Gas Pipelines in Europe

The Counter Revolution is Underway

Make no mistake that Russia’s approach to the current situation is no less than the most visible act in the Russian Government backed counter revolution here in Ukraine. I will now dub this the “Black” Counter Revolution. Indeed, if this succeeds, the future will be dark here in the heart of Europe.

Questions to ask:

Will the West sit on their hands and let Ukraine fall backward into Black Hole of Authoritarianism and Gangster Capitalism?
Will the Ukrainian people join their long suffering brothers and sisters in Russia to live under an obscene perversion of Democracy?
Can the patriots of Ukraine rise to the occasion once again?
Will the West put gas before freedom? (Of course they will…but how completely?
What other dirty tricks are planned before the elections in March?

Stay tuned.

THE NEW MINUTEMEN OF THE ORANGE REVOLUTION

During the American Revolution, minutemen were militia who were highly mobile and able to assemble on a moments notice. In the less violent, yet no less important, Orange Revolution in Ukraine, a new modern version of the heroic minutemen of old has come to be.

In the relative quite of the past week, as public expressions of support for the Ukrainian opposition have mellowed, it would be easy to think that the public is losing interest. But enter many homes in Kiev and you will see, hanging by the door, some of the weapons of the Orange Revolution. Hats, scarves and other articles of clothing, either orange or having some orange color, stand at the ready. The minuteman’s most common weapon, a bit of orange ribbon or tape likewise stands ready. The special Fisherman’s Corps stands ready to assemble, fishing poles held high displaying all manner of flag and banner.

Yes. The protesters may have, for the most part, left the street. Yet they are standing by. Men, women and children, 99% of which had no plan to participate in a national movement to rescue the soul of Ukraine, all are standing by.

Did I mention their most important weapon? Their hearts! The collective heart of the nation and the individual heart of the individual protester, driven to stand, unarmed, against an overwhelming authoritarian regime. We now know that bullets were issued to the regime’s interior troops. A slaughter of the protesters was only barely averted. Yet they stood. They stood brave. They stood true.

I have no doubt that these few weeks will go down in history as one of Ukraine’s finest moments.

IT’S NOT OVER ‘TILL ITS OVER

Don’t you believe for a minute that the crew that tried to steal the past election is just standing passively on the sidelines for the upcoming “revote.” Don’t believe that you have heard about every falsification that was accomplished. Already there is an investigation into alleged hacking of the Central Election Commission server. What other schemes are being hatched?

Please consider what is at stake here. There are the monetary stakes involving billions and billions of dollars. From outright criminal activity, to questionable privatizations, there are some very rich people with a lot to lose if Yushchenko wins. Then there are the geopolitical stakes. This pits the interests of the Russian ruling elite against that of the European Union and the United States.

Please consider that millions of people have died around the world in the past century for much less than what is at stake here.

My conclusion is that with stakes so high, no one can passively let events unfold as they will. Therefore, count on behind the scenes maneuvering aimed at stealing the upcoming election, just in a not so heavy handed a manner.

As a long shot, don’t count out a heavy handed move by the Russian government. A future empire reuniting the components of the old Soviet Empire is about to lose an unrecoverable window of opportunity. Besides, the Russian ruling elite doesn’t want the people, among others, of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia itself to get the idea that they too can shake the yoke of authoritarian/criminal-capitalist rule.

I’ll go out on a limb here. Looking into my crystal ball I see two possible futures in twenty-five years. In one, there is a new Russian Empire made up of many of its former Soviet Republics, including Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. In the other, there is an expanded European Union stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Which future is more likely, and more importantly, which future is better may be obvious, but we shall have to wait and see.

TENT CITY OF PROTESTERS EXTENDS FOR BLOCKS 

A LETTER FROM LUGANSK

Hi Raul:

I fully agree with the questions that help you to choose one of the candidates. But they cannot be answered satisfactorily in our country, where every politician thinks only about their own ass, excuse the expression, but it is so.

I have some information about Yanukovich and it proves his illegal actions. But I don't think that Yushchenko is an angel either. By the way, an interesting fact is that almost all clairvoyants say that Yushchenko will be elected as president but he will die soon thereafter. He will be a leader for about two or three months. This fact can't be proved by scientists, but there it is.

Another interesting fact is that all media (those who support Yanukovich and those of the opposition) say that Yanukovich was a manager of one of the factories in 1976, when he was 26. But at that time, in order to lead a state business he must have been a member of Communist Party. It was not possible to be a party member if you had been imprisoned before. So how could he have been a factory manager? This is an absurdity.

A third interesting fact is that Yushchenko says that there are about 500,000 people in Independence Square. This cannot be true. The square's area is about 20,000 square meters. Only five men can stand in one square meter. So, 20,000 x 5 = 100,000. Why did he lie to 70,000 people? I think it is to create an illusion of a larger crowd. Why?

Lastly, I don't know if you were informed about the following. Yulia Timoshenko, Yushchenko’s right hand, stated at the Independence Square that "All people, who are more than five years old, living in the east of Ukraine must be killed (Russian - "vyrezany") as they are stupid (Russian - "bydlo")". Is this democratic way? About 70,000 thousand people heard this phrase. I don't really think that the opposition respects us and our choice. I 'm assured of that fact, because all the Russian channels showed this meeting, but it wasn't translated on such channels as "channel 5" or "TRK" or "1+1" or "Era". Why didn't those channels cover this?

I forgot to answer one of your questions. I'm from Lugansk, Lugansk Region. Lugansk is shown as a gangster system by the opposition. This is not so. You can believe me. I am not a gangster :)).

Respecting You,
Andrew.

.....SUPPORT CONTINUES THROUGHOUT KIEV.....

Previously, I made a post regarding the evidence of visible support for either candidate. (Please see the archives for November 30, 2004.) Visible support for Yushchenko continues to run at about 1 in 6. Again, to my amazement, I have not seen any visible support for Yanukovich all day.

Protesters still block government buildings. The tent city on Khreshchatyk Street is thriving. Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) is still occupied. The crowds have thinned since the weekend as usual. Almost the whole city has cycled through Maidan.

Although there might be 40,000 people during the daytime and more at night, this crowd is not made up of the same people from hour to hour. Like many people, I might only go down to Maidan for a few hours each day. When you arrive by metro, you will usually see as many people leaving the square as entering it. This constant cycling makes the size of the crowds misleading. That is also why the crowds can swell so quickly.

I figure that the three metro lines that cross in the center of Kiev (Київ, Kyiv, Kyyv) can deliver about 30,000 to 40,000 protesters per hour without breaking a sweat. The surrounding buses and trolleys can do likewise. By the way, this also points out a group of real heroes: The staff of the Kiev City Metro and the other transportation departments. They have kept key logistical arteries for the opposition open and efficient throughout this crisis.

orange revolution 

A LETTER TO MY FRIEND IN DONBAS

Dear Crash:

It was a great pleasure to receive your letter.

First I’d like to make a few statements:

1) I have never been to the Donbas. All I know comes from what I have read.
2) For the sake of our discussions, I am willing to concede that I may have been misinformed by the opposition and the western press.
3) Although I feel I am relatively well informed regarding the current situation, I know I would be a fool to think I have a perfect understanding, as a result, I am trying to have an open mind.

Next, I would like to tell you how I judge the candidates. These are the questions that I use for my evaluation:

1) Will he be fair to all Ukrainians, whether they voted for him or not?
2) Will he increase personal freedoms and build a stronger democracy?
3) Will he wage war against organized crime and corruption?
4) Will he create an environment where business can thrive, benefiting the many, not just the few.
And, most importantly:
5) When my daughter grows up, which candidate will have left a better Ukraine for her to grow up in?

By the way, I don’t believe that Yushchenko is necessarily the best man to be president, just the better of the two. To me it’s a choice of which road to take and where that road will lead you.

Also, you should know that I don’t like politicians in general. To get to the top you have to bend so many rules and make so many deals that no one is clean in politics. So I can only go for the better choice of what is offered.

FALSIFICATIONS:
I have friends here in Kiev who have experienced falsifications directly. This knowledge has influenced me. What about the one to three million falsifications in favor of Yanukovich? I have heard convincing information regarding this, but how am I to really know? There may be falsifications for Yushchenko, I understand they are minor, but how am I to really know? What I can say with confidence is that the elections here were conducted in a manner to embarrass all Ukrainians.

REVOTE versus NEW ELECTIONS
I think how you feel about this depends upon who you support.

Yushchenko supporters favor a REVOTE because they think they will win if there are no falsifications.
Yanukovich supporters favor NEW ELECTIONS with new candidates because they feel that they can field a stronger candidate and that they could use the extra time this option would provide.

SECRET BALLOT
You say that everybody can vote for their own candidates in secret. Unfortunately this was not the case. Many employees of large businesses and state agencies were given ballots that were already prepared with a vote for Yanukovich. They were then required to return the blank ballot from the polling station to their boss to prove that they had cast the prepared ballot.

WHY ARE PEOPLE AT MAIDAN?
This is one of the few topics about which I can report to you directly. I have first hand knowledge in this area, so I will share my experience with you, my friend, as honestly as I know how.

1) ENTERTAINMENT. Yes, there has been entertainment. And I am sure that some people come for that reason, but believe me, the entertainment is not good enough to keep people out in the cold day after day. None of my friends go for that reason, and I certainly do not.
2) FREE VODKA, FREE CLOTHES, FREE FOOD
There is no free vodka. Alcohol is forbidden inside the tent city.
Free clothes are available to the protesters sleeping overnight. They have been donated by the citizens of Kiev, I have seen this myself.
Free food is also available only to protesters sleeping there. This food is being donated by individual citizens. Everyone else buys their food at Maidan.
3) PEOPLE COME TO MAIDAN TO RELAX NOT TO SUPPORT THE OPPOSITION
I am sorry my friend, you are just plain wrong on this point.

TIMOSHENKO
I am sorry, I don’t know enough about her to make a comment.

CONCLUSION
I would like to return to my five questions that I used to evaluate which candidate will be better for Ukraine. I honestly believe that Yushchenko will lead Ukraine down the road toward a liberal, democratic Ukraine with a booming economy. I just as strongly believe that a Yanukovich presidency will mean a continuation of gangster capitalism, a strengthening of authoritarian rule, and an economy benefiting the few to the detriment of the many.

I can only make a choice based upon what I know. So, for the future of my daughter, I choose for her to grow up in the Ukraine that will be left by a Victor Yushchenko presidency.

Best wishes,
Raul

To read crash's letter click this link: http://raulkyyvpoetry.blogspot.com/

THE SOUNDS OF SEASONAL CHANGE FILL THE AIR IN KIEV

The Winter Solstice falls on December 21st this year. Many government officials, in the spirit of the season, are well into their preparations. Walk past any government building in Kiev and you can hear the heart warming sounds of the season. Listen to the roar of office and industrial size shredders converting incriminating documents into festive packing material for Christmas presents. Hear that low hum coming from every floor? That is the sound of kindness. Officials, in anticipation of a Yushchenko victory, are all busy formatting and reformatting the hard drives of their computers. That way they hope that the new administration will have a fresh start for their work.

What about those suitcases and bundles being whisked to waiting jets at the airport? Surely they must hold presents for the little ones?

So much goodwill is in the air!