Dedicating this song to the voters of Crimea who voted overwhelmingly to return to Russia:
Not sure where anyone here stands on the meddling of US & EU in Ukraine or if anyone even agrees we were (we were & are) but I gotta say my chingy (what little there is) is on Russia as well as Ukraine & I stand with Vlad-the-impaler.
Putin may indeed be attempting to revive the former Soviet Union however I don’t see this as anything unusual esp for Russia.
I believe Putin is merely resisting a power grab on his very doorstep for what is considered the heart of the former Soviet Union & even Russia for the Ukraine coming from the EU supported by the US … at the very least. Must be tough times in the EU following the massive bailouts of the EU deadbeats. US wars & the standing-sentry 24/7 over Afghanistan opium poppy fields as well as ACA can’t be cheap.
Guess Obama still a little piqued over a citizen from the “land of the free and the home of the brave” welcomed by & having to take refuge in guess where? Russia! Behind the former & infamous “Iron Curtain” no less — communist dictatorship USSR aka the then Soviet Union, following revelations of the massive known-to-congress covert information dragnet & secret spying operation by our government against “We the (little) People” as well as world leaders under the guise of “terror prevention” conducted by the NSA.
A bit rich given that it was Russia, despite this massive spying program who had to warn the US of terrorists who had been discovered in Russia and had travelled to the US & who did indeed carry out a terrorist plot one short year ago in Boston during the marathon.
What was that murmuring from the back of the room? Commie pinko? No, no “commie pinko” here just spittin it like it is.
Russia has played this nation for whatever the-tyrant-of-the-moment saw fit.. Current tyrant Putin suffers from serious personality disorders as well as his theory of government: corruption works! He couldn’t tolerate the loss of his corrupt puppet in charge, that piece of crap Yanukovich.
http://www.theguardian.com/wor…
which is how I arrived at my conclusions. I guess we disagree. I’m no expert but after studying it all for the past week I have enough info to form an opinion. In fact — I suggest you read up on the sordid US & UK histories of oppression. If you use US & EU news & information sources such as the one cited you will likely get only this slanted perspective.
GB as well as many of those European countries have long histories of colonial subjugation. The US managed to free ourselves following the Revolutionary War.
Our CIA at the behest of our leaders has messed & meddled in other nations attempting to install leaders friendly to our interests & nothing more from jumpstreet propping up the likes of the the Shah. Ever wonder why “Death to Amedica” is an Iranian slogan? They don’t like us for good reason — we were evil occupiers & nothing more. I could go on.
Colonial world maps:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/…
Everyone vehemently disagreed with seems to have “serious disorders”, tsk tsk. Though some may, they all have plenty of company with the not-so-rich-and-famous. Looking at Putin’s life, he looked none too happy. Although the “new & improved” greatly expanded DSM may include this as as disorder I say baloney.
Growing up under the godless Soviet system was no joy for many if not most. Fortunately, the rationed vodka washed away some of the misery. Obama, due to his own issues, actually starts or allows these petty pissing matches & then lets them get waay out of hand.
This is a large part of why congress is so polarized, poor leadership on both sides of aisle & Obama always working the victim schtick. Babe in the woods on foriegn policy, in contrast Putin is experienced, cold, calculating & appears to rule effortlessly which is probably not too difficult when any reporter who gives bad press “disappears”.
as the first letter posted yesterday in the Reformer prior, the writer gave a more expanded version & said it very well, also a frequent Reformer commenter:
http://www.reformer.com/letter…
Seven to ten million Ukranians dead 1932-33.
I never knew about Stalin’s forced famine in Ukraine when I was growing up; I guess the world didn’t know much either, as USSR painted a happy face on their peasant districts and that was before globalization by a longshot. I grew up in a multi-ethnic town with a distinct Ukranian population, and my first boyfriend in high school, Stach, was part of that close-knit community.
http://www.encyclopediaofukrai…
Its primary purpose was to break the backbone of the Ukrainian nation by destroying ‘the kulaks as a class,’ ie, all peasants who resisted the regime, including those who had already joined collective farms. In fact, the Holodomor was directed at the peasantry as a whole, which the Bolsheviks saw as the rank and file of the Ukrainian nationalist movement. The famine-genocide was accompanied by a massive campaign to suppress Ukrainian culture.
And the West – well Hiroshima plus Nagasaki, altho that was supposed to end the war…no claim to know all on that. Homo sapiens is a deficient species…the world would be better left to other species and perhaps it will before long. Long live those other species!
and related geopolitical matrix helpful to understand Ukrainian politics & puzzling it out. There were many different purges. I just spoke to other half & queried if the world knew what was going on – he was a very young child in those days but a lover of history as I am & remembers nearly everything. Seems to think the world knew what was going on at least during or after WWII which he vividly remembers & rattled off a dizzying litany of factoids starting w/Marx’s role, Lenin’s role how Stalin got in then moving on to WWII & the “falling out” between Stalin & Hitler which caused Stalins involvement in allied forces. Parents are the same age as other half & also filled my head with facts when I was young because I was inquisitive about history & ppl generally seem to like to discuss the past. When asked the dreaded “what I learned in school that day” I received some “revisions” – they were liberals. Kruschev apparently ended the Stalin-worship if there was any left at that point.
“Russia Today” seems to have good learning resources however I have nothing to compare it to. In the stories I have been reading on the site I see authenticity in the comments — many comments are obviously from nationals, ex-pats and those who are there.
http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-r…
Interesting account in answer to a query:
http://www.artikel32.com/engli…
Have no doubts about Putin’s motives in recent activities re Crimea & now Ukraine, which I believe is both economic & power-driven, he most assuredly wishes to bring back the good old days of the USSR & soviet state as it will make Russia even more of a superpower.
Mirror mirror! He’s merely turning the tables on his enemies & the West by playing the very same game using pages from West’s own playbook.
Increased rioting in Ukraine on the heels of Sochi! (Can’t have this boil over during the games — bad for ALL business & threat to players & foreign visitors.) What timing! So-called indignant, angry citizens protesting corrupt government, MSM-viewers love this narrative! They quickly become MSM-lauded heroes for the tearing down of “corrupt government” & running Yanukovich out on a rail.
Real story is that an orderly exit of the leader was brokered by EU officials, who then stood by while western-backed neo-nazi groups broke the brokered peace agreement & unleashed their mayhem & so called “protests”, all staged & just a show. All this against a backdrop of side stories with small-windowed shots & mini-montages of corrupt western-backed Yulia Tymoshenko, newly sprung from prison, played & replayed. I personally believe the MSM, EU & West worked hand in hand to usher in a coup to install Tymoshenko, western-backed government along with bailout for Ukraine as it happened following Yanukovich’s refusal of their buyout, er, “deal”.
Not so fast! After a fashion cut to Putin “helping” annex Crimea. But two can play this game, he is now following West’s own rules & play-by-playbook. We now see the a nearly identical story playing out only this time the so-called “protesters” are pro-Russian. He places some 30,000-50,000 troops on the border to “protect the Russians” living in Ukraine. Nice!
Putin is a brilliant, powerful & very scary leader. I must say I’m rather astonished & even impressed by the allure of his deft moves & swift, nearly surgical maneuverings. Cagey & quiet power-plays as MSM & cable news yammer & hammer away about the entire scenario. I envision Vlad going about his business, chuckling at the folly of the West & foiled plans over an occasional iced-glass of Stoli, then off to to dinner & then off to bed. He sleeps well.
Showing his enemies for the complete jackasses running fools-errands they are, making them all look like children in comparison. Even keystone-cop & three-stooge-like, as Obama stands there looking like a perturbed teenager giving silly-sounding speeches about democracy, our NATO allies trailing off into bluh, bluh bluh. While Kerry conducts his mission complete with customary bombastic speechifying vs Putin’s confidence & cold-as-Siberia icy stare as he calmly sits back & lets the “Russian protesters” do his wet-work. Brilliant! Our officials look like a bunch of dummies, the quoting of what former president’s have said & wise witticisms while stating the obvious ring very, very hollow. Stupidity is stunning & scary. Frankly I’m ashamed, an embarrassment for the West.
Fists Fly In Ukraine’s Parliament After Lawmaker’s Speech [VIDEO]
by Bill Chappell
April 08, 2014 1:06 PM ET
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw…
The tug-of-war between pro-Russian supporters & pro-western sympathizers & government building “occupation” in the Eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, life goes on & appears to be business-as-usual. When queried, Eastern Ukrainians here in Donetsk, expressed loyalties ranged from pro-Russian to those who wish for a European/Western alignment.
More from Ari shapiro/NPR:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/paral…
http://vtdigger.org/2014/04/09…
Never expected this region’s disputes to spill over into VT. But here it is — regional rep sitting with lawmakers in statehouse in the hills & valleys of our very own tiny state.
What a fun place to live — smack-dab between Russia & Iran. Rather surprising to see an individual who appears quite obviously to be an Azerjaiban national sitting in the statehouse having a calm rational discussion with our lawmakers. Many thanks to the lawmakers who decided, wisely for whatever reasons, not to allow VT to become embroiled in another conflict, no matter how innocuous or statement-worthy it may appear. With one month left to go, if it turned into something then what, come back & undo what they just?
They’ve got enough to do just to done do all the things that need done-in.
Must admit — never heard of the place but somewhat certain VT was never on their radar until this.
First I heard of this was Petey Sweety’s post, however appears this particular movement has been around for a while, Alaska reportedly has until 4/20/2014 to gather the required signatures to move toward secession but there appears to be conflictng dates — this story reports seceshers have 30 days:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…
Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/…
Not taking this seriuosly but could be send symbolic message.
buildings by pro-Russian activists continues:
)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u…
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his American counterpart on Monday to use the White House’s influence on the Ukrainian government to prevent further “bloodshed” from occurring in the country.
http://rt.com/news/putin-obama…
Russian President Putin has a possible, if only temp solution:
Comments also interesting:
[replier to comment]
Freaky 15.04.2014 22:12
[comment]
Jeanie Anderson 15.04.2014 20:54
[reply]
http://rt.com/news/putin-obama…
From NPR — Ari Shapiro reports from Ukraine.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/uk…
Reuters reports worsening conditions for Ukrainian soldiers:
http://digital.vpr.net/post/uk…
http://digital.vpr.net/post/uk…
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw…
…posting these updates. Perhaps GMD readers might be more interested in the world outside of Little Vermont Dem politics if you could bring in some spicey stuff about Celebrities in the Ukraine, GMOs and GAYS in the Ukraine, Evil REPUBLICANS in the Ukraine, Health Care in the Ukraine, and, of course, SUSTAINABILITY and DIVERSITY in the Ukraine–with pics of Ukrainian Jennifer Aniston lookalikes holding Vigils while Ukrainian tanks blast out Boom-Box Ukrainian Rap Music:
“Mothafucka mothafuck
What are we gonna do?
It’s the Ruussians or
John Kerry;
What a mothafuckin’ screw
Now I’m tellin’ you
I’m tellin’ you
It’s gettin’ really bad
These mothafuckin’ hos
Are makin’ us Ukrainians
Really mad
I’m gonna get me a piece
And do a drive-by of my own
Gonna shoot me all the Mothas
Til they leave us Ukrainians
Alone
Mothafucker mothafuck
Up yo ass John Kerry
Obama and Putin
Gonna fuck you up
Yo ass
Let the fuckin’ war begin!
Mothafucka motherfuck
Snort me some Ukrainian blow
Gonna fuck you all up
Til you leave us
The fuck alone
Motha……………
following aforementioned updates, trail went cold. NPR stories disappeared from their front page as did the very few US MSM stories re what is taking place in the Ukraine except for the sporadic but routine propaganda.
Really busy right now w/time-critical undertakings so although following unfolding events as they are available, has been @ a bit of a distance.
Upon delving into what was going on here following the trail going cold, have been using Russia Today as my primary source.
Was a bit reluctant to use what could be viewed as a propaganda arm of the Russian government as sole source however have found it to be the most reliable presenting a starkly different picture than what Western MSM is & is not showing us, continuing news updates despite the back-paging & burying by US MSM. Ongoing live updates here:
http://rt.com/news/eastern-ukr…
What happened at this time a somewhat undereported event:
This very narrow BBC version of events another example of the Western-backed blame game:
– emphsasis
Russian separatists holding government buildings have refused to leave outposts claiming they never agreed to any of this.
“Toppled”? How true. A legitimately & duly elected Ukrainian official, the president no less, was run out of Ukraine on a rail by EU’s western-backed neonazi goons staging a coup following a promised EU-backed “orderly exit” for Yanukovich, a promise which they failed to keep. While attempting to install a western-backed leader & government (Temenshenko) to further its & our interests, not that of Ukraine or its ppl which includes a large population of Russians who are not at all in favor of joining the west nor becoming part of the EU. This was foisted upon them. Turned out to be miserable failure of epic proportion & another huge embarrassment.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-…
What a tangled web we weave…Soo Vlad not keeping his end of the bargain??? A bit rich under the circumstnces. This is what happens when our corrupt, dumb leaders do corrupt, dumb things & do not live up to or keep their own agreements.
offering from Dan DeWalt appeared in the Reformer about a week ago:
http://www.reformer.com/opinio…
Couldn’t agree more with sentiments expressed — suffice it to say that after all of our bad behavior & allegiances with other bad actors, looks like we still have a steep learning curve. Extremely depressing to say the least.
After reading, while flipping through channels, Rudy Guilliani is on Fox commenting on Iran saying ‘I’d like to see the US put regime change on the negotiation table’ re conformity to the enrichment deal in Iran. Whaaa TF??? OMG, we’ve already tried that haven’t we, with the disastrous consequences we still suffer from to this day earning the hatred of the entire nation. Our mossbacked officials continue to advocate one epic failure after another with no end in sight.
The more thing’s change…
Following Dan DeWalt’s refreshing as well as sobering op-ed in the Reformer in a previous post here,
http://www.reformer.com/opinio…
Rutland Herald, Times Argus published this completely clueless op-ed while marching in full-force lockstep with gladiator ferocity including the ridiculously out-of-touch assertions made by the West — that would be us btw:
http://www.timesargus.com/arti…
An entirely western-based, fact-free hatchet job on Russia’s position as well as Putin’s stance which also includes the support of most of the Ukraine. Slightly uncharacteristic of the Herald/Times Argus, for the most part, presenting none of the salient points, and astonishingly absent any objectivity or the very real & complicated details which have punctuated each juncture of this debacle which in fact was started by the West, which most certainly includes the US, to our shame.
Meanwhile, if this source is to be believed, Europe, East & West plus the rest of the civilized world appear to be preparing our epitaph of world dominance & influence based on the out-of-touch cluelessness of our leaders highlighted by the above editorial:
http://rt.com/op-edge/155120-l…
After the West had ass handed to us by Putin last week, communication abruptly ended. As our leaders lamented the non-stop ringing of the red-phone & Putin plus officials not answering our calls, the thought occurred to me that perhaps it was b/c they couldn’t stop laughing long enough to say anything.