"Near Abroad"
Yulia Antoinette
By Sean at 9 February, 2010, 11:59 pm
I wish I would have seen Yulia Latynina’s Moscow Times editorial earlier. I would have found someway to incorporate it into my post on the Ukrainian election. No matter, the op-ed stands on its own. The beauty of Latynina’s rant, Letting Poor People Vote is Dangerous, is that she’s basically saying what I think every Western liberal wants to say, but can’t because it’s politically incorrect. I guess this is one reason why we should actually thank Latynina. Such honesty, no matter how despicable, is nonetheless refreshing. It’s a rare moment when class war toward the poor hangs all out at a time when its Western warriors shroud their class turpitude with identity politics.
Read More >>Ukrainians Choose to Lose, but History still Wins
By Sean at 9 February, 2010, 10:28 pm
Reading Western press reactions to the election of Viktor Yanukovich as president of Ukraine are lessons in how democracy is measured in our era. Whereas Marx called the coup of Napoleon III a farce to the tragedy of his uncle’s reign, press opinion of Yanukovich’s victory is better viewed as a tragic reenactment to his farcical attempt to steal it in 2004. Thus for observers of this weekend’s election, revolution has given way to potential counterrevolution, enthusiasm to depression, light to darkness, sincerity to tragic irony.
Read More >>Georgians Descend on Ukrainian Polls or Just for the Girls?
By Sean at 18 January, 2010, 11:11 am
The results of the Presidential elections in Ukraine were as predicted. Viktor Yanukovich took 35% of the vote to Tymoshenko’s 24.7%. The two will face each other in a run-off on 2 February. If one needed more proof that all is good in Ukraine, the Moscow Times reports that traders in the Ukrainian hryvna and [...]
Read More >>Yah-noo-KOH’-vich vs. Tee-moh-SHEN’-koh
By Sean at 17 January, 2010, 1:00 am
Today Ukrainians head for the polls, the endpoint (or midpoint depending on your opinion) to a colorful campaign. Voter disillusionment is high. So high that one candidate changed his name to Vasyl Protyvsikh, or Vasyl “Against All” with the hope to garner some votes. But alas, democracy is what it is. Too often you vote for the candidate you get rather than the one you want.
Read More >>New Cold War Could’ve Gone Hot
By Sean at 14 January, 2010, 6:41 am
A new book says that “senior staffers” in the Bush White House considered “limited military options” to support Georgia in its war with Russia. Luckily, cooler heads in the Oval Office prevailed. Namely, George W. Bush, of all people, who put the kibosh on the idea.
Read More >>Hocking Ukrainian Democracy
By Sean at 13 January, 2010, 1:39 pm
Ukraine’s Orange Revolution might not have provided stability, but it sure has increased the entertainment factor of its presidential elections. They’re far more entertaining that Russia’s stuffy, no contest campaigns. Despite the high fun factor, Ukrainian voter disillusionment is high, while the candidates, hoping to jostle into a competitive pole position, are getting down and dirty. What a bunch of party poopers.
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