Posted on 01/06/2005 8:46:17 AM PST by Destro
Outside View: America's Ukraine folly
By William S. Lind
Outside View Contributor
Washington, DC, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Was Ukraine's Nov. 21 presidential election stolen? Probably. Was President-elect Viktor Yushchenko legitimately elected as the country's next leader in the Dec. 26 rerun of the vote? Certainly. Would it be nice if Ukraine were a democracy? Sure. Are those the considerations that should drive American policy in the region? No.
The most important factor in U.S. policy toward the countries of the former Soviet Union ought to be our need for a strategic alliance with Russia. Geo-politically, Russia holds Christendom's vast eastern flank, which stretches all the way from the Black Sea to Vladivostok. As the remnants of the Christian world begin to wake up to the reality that Islam has resumed the strategic offensive, that flank takes on renewed importance. It is already under pressure, as events in Chechnya show all too clearly. If it collapses, Christendom will have suffered an epic defeat.
Not surprisingly, the Bush administration, the scope of whose strategic vision is measured in microns, gets none of this. In its continuing march of folly, it has dismissed Russia's vital interests in its "near abroad," which includes Ukraine. Washington did everything in its power to secure the election to Ukraine's presidency of Yushchenko, the anti-Russian candidate. When the pro-Russian candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, who resigned as prime minister Dec. 31, won instead (illustrating Stalin's maxim that what is important is not who votes, but who counts the votes), Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States would not recognize the result. Now, Yushchenko is victorious at last. The result has been a heavy defeat for our vital ally, Russia.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
The Russians had the most to lose by poisoning him. I think those that stood to gain are Yushch's oligarch backers who gained a visible martyr with a poison which does not kill but disfigures and makes him too sick to run his country directly leaving others to do the job for him.
Lots of urban myths have been created over the use of radiation to kill - some may be true like in the case of Ceaucescu. But the use of radiation serves to highlight the example that thses expert killers try and use a poison that can hide behind other symptoms.
Why?
They have only very recently been joined.
Facetious posts are usually not informationally helpful on these threads.
How do you define a democracy? Do you agree with this definition?
"Derived from two ancient Greek words demos (the people) and kratos (strength). A system of government in which governance of the people is by elected representatives."
If so, was Putin and members of the Duma elected or not?
Who cares about definition of democracy. It is simple you share democratic values or you dont share. I repeat that from your conditions Arafat was democratic ruler and Hitler probably too cause NSDAP was elected by German people. This is nonsense democracy it is something more than just elections.
I do and many others. Without preserving the clear and proper meaning of the words you cannot have freedom, laws or justice. Read 1984.
It is simple you share democratic values or you dont share.
No, democracy is not about vague "democratic values" or free looting by mafia.
I repeat that from your conditions Arafat was democratic ruler and Hitler probably too cause NSDAP was elected by German people.
I am not sure about Arafat's "elections". But Hitler came to the power through the democratic process. It is a proof that democracy is not a perfect system. Very likely if the German Emperor were in place or some other autoritarian regime, Hitler would not have the chance to come to power. That is why Americans were willing to let Japanese keep their Emperor after WWII. Also Bolsheviks came to power thanks to the pro-democratic removal of the Tsar.
This is nonsense democracy it is something more than just elections.
No, you practice the Orwellian thinking when the words lose clear objective neutral meanings. In Newspeak each word "signifies" something completely good or completely bad. PC "democracy" does not mean plain traditional imperfect democracy. It means the immaculate bag of "democratic values" assigned by the masters of the official worldview to their favored actors.
The Habsburgs were the custodians and protectors of Middle and Eastern-European Christendom. They were Catholic, of courss, and as such were anathema to the narrow minded, elitist bigot Wilson. Wilson envisioned a sort of Americanized and secular Europe, and the Hapsburgs were a primary impediment to this vision.
And so Wilson prevented WWI from ending at least two years early, in 1916, when the Austrians sued for peace under the sponsorship of the Vatican. He was intoxicated with the new American ideology of "unconditional surrender," as pioneered at Appomatox. Well, unconditional surrender in a Civil War iuvolving one people who share a common language, culture, relgion, etc. is one thing. Unconditional surrender in a European cabinet war was unheard of!
In any case, Wilson's intransigence led to the slaughter of an entire generation of European men and--as he intended--the final destruction of the Austro-Hungarian empire. WWII was part of the aftermath, an unstoppable tide of resentful ethnic nationalism that filled the vacuum of the old Empire. The new nationalist ideologies of the early 20th century had no time for organized religion.
That's the best cliff notes version I can provide. I've pinged old Goetz, who first turned me on to this history a few years ago. He's the true expert, though he rarely posts here at FR anymore.
The Russian butt lickers had the Ukraine in their "governing" since 1991, what happened? Corruption, mess, dead journalists, same old crap. Those that so much hate Yushchenko and his program can move to sunny Siberia, closer to their "brothers".
Tell about "Russian Christendom" to thousands of dead priests and nuns who gave their live for Christ and died in Siberian gulags! Go and look at churches that were either destroyed or turned into storage places. Some tradition of Christendom!!! Another arm chair "expert" fool on plitics.
You really dont understand that today Russia is not the same with Soviet Union? Are you foolish enough to think that today Russia pay mych more attention to Christianity than any other European country except for Italy and Poland - two U.S. allies in region? And youconsider yourself to be an expert?
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