Posted on 12/19/2022 12:40:56 PM PST by ransomnote
[H/T McGruff]
SNIP
"The notion that Ukraine was such an appealing democratic model in Eastern Europe that the country’s mere existence terrified Putin may be a comforting myth to U.S. politicians and pundits, but it is a myth. Ukraine is far from being a democratic‐capitalist model and an irresistible magnet for Russia’s groaning masses. The reality is murkier and troubling: Ukraine has long been one of the more corrupt countries in the international system. In its annual report published in January 2022, Transparency International ranked Ukraine 123rd of the 180 countries it examined, with a score of 32 on a one to 100 point scale. By comparison, notoriously corrupt Russia ranked just modestly lower, 139th, with a score of 29.
Ukraine’s track record of protecting democracy and civil liberties is not much better than its performance on corruption. In Freedom House’s 2022 report, Ukraine is listed in the “partly free” category, with a score of 61 out of a possible 100. Other countries in that category include such bastions of liberal democracy as Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines (55), Serbia (62), Hungary (59), and Singapore (47). Interestingly, Hungary—which has been a target of vitriolic criticism among progressives in the West because of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s conservative social policy—ranks eight points higher than Ukraine, which is the recipient of uncritical praise from the same Western ideological factions.
Even before the war erupted, there were ugly examples of authoritarianism in Ukraine’s political governance. Just months after the 2014 Maidan revolution, there were efforts to smother domestic critics, which accelerated as years passed. Ukrainian officials also harassed political dissidents, adopted censorship measures, and barred foreign journalists whom they regarded as critics of the Ukrainian government and its policies. Such offensive actions were criticized by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other independent observers. The neo‐Nazi Azov Battalion was an integral part of President Petro Poroshenko’s military and security apparatus, and it has retained that role during Zelensky’s presidency.
Indeed, some repressive measures deepened under Zelensky even before the outbreak of war with Russia. In February 2021, the Ukrainian government closed several (mostly, but not entirely pro‐Russia) independent media outlets. They did so on the basis of utterly vague, open‐ended standards. Zelensky has now used the war as a justification for outlawing 11 opposition parties and nationalizing several media outlets. Those are hardly appropriate measures in a democracy, even in wartime."
MORE AT LINK: https://www.cato.org/commentary/whitewashing-ukraines-corruption#
How do you know? Russia is as untrustworthy as all get-out.
But currently, the dancing guy is demanding our money every time we turn around and weapons, equipment and supplies are getting “lost” and funds are being laundered back to support Democrats and slimebags like McConnell.
| In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Whitewashing Ukraine’s Corruption, freeandfreezing wrote: |
You are fixated on Ukraine, claiming it is somehow responsible for all kinds of things that it has nothing to do with, or a totally tangential relationship with. ransomnote: No. I haven't. I've been posting about Ukraine because it is the most expensive way Biden is using to strengthen the deep state, and enrich himself/his family, with tax payer money. Deep state Democrats in Washington DC tried to frame President Trump over a phone call to Ukraine's newly elected president. That was not Ukraine's fault, it was a scheme by Americans working in our government. ransomnote: I said nothing about the Deep State's effort to frame Trump re Ukraine. You have not presented any evidence of corruption in Ukraine by Ukrainians, that is any different from the corruption around the world engaged in by Democrats and the likes of Joe and Hunter Biden. Hunter was getting money from Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, and probably many other people around the world. His father Joe corruptly tried to influence Ukrainian politics. Ukraine was the victim there. ransomnote: Biden BRAGGED about extorting the Ukrainians to fire the prosecutor investigating Hunter. Biden is now running the US into the ground and the Ukraine's puppet master has enough blackmail material to control the Biden regime and Congress. This is treason. I know Hunter had more than one source of funds - I happen to be posting about the freakish propaganda portraying Zelensky as a patron saint while our (controlled) President pours American money into that hole in the ground Zelensky is digging. If Biden just gave the Chinese 67 Billion dollars while shills blanked FR with praise for the CCP, I would spend more time posting about the CHinese. I just find it ironic that you, and many others who claim anything Soros is involved with is just fake propaganda in support of the WEF go ahead and rely on information from a Soros funded organization. ransomnote: I invited you to ignore the Soros funded publication and instead take President Trump's word for the corruption in the Ukraine. Or the video of Biden where you can hear for yourself Biden extorting the Ukrainian officials. Or Jim Jordan's explanation of proof that Biden engaged in corruption. You know about Burisma and 10% for the big guy and it just doesn't bother you. I don't rely on information from a Soros funded organization; you rely on deflection to Soros but I haven't lost the plot. The Dem party is compromised in the Ukraine, our president is flooding the Ukraine with money for no reason (they can't win) and you're fine with it. You just whine about other corrupt countries; the DNC's reliance on Ukrainian money works well for you. |
Ukraine is a backwater. Kicking Russian corruption and influence out of Europe is what is on the menu here. Morally, of course, it is also correct to support Ukrainians right to a national identity. Putin aims to do to Ukrainians exactly what his allies in the American left intend to do to American patriots: erase us.
Not anywhere near as corrupt as our federal, state and local governments. Not even close.
The article would be comedic if it wasn’t so absurd. “The country is not a symbol of freedom and liberal democracy, and the war is not an existential struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. At best, Ukraine is a corrupt, quasi‐democratic entity with troubling repressive policies.”
Frankly Scarlett I don’t give damn. It is an existential struggle between a corrupt Russian nation that is willing to commit genocide over a fantasy of Russian empire and a relatively new country struggling to emerge from it’s Soviet past.
A very corrupt one.
…it is also correct to support Ukrainians right to a national identity.
Sure. I’m all for humanitarian support through a wide variety of aid agencies. I hate that the Ukrainian people are being made to suffer in these awful conditions because nasty, greedy, corrupt “leaders” have to have their pissing contest and see who can slime the most money out of the world.
*Our* tax dollars are not being used to help those people. They’re being used to fatten certain people’s wallets and significantly grow “select” candidates’ campaign war chests.
I prefer the term Bidenwashing
I like how you phrased this! Excellent post!!
Isn't the problem in Washington DC and Delaware? Why are you trying to go after the victim and not the perpetrator?
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