East Germany and beyond to sniff weakness and exploit it... 5.) Russia is in clear, undeniable violation of international laws and norms. 6.) Russia is reminding the world why NATO exists - and in many respects why the League of Nations and later the UN were established... He is on the rise - and he is on the rise to something not good. He is bringing back a cold war. He is opening up Lourdes listsening post and sending Russian intelligence and military workers back there to intercept our signal intelligence. He is seeking to rule his Near abroad and he is now in talks with many in our near abroad to strengthen his relationship with them. 7.) The Budapest Accords was not an internationally binding treaty, I get that - but it was an agreement that the US, UK and Russia made with Ukraine that said Get rid of your Nukes - and you will maintain territorial integrity unmolested by foreign policies - namely Russia.. By turning our backs on this accord - we are sending a clear message to Iran and North Korea and India and Pakistan - ignore any promises the West gives you. 8.) And now it has gotten so bad there that an Airplane with citizens from at least 10 (and counting) nations was just shot down. Yes it was a mistake - but the circumstances that caused it were not a mistake. The lawless rebels - who are not really separatist freedom fighters but Russian paid (at the least, likely actual Russian intelligence and special forces unites there according to Ukraine and their intelligence and reporting with specifics and facts) are likely the ones that did this based on all the facts - even if not them and Ukraine (though they have no air defenses there according to the US - they have little control there in fact at all right now... ) did it - it is still the fault of this situation Putin has had at least a 70% share in igniting and fueling... Its time to stop this. And now. I dont want our troops invading. I dont want our soldiers going into urban combat mode. But it is time we escalate our support beyond giving cases of MREs. It is time for Lethal Aid - serious and biting sector wide sanctions that let Russia know the West stands united (that means Europe - and France who is still trying to sell hardware to Russian military) against them. It is time to put down the hashtags and send NATO and/or UN to this region. It is time for no fly zones. For overflights of NATO air defense or UN air defense patrols. It is time for sharing our most accurate and sophisticated intelligence about what is happening, it is time to provide training, and military hardware. It is time for the West to help Ukraine continue and end this fight to reclaim her land. People have said they want Ukraine to start defending herself first. Look at the news - they have been doing just that for some time. Ukrainian military members are dying. They are bleeding to death on the battlefield without even QuikClot or Combat Tourniquets. They are enlisting as volunteers in droves. They have instituted the draft. They are doing what they can. And they are doing it after the last guy - who Russia is hiding from the Hague still - literally took their entire treasury with his sons and left a nation bankrupt - completely bankrupt in all but heart and a will to survive. This is a clear case of a big bad nation bullying a small, weak nation that they actually helped weaken and get to this point through helping to ensure their guy got elected and then helped him raid the country and escape. If we do nothing other than the weak and non biting BS weve done so far - the message is quite clear to Putin - were weak, and we will let you build and build and do what you want as long as you stay away from NATO member states (for now).. Were setting the stage for some crap well be talking about in the future. I wasnt around for duck and cover drills or visits to fallout shelters. But if we do nothing today that likely will change. Russia is a geopolitical foe - and they are the greatest one. When the calls from some senators and congresspeople start over the next few days to step up our aid, our sanctions and to help encourage Europe to do the same - I will be in full support of that. I will be sad that it took #MH17 to make those calls start. Either way I go to bed praying for the poor families of those souls on the flight. I go to bed praying for the people dealing with what is happening in Gaza right now. Praying for the Ukrainians living in fear, the orphans who are in seriously desperate situations in the midst of fighting with no support.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 03:28:36 +0000
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