Crimeans want to return to Russia's hegemony; apparently
have succeeded, for the moment; the "interim" Ukrainian
government in Kiev is demonstrably shaky; Russian troops,
many thousands strong, purportedly are massed on Ukraine's
eastern border with Russia; Putin says he has no plans to
go in, unless "Russian speakers in Ukraine request it".
(--Sounds a lot like Pres. Kennedy and Ngo Dinh Diem,
early '60s, no? We all know how THAT turned out....)
We do, luckily, seem to have some conciliatory negotiators
in the persons of Russia's Lavrov and the USA's Kerry, still
meeting and talking in places like "neutral" Paris. (I fervently
hope this is not just window dressing or the usual dog and
pony show...)
We're in an extremely delicate, internationally involved moment,
including energy distribution across many European national
borders, supposed competition for allying Ukraine with either
Russia or NATO, posturing by the two greatest nuclear weapons
powers, etc. Since I don't really believe much actually ever lands
atop the dustbin of history permanently, I fear the "Cold" War
is returning, Putin's KGB background being what it is, and
Obama's "exceptionalism" comments being what they are.
(-A pity: in his first term, our president did what he could,
traveled to mend fences; now he seems more like Bush II,
"we are the world, the rest of y'all are jest onlookers".)
The Russians have some points against us on their side, sadly.
How has The Monroe Doctrine ever stood scrutiny as morally
just policy? Absolutely available to anyone with computer
access and history books is the sorry saga of United Fruit in
Central America, the whole western coast of which the USA
practically owned...look up General Walker and the Panama
Canal as well. So again, why our outraged sensibilities over
the Crimea, Ukraine's allegiances, and Russian putative
power expansions/extensions? --As if we really have any
control what happens beyond our own borders, even
within them, at times.
If any nation's leaders WERE honest, they would admit
publicly that their countries have shameful entries in pages
of their own history books. No one will profit from Ukraine's
present painful moment, absent extraordinarily deft diplomatic
moves.
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I PRAY that the powder keg can be defused over there. God help them and us.....
ReplyDeleteYou're certainly on the noggin in regard to nearly every nation's historical blemishes. Even the peaceful Scandinavians were once Vikings. I also agree that it's at least somewhat comforting to know that our ambassadors are communicating. However, I believe that what's really driving Putin and his supporters is a nationalist fervor, rather than any desire to resurrect the Soviet Union. They're all capitalists now, anyway. Despite their thuggish behavior, there's nothing to be gained by saber-rattling. And as you stated, considering our own sordid history of riding roughshod over other sovereign nations, "A lot we got to holler," I say!
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