a quick post-midnight comment on Ukraine, differing somewhat from Art Kazars. One begins with the reality that there are no good guys - both sides in Ukraine are led by corrupt oligarchs (and Putin himself is an oligarch, so Russia is not, in that sense, any better). But what happened in Kiev was, in part, a genuine popular uprising against both ruling parties. Sadly, it broke down when the negotiations led by German and Polish diplomats and accepted by the rebels, was broken less than a week later when mobs stormed Parliament, forced the leaders of the majority party to flee, including the President. Remember, this was the elected government. What holds power now is a government installed by a coup. It is not at this time a legitimate government. (This is not to say it is bad, or that it is fascist, which I dont think, but it has no mandate, has won no elections). The Russian action in taking over Crimea AFTER the coup in Kiev, was not surprising - in was, in fact, inevitable. Behind all of this is the deeper issue of the US and NATOs efforts to extend control over former-Warsaw Pact countires. Russia could live with neutral countries (take Finland as an example) but NATO was pushing, militarily toward the East, and in pushing into Ukraine made Putins response predictiable Some of the discussion around the crisis sound as if some people thought the Kiev government was a democratic bastion - not what it is, under the control of oligarchs - and some of the opponents (and supporters) of Putins move behave as if he represented some socialist left wing government rather than what he is, an oligarch, corrupt, but one defending what he sees as Russias interests. A diplomatic solution is possible and I think will be worked out. In the East there is some genuine, popular support for Russia, and some units of Ukraines miitary have defected from Kiev. The US media is hearing only one side of the story (including from MSNBC). I suspect the Russian publics is also hearing just one side of the story. Truth - always more complex than the headlines. Not saying what Ive written is the truth, but it is my own best stab at it.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 06:32:01 +0000
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