The first video, of a scary woman, a Communist or from the Regions. She's saying that Ukraine's in mortal danger and that Tymoshenko is selling us to America, et cetera. Even if I had more time, I doubt I'd survive translating and explaining more from her speech. I think her face and her intonations are more than enough.
P.S. The sound is lagging behind, for some reason.
P.P.S. "Again, the neo-Orangists are raising their heads and want to drive Ukraine into slavery to their masters across the ocean. Tell me, where, in what other country, the president of Ukraine forces East and West, South and North to collide with their foreheads? Where is such a thing possible?!"
Right. In what other country does Yushchenko do all those outrageous things he's doing here?
Ah, right, those damned neo-Orangists. Is this some kind of new political philosophy that's evil because it has "neo" in front of it?
ReplyDeleteIt blows my mind away how ridiculous those peoples' arguments are. There are plenty of things one can criticize Yuschenko for, there are even more things one can bash Timoshenko for. But to use " we do not want NATO boots to walk all over our children" or " let Yuschenko go to his American masters" as arguments is...embarrassing. The fact that they are not embarrassed makes me embarrassed for my country.
ReplyDeleteIs this hatred of America or only a tool to divide Ukrainians? Is this attitude widespread?
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for our government (it doesn't always do exactly what we want it to...does any government?) but the American people have no desire to meddle in the affairs of Ukraine. We are rooting for you to establish your own system of democracy!
Scott, it is very simple. For pro-Russian government this anti-Americanism is the only way to distract people from the reality of their life. If one has an outside enemy to be afraid of and to damn every night before the bedtime, then they do not focus their attention on the government's crap. If you ask those people why exactly they do not like NATO and what NATO is, they will not have the answer. That is the embarrassing part. Most anti-NATO protesters in Crimea could not even tell what NATO stands for. People do not think, people do not ask questions. Those people are still "homo soveticus". To hate America- oh, sweet nostalgia!
ReplyDeleteThose people do not ask questions like:” why Austria, which is not a part of NATO, does not mind have neighbors-NATO members? Why is it not hysterical about it?" The answer is on the surface: only tyrannies and autocratic regimes can be afraid of democracy getting too close to their borders.
Mmmm, yes. It's just something to distract the masses then. Every Ukrainian I've ever met was very nice to me personally. I've shared meals, been into their houses, gotten to know their children and never a hint of "anti americanism". Very interesting socialogical phenomenon. I'm guessing it will take at least one generation for this to fade away. Which faction of the goverment is it that promotes this feeling?
ReplyDeleteYou know, Scott, I think that Ukrainian government plays the lowest fillings and fears of the most uneducated part of citizens. Russian-speaking Crimea and Eastern Ukraine listens to Russian media too, which is way anti-democratic. I think this is a huge part of the problem. In fact, Ukrainian government does not have to do much: Russians do it for them. My father comes from Donetsk region. I spent time there as a kid at my granny's house. Hard work in coal mines paid well, but it was a dirty job and it attracted ex-convicts and poor uneducated workers from all over Soviet Union, mainly Russia. Crime rate was always outrageous there.
ReplyDeleteBut all this cannot be an excuse. People's happiness, freedom and the way their life turns depends only on them. People have to educate themselves, get involved in the life of their country not only because they like that Yanukovich speaks Russian and happened to be from their neighborhood (my ant's reason to vote for him!), people have to care. One of the ancient Creek philosophers said that good people that do not get involved in public affairs risk to be ruled by bastards. People that are on Maidan now are not involved. They do not know what they are afraid of. They were told to be afraid of "orangists", so they are.
On the top of all this mess add envy for America's prosperity and you will get a little closer to the understanding what kind of devils run those people's souls.