March 30, 2014

Understanding Ukraine: The Problems Today and Some Historical Context

"So that's where we are right now (unless something has happened in the last thirty minutes.)"

Posted by gerardvanderleun at March 30, 2014 7:51 AM
Bookmark and Share

Comments:

HOME

"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

So 10 million Ukrainians (actually the highest previous estimate was 8 million; with the consensus of 6 million dead) because of Stalin's "agricultural policies." You mean the ag policy of seizing all the food stores in the Ukraine in order to starve a huge number to death? Sounds more like a genocide policy to me.

And note the quasi-jocular, semi-ironic tone being used to describe 10 million people dying in the space of about one year. I'll bet he wouldn't use that tone when speaking of the history of black lynchings in America. But then again, we're talking about 3400 black deaths over a period of 80 years which is a much more horrific event than 10 million Slavs in one or two years because, you know ... equal

Posted by: Callmelennie at March 30, 2014 9:31 AM

Personally, I didn't have time to be offended by the gentleman's "tone". I was busy sponging up about 7 minutes of pertinent context that could not be found in the hours and hours of LSM reporting on the Crimean issue.
I wish I had had this guy as my history teacher in high school -- I might have even enjoyed the class instead of being bored to death.

Posted by: drdave at March 30, 2014 8:04 PM

I thought he did a really good job of laying out the complexity, and absurdity, of the situation over there.

Sometimes there are no easy or right answers.

And has any one else noticed a trend for conservatives/right wingers to be developing the same thin skinned ability to be Offended! by shit that we used to make fun of lefties for?

Posted by: B Moe at March 31, 2014 7:44 AM

My impression was the same as drdave's. A quick sketch of the history that kept me paying attention.

The history has been that of many lands where there have been many invaders/rulers from other lands. Can they become a melting pot? Can Russia become less paranoid about being invaded from the west? Can they find leaders who aren't corrupt? Ukraine's future hangs on those questions and many more. It's in a state of turmoil that won't end soon.

Posted by: Jimmy J. at March 31, 2014 8:06 AM

Silly man, he thinks our government isn't corrupt. He also thinks that if we wait until the next election everything will be good.

Silly silly man.

Posted by: Potsie at March 31, 2014 8:40 AM

As it was in the beginning, and now, and always, and to the ages of ages.... Short form: So what's new?

Posted by: BillH at March 31, 2014 8:44 AM

OK, enough. I am not personally offended by the manner used by this fellow. The point I was trying to make was about the selective indignation of LIBERALS. The person in this video, BTW, is no conservative, as no conservative would speak about a Communist atrocity as great as the Ukrainian Holdomor in such a flippant manner. The only point I'm making is would anybody be allowed to talk about lynchings or apartheid or the Atlantic slave trade like that without being crucified by liberals?

Moreover, this fellow isn't giving you accurate information about the Ukraine. Take the most important and terrible event in Ukraine's history The range of estimates of deaths from the Ukrainian famine is 3 to 8 million. If you look at the Wikipedia entry for the Holdomor, you see a discussion of numerous attempts by the Russian and Ukrainian authorities, using Soviet archives, to arrive at an accurate count of the victims, none of which come close to a figure of 10 million. This dude simply picked 10 million because it seemed like a nice round number

Posted by: Callmelennie at March 31, 2014 11:52 AM

Callmelennie makes a good point. The left is selective about recognizing evil, as I suspect we all are.

Posted by: Estoy Listo at April 2, 2014 5:34 AM