Thanks for posting this. Historical context always helps, for those who take an interest. I imagine some of the people slamming Yuschenko on this thread barely know anything about Ukraine's history.
In any case, the ignorance of many of the FReepers on this thread is appalling. They can't see past the supposed Soros connection and Putin's supposed support for the war on terror. They probably don't know the significance of Vaclav Havel supporting Yuschenko, implicitly to the point of revolution.
It is obvious to me that Yuschenko is the good guy here.
Supposed, my a$$.
It is completely obvious. And as someone who is personally and deeply tied to the pre Soviet history of Ukraine, I must say that Yuschenko is the closest thing we've seen in this generation to a true Ukrainian patriot in the tradition of the old knightly and noble kings. Few are aware of just how tied to the West Ukraine was particularly prior to Russian expansionism after the 1750s. During the period 1500 - 1600, Ukraine had more in common with London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Warsaw and Munich than with Moscow. This is a major big deal. And the increasing pan Slavic (in the old Kremlin bootlicking sense) climate here in Free Republic is appalling. Do any of these people realize what they are siding with, in the historical context? They are siding with barbarians.
Vaclav Havel is a pompous, smug, hypocritical, politically correct flapdoodle.
Truth should be said and I have to bump it!