Old Left slams Ukraine democrats

WARSAW, Poland -- Do unarmed protestors who risk their lives to replace murderous and corrupt regimes with law-based, liberal democracies deserve our support or not?

For simple folk like you and me, this is not one of life's more demanding ethical conundrums. But then again, you and I are no match for some of the great brains at Britain's Guardian newspaper, who -- along with like minded members of the international left -- are currently mounting something approaching a hate campaign against the brave men and women fighting for democracy in Ukraine, and indeed against their predecessors across eastern Europe who brought down communism in 1989.

A word of explanation right at the outset. In referring to the "international left" I do not imply that these people share anything in common with mainstream American Democrats, British New Labor supporters or European Social Democrats who have been as enthusiastic about the prospects for reform in Ukraine as anyone. Unfortunately, such honorable and generous sentiments are not shared by many adhering to an older brand of leftist thinking that has resurfaced over events in Ukraine in remarkably aggressive fashion.

Take Mark Almond, a lecturer in modern history at Oriel College, Oxford. He began a recent column in the Guardian by noting (contemptuously) that: "People Power is on track to score another triumph for western values in Ukraine." As his tirade unfolds, dissidents of the communist era are portrayed as CIA stooges and embezzlers or at best hapless servants of the evil Americans helping them to extend their empire. Post-communist societies are little more than dens of gangsters, prostitutes and "soaring death rates." (The latter insinuations, incidentally, are total garbage except, ironically, in places like Ukraine.)

In other words, the Ukrainians would be better off with a regime that cuts opposition journalists heads off and poisons unwelcome candidates come presidential election time than democratic rule and wealth-producing, law based capitalism.

A few issues previously in the Guardian, John Laughland practically accused the magnificent youth oppositionist "Pora" movement of employing Nazi style propaganda tactics. In an astonishing outburst, he also referred to two (yes, two) neo-Nazis among the tens of thousands demonstrating in central Kiev in an apparent attempt to smear the entire movement -- all the more extraordinary given that his piece purports to be about the distortions of the Western media.

In somewhat less obnoxious tones, columnist Jonathan Steele, writing in both The Nation in America and the Guardian in Britain, issued forth with a similarly misplaced assault hinting at the "post-modern coup d'etat" about to take place in Ukraine.

In a poignant reminder of the kind of company such writers are now keeping, such thoughts were echoed at a press conference in Moscow on Dec. 16 by Russia's neo-fascist leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. "I think what is happening in Ukraine ... is a creeping coup, (attempted) by the West, Brussels and Washington," he said.

It would be easy to dismiss these people as rather sick-minded remnants of an utterly failed worldview, mavericks who should simply be ignored.

Unfortunately, that would be wrong, at least if we exclude the likes of Zhirinovsky. They are all mainstream commentators, holding respected, well paid positions, writing in a mainstream newspaper with huge influence in Britain's main media outlet -- the BBC -- and its leading political party -- Labor. The Nation is no irrelevant outlet in the United States either.

Taking the most generous view, it could be argued that the people of Ukraine and the rest of the post-communist world are not the real objects of this facile and contemptible campaign. Instead, they are mere collateral damage in the wider war against the real enemy -- the United States of America.

In the perverted prism through which such people view world affairs, if America supports something, it is to be despised. Thus it always has been, and thus it always will be. The Ukrainians (along with the Iraqis and the rest of the Arab world, for that matter) can go to (or at least remain in) hell because freedom would add to the balance sheet of U.S. foreign policy successes. And no worse fate could befall the world than that, could it?

I said that was the generous view. But to be honest, I'm tired of giving such spiteful writers the benefit of the doubt. In the end, who cares what infantile political psychology motivates these people? When push came to shove, there were vast numbers among them who preferred Stalin to Roosevelt. They preferred the Taliban and Saddam to Bush. And now they prefer the gangsters in control of Ukraine to the prospect of rule by a democratic opposition. That is a problem for them and what passes for their consciences.

Of course, no one should be naive about the difficulties Ukraine will face if Viktor Yushchenko does take the presidency this weekend. Yushchenko does not have a record as a spotless reformer. Not all of his supporters are motivated by enthusiasm for democracy. But the great mass among them are, and the Ukrainian pro-democracy movement represents the best hope that beleaguered country has had in years.

They want what most people in Europe and North America take for granted: free societies where men wielding guns no longer run the economy, and a system of governance that treats them with respect and not contempt. It is an aspiration that deserves our support.

Let's raise a glass this Christmas to the downtrodden people of Ukraine, another to the Americans and other Westerners who rightly support them in their struggle, and then agree that the rotting corpse of old-left totalitarianism simply stinks.

These old cronies are showing their true commie colors.

Its the same as 1932 when the leftist intelligentsia covered up the biggest geoncide of the century and received a Pulitzer, too.

The Leftist Press and the Kremlin - perfect together.

And look what it brings - antoher fraudulent election.

Maidan Readers: Falsifiers Are Being Mobilized

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At 24th of December in Poltava Yanukovych’s team gathered young people, paid them 180 hryvnya and sent to Vinnytsya and Kyyiv for 3 days.

At 21st of November the presidential elections in a mental hospital was held in the following way: every patient was shown how to vote, i.e. for Yanukovych! We bag you to do anything!

In Dnipropetrovsk on electoral districts “old” electoral lists are going to be used again. Any remarks of members of electoral commissions are ignored. I am afraid it is a new method of frauds for 26th of December.

As it became known, the governmental company “UkrTAT Nafta” rigged the vote with the help of absentee ballots. The employee were fords to go to Kremenchuk and vote there; they were also paid 70 hryvnya. Unfortunately, the situation is going to be repeated. When anyone refuses to vote by absentee ballot, he is threatened to be fired.

In Sumy preparation for mass frauds is under way. In dwellings of people, who live in Sumy, other persons are being registered. Most of them are from Luhansk and Donetsk. It is done without notifying owners, but people recognized this as they became bills for “additional” persons.

In Melitopol’, Donetsk Region, armed police groups are being organized which have to act in Kyyiv together with former condemned and miners.

One of my colleagues tried to verify his presence in the voters register and he found out that in Kyyiv two polling stations have disappeared (No. 90 and 91). How many people will not be able to vote?...

In Kirov, Luhansk Region, on Saturday campaign for Yanukovych is held [tr: this is forbidden by law]. On the polling station No.46 (TVK 110) members of electoral commission have written themselves applications for “invalids” to allow them voting at home.

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It seems this "World Peace Herald" is not quite a true believer's mouthpiece.

The author had no difficulty in telling it like it was: Hard lefties don't giva a damn about the oppressed and downtrodden save for when they can be used a political tools. If America's fer it, they're automatically agin it. More simply, nothing good should happen as long as Bush is in office. This is the philosophy of the Dems as well. The worse the country is doing the better for them. The electorate has been picking up on this since '02 and are voting accordingly.

yes, the true stripes are showing again.

Hey eluminate and fair opinion and ob6

Whats up in Byelorusse?

Is Yushchenko in a secret plot with the White Russians and Poles to arrest 80 election observors to make RasPutin loof bad again?

About 80 Persons Were Arrested Today in Minsk, Belarus

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About 80 persons were arrested today in Minsk, Belarus. Later in the evening these persons were to travel to Kiev as the international observers at the presidential elections in the Ukraine.

Ms. Svetlana Konoyko has informed the press that the observers had to gather at the Belarus Hotel. During the meeting some OMON commandos entered the conference hall and blocked up the entrances and exits. At the same time the goings-on was filmed by the persons in civil clothes. Those present were told to leave the hall in groups each 10 persons. Two buses have already been waiting for them at the hotel. The detainees were delivered to the Central Police Station for identification. At the time being all the detained are remaining there.

According to law, the police have no right to detain them longer than 3 hours. Taking into account, the arrest has taken place at 5.00 pm, the observer – even under the worst circumstances possible - will manage to take the train to Kiev, due to depart from the Central Railway Station of the capital at 9.06 pm.

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This article speaks the truth. There is an "international left" that believes in socialism as the medicine that will cure all the world's ills. Poverty, hunger, disease and injustices of all sorts will be banished once socialism is embraced.

And of course, they hate the United States and particularly George W. Bush with every fiber of their being. Because the Hussein regime in Iraq was a socialist regime, any crime committed in its name was excusable -- just as any crime committed by the Kim Jong-Il regime in North Korea and the Castro regime in Cuba is excusable. After all, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

For removing the Hussein regime from power, the name of George W. Bush will forever be poison in their mouths. And it's true that in the English-speaking world, the Guardian is their mouthpiece. They even have a talkboard that makes the DUmmie FUnnies look logical and restrained by comparison:

http://talk.guardian.co.uk

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