• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Rein in Ukraine's neo-fascists

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Editor's note: David C. Speedie is senior fellow director for the U.S. Global Engagement Program at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, an educational, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces lectures, publications and multimedia materials on the ethical challenges of living in a globalized world.

Rein in Ukraine's neo-fascists
By David Speedie
updated 7:35 AM EST, Thu March 6, 2014


(CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says neo-fascist far-right groups are firmly behind the putsch -- coup d'etat -- in Kiev and questions the democratic credentials of "men with black masks and Kalashnikovs" who became the poster children of the Maidan for Russians.

Does this assessment have any truth to it? In the fast-moving and chronically complex course of events in Ukraine, the issue has been debated from the beginning: the role of the far right in the events that led to the toppling of the Viktor Yanukovych government and in the present and future disposition of political power in the country.


There are some known facts: First, far-right, anti-Semitic, anti-Russian and openly fascist groups have existed and do exist as a blight on modern Ukraine. A 2012 European Parliament resolution condemned the main -- but by no means most extreme -- ultra-right party, Svoboda, as "racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic."

This extraordinary EU resolution contains 18 points of concern over policies embedded in laws of the Ukrainian Rada, or Parliament. A key paragraph reads that the EU "is concerned about the rising nationalistic sentiment in Ukraine." The Parliament stresses that "racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic views go against the EU's fundamental values and principles."

The resolution also appeals to pro-democratic parties in the Rada "not to associate with, endorse or form coalitions with this party."

As if to endorse the sentiments of the EU resolution, the leader of Svoboda (or "Freedom"), Oleh Tyahnybok, is on record saying that Kiev is governed by "a Jewish-Russian mafia" and has said Ukrainians bravely fought Muscovites, Germans, Jews "and other scum" in World War II.

This unsavory constituency, including the "ultra" Right Sector movement, manned the barricades in the Kiev uprising, providing "security" to the mainstream political opposition leaders and matching the pro-government forces in violent tactics that led to the dozens of dead in and around the Maidan.

These rightist-nationalist forces were in large part responsible for the collapse of the agreement signed in February that called for early parliamentary and presidential elections and a return to the 2004 Ukrainian constitution, which harks back to the "Orange Revolution" that brought a pro-West government to power in Ukraine.


In backing away from this face-saving compromise, one that was negotiated with the approval of the French, German and Polish governments, and which surely would have resulted in the removal of Yanukovych, moderate opposition leaders essentially capitulated to the far right.

The Russian position is also somewhat bolstered by the fact that Svoboda holds key posts in the interim government in Kiev, including that of deputy prime minister. Andriy Parubiy, the commander of the "Maidan self-defense," has been appointed the head of the National Security and Defense Council, and the leader of the Right Sector ultras, Dmitro Yarosh, is expected to become his deputy chairman. Svoboda controls the prosecutor general office and the ministries of ecology and agriculture.

At very least, the interim government has made bedfellows of some highly suspect and divisive forces.

But it is also true to say that many of the specific details of far-right activity and influence are anecdotal and perhaps contradictory.

On the one hand, there are reports of Jewish homes in Lviv and the western part of Ukraine being daubed with anti-Semitic slogans; on the other, Ukraine's head rabbi has weighed in with the opinion that anti-Semitism is "not on the rise." A group of Jewish groups sent an open letter to Putin that said, in part, "Your certainty of the growth of anti-Semitism in Ukraine also does not correspond to the actual facts."

It is also true that far-right forces are on the rise across Europe, including in the "respectable" democracies of the West, and that their targets range from Jews to Roma to gays to any "out" group, including the miscellany of new immigrants who are encouraged under European Union laws of free movement.

Finally, it is true that the long reach of memory evokes images from 70 years ago, those of robust support in western Ukraine for the fascist side during World War II. This is especially true in the east and south of a divided country, those regions that look to Moscow rather than to Washington or Brussels.

But these various points do not alter the fact that the European Parliament undertook the extraordinary measure of singling out Ukrainian ultra-nationalism, nor do they gainsay the role of its most influential exponent, Svoboda, in the new interim government.

In this context, and even as they may disagree on specific measures to be taken the path toward a prosperous, peaceful, united, democratic Ukraine, sober observers agree that this can be achieved only with the marginalization of the far right.

Unfortunately, the appointments of ultra-rightists to the interim government place this in serious question. Looking ahead, we must hope that the meeting in Brussels of the European foreign ministers, including Russia -- the first, we assume, of several -- may create a blueprint for Ukraine based on cooperative solutions rather than confrontation.
 

Steve

Well-known member
This is how a conspiracy theory works in it's finest.. you take bits and pieces of facts and twist them to fit your agenda or theory.

but when someone looks at the facts.. a different view emerges.

FACT
Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko (1 seat)

FACT
Andriy Parubiy In the 2007 parliamentary elections he was elected into the Ukrainian parliament on an Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc ticket.[2] He then became a member of the deputy group that would later become For Ukraine!.[2] Parubiy stayed with Our Ukraine and became a member of its Political Council.

Early February 2012 Parubiy left Our Ukraine because their "views diverged".[9] In 2012 he was re-elected into parliament on the party list of "Fatherland".[10]

He was coordinator of the volunteer security corps for the mainstream protesters.

so in reality the government of the Ukraine is NOT ran by the ultrarightwimgnuts party as the author claims. but instead by the party of the ousted President which holds a clear majority over all the other parties.


but after painting the entire right as ultrarightwingnuts

the article drops this little bombshell most would just skim over..

But it is also true to say that many of the specific details of far-right activity and influence are anecdotal and perhaps contradictory.

in other words.. They don't have a credible source for their assumptions.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
yep it's all a conspiracy theory...the radicals that do not hold enough seats to govern as the official opposition, won't hold violent protests in the streets, and have no chance of toppling the government
 

Steve

Well-known member
hypocritexposer said:
yep it's all a conspiracy theory...the radicals that do not hold enough seats to govern as the official opposition, won't hold violent protests in the streets, and have no chance of toppling the government

if you keep using Russian news source as your primary source you will get the Russians version of it and so far I have Proven that is not true..

I could dissect your entire comment and show that everything you said is nonsense.. but to be honest I don't really care what you think...
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Mike said:
You boys ought to know you ain't going to get the truth over here. :lol:

Ya, I find it funny that Steve will accuse the Western media of propping up obama, until it comes to an international issue and then he ONLY believes Western Media, when they try to prop up obama.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Steve, tell us again why it is so wrong to use russian state owned news sources


http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=623203#623203

it looks like we are now getting "expert" training form the Russians...


who better to learn from in how to disarm your citizens,... but the guys who did it so well... ?
 

Steve

Well-known member
hypocritexposer said:
Steve, tell us again why it is so wrong to use russian state owned news sources


http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=623203#623203

it looks like we are now getting "expert" training form the Russians...


who better to learn from in how to disarm your citizens,... but the guys who did it so well... ?

if you read the thread you can see that the source I quoted was from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/us-russian-soldiers-train_n_1525502.html

so clearly I verified my sources..

your effort to distort my views and response is despicable..

you knew this was in the thread ..



Steve said:
Usually when the first few sources are prison planet and info-wars.. I get a bit suspicious.. ok alot suspicious...

so I dug a bit deeper...

and the article I quoted right before that was an AP source that Huffinton post used as well..

you also missed this
I would probably be a bit more likely to listen to a Canada officer then a Russian in an emergency situation... up until the RMCP started grabbing guns.



you need to get your facts right.. your post was nothing but pure slander.. and trust me I will not forget..


your effort to distort my views and response is despicable..
 
Top