Avrelia ponders Ukrainian Affairs

[avrelia]

It is strange how everyone is talking about Ukraine on TV and newspapers nowadays. I am not sure Ukraine existed for most people a week ago.

But since it is a hot topic, I decided to talk about it, too. To be honest, I don’t care either for Yuchshenko or Yanukovich. Not at the very least. I don’t know who will be the best choice for Ukraine and its prosperity and general well-being. I do care about Ukraine, but not having followed the situation in the last years there, I cannot say what was going on there. My grandparents hated the current president, Kuchma, and that’s all I know on the subject. I can see, however, that neither of contenders are fluffy bunnies, and I guess, I would prefer someone with a cleaner past, but why should I decide who will be the president of Ukraine?

And this is the problem with these elections. Because one is the Russia-supported candidate and another is the Western-countries-supported candidate, and there are all kinds of political technologies and PR campaigns at play, and the popularity cards, and all stuff that has more to do with games than with people of Ukraine. And that is wrong.

This is old good imperial thinking – that my country has a right to rule other countries, because my country is so much better, richer, more powerful, and has more rights to do so. This thinking doesn’t belong to some one country. Everyone likes to play this game. I would say I have a smidge of imperial ambitions myself – I am not that humble – but I am of the philosophical ideal that ruling other people’s countries is wrong (even if my country is the best thing in the world.)

By the way. The divide in Ukraine on Eastern and Western parts isn’t new – it is a historical divide that existed since… I am not sure about exact century, but believe me it was long ago. Maybe always. The history of that region is fascinating, but not really a point of this post.

Comments

[caille.livejournal.com]

Ukraine is in a unique situation. It's not Russian exactly, but it's not not Russian.

My knee-jerk reaction would be to favor Yuschenko because I'm not sure that a return to a strong centralized Moscow-based government is that great of an idea. On the other hand, I really don't know what I'm talking about, because I'm seeing this filtered through the idea of how it affects the rest of the world, you know?

I read this interesting article at the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/ukraine/story/0,15569,1362721,00.html). Part of it says this:

Most importantly, much of the recent discussion about Ukraine misses the key point about the current impasse in Kiev, namely that this is a political standoff over domestic political issues (the Kuchma regime, corruption, oligarchic influence, media controls etc).

That makes me completely in favor of an honest election, with verifiable results, no intimidation, etc. I always like the idea of honest elections with verifiable results...even if I didn't get one.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

It's not Russian exactly, but it's not not Russian.

I know what you mean, and I agree. The connections between Russia and Ukraine are very strong, and the ties – historical, economical, personal, ethnical, etc are complex and impossible to cut. Yet it is an independent state – for better or for worse.

My knee-jerk reaction would be to favor Yuschenko because I'm not sure that a return to a strong centralized Moscow-based government is that great of an idea. On the other hand, I really don't know what I'm talking about, because I'm seeing this filtered through the idea of how it affects the rest of the world, you know?

I understand, and I don’t want Moscow-based government in Ukraine that much, but I just don’t think that USA-approved candidate is intrinsically better than Russia-approved candidate. (Especially given the candidates in question) I wish for Ukrainian people-approved candidate and honest elections as well… ::sigh::

Oh, and the article is rather good, thank you

[gobi-rex.livejournal.com]

What I find disconcerting is how the US and other nations immediately jumped on the bandwagon, playing a tug of war. I mean, Putin's own meddling was disgusting, and then others jumped in, including nations whose own elections were everything but regular [cough- US-cough].

I listened to a lot of analysis and discussion on the public radio and this is the most interesting comment I remember, that basically this election is a referendum on Kuchma, and not about who's pro-West and who's pro-Russian. I'd agree.

[jonesiexxx.livejournal.com]

I find it fairly easy to dislike the guy who poisons his opposition.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

No arguments here.

Again, I don’t know much about either candidate, I just want to have fair elections where Ukrainian people are choosing their president themselves.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

I can get behind Russia’s interests in Ukraine – but they way these elections became a gameboard of political technologies and “in your face” attitude – from Russia – really is disgusting.

And I agree that for many people there it was not pro-Russia/pro-Western countries choice, but the-same-as-Kuchma/ different-from-Kuchma choice.

So, as a result they seem to get more Kuchma himself.

[jonesiexxx.livejournal.com]

I just want to have fair elections where Ukrainian people are choosing their president themselves.


Agreed.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

::snuggles with you::

How are you, by the way? You are rarely seen around here these days, and I started to worry.

[jonesiexxx.livejournal.com]

Ehhh. I've been in a mood. Nothing fatal. Just not my usual tiggery self.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

::hugs:: I hope you are more tiggery now.