Ultranationalist Neo-Nazi Parties On The March In Ukraine

[Purveyor]

President Viktor Yanukovich’s sudden, surprise departure from Kiev is the beginning of a long ordeal for Ukrainians. It’s also the start of a major threat to the several hundred thousand Ukrainian Jews.

Anti-Semitic violence in Ukraine may come as a surprise to an American audience accustomed to optimistic portrayals of the swiftly changing events in U.S. media. The last weeks have been dominated by talk of vigils for democracy, for the EU, for Western ways, played out for the cameras in the bonfire-lit Independence Square.

The Russian media, by contrast, have devoted time, since autumn, to explicating the virulent history of the ultranationalist neo-Nazi parties from western Ukraine that rally under the black and red flag of the grandfather of Ukrainian fascist parties, the 85-year-old Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. Its flag can be seen in pictures of the parliament building surrounded by masked and helmeted protesters.

In her Sunday appearance to discuss the crisis on “Meet the Press,” National Security Adviser Susan Rice was not asked about the fears of the Jews of Ukraine. Nor has the White House mentioned Jews or anti-Semitism during the several remarks directed at Moscow advising Russian President Vladimir Putin not to intervene in the Ukrainian chaos.

Ukrainian Jews, on the other hand, are speaking out loudly now that Kiev is descending into anarchy.

A grave threat

more...

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/2/ukraine-nationalistantisemitismneonaziviolence.html

[2banon]

1. If this proves to be true, we got played big time.

I'm still trying to sort this out for myself.

[Purveyor]

3. As am I, which is why I'm putting up some of these different perspectives

on this serious situation.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. ,

,

[DinahMoeHum]

4. There's a power vacuum out there. . .

. . .with potentially very nasty power plays among the competing factions.

[kristopher]

5. You know you can measure their influence by seats held in their parliament, right?

"on the march" ??? Maybe, but what I'm getting is a country trying to turn to a more open government and being screwed with by Putin. IIRC the nationalists only have something like 6-8% of the seats, but it isn't my area of focus so you'll want to verify that.

[MisterP]

6. actually the idea that national ideologies match election outcome is itself a Cold-War

ploy: it says that democracy just means elections and those elections are 100% representative

[kristopher]

7. That doesn't make a bit of sense to me.

National ideologies? What does that mean in this context?

And why is it a "Cold-War ploy"?

Democracies do mean elections and unless you have a better system, they are as representative as it gets. Sure they can be corrupted, but democracies (especially parliamentary democracies) are looking pretty much better than any other system of governance I know of.

So what is a national ideology? Did you mean nationalistic? If so I still don't get it.

[MisterP]

9. 72% of Americans want more taxes on wealthy and higher minimum wage--

does 72% of Congress (give or take a little)?

[kristopher]

11. That doesn't explain your cryptic post nor validate a claim about democracy writ large

Try direct dialog where you take the time to make a meaningful point.


This isn't twitter.

[cprise]

8. Thanks for the neoliberal take on recent events

...and the kneejerk baying at Putin.

Perhaps you'd like to comment on why, with one year to go until election, the US state dept. decided to plan a violent coup right on Russia's border:

(segue's into leaked phone conversation...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ROTwyP5no08#t=778

(...and)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ROTwyP5no08#t=994

And there is also that bit about the CIA referring to the Orange Revolution as a part of its playbook.

I suspect that Ukranian protesters were drawn into violence by provocateurs when they started throwing bricks and molotov cocktails at the riot police (setting them on fire), and even tried to run them over with bulldozers. I have also seen footage of snipers shooting at police but it was undated.

It is interesting to see the double standards that effortlessly take over when people become 'informed' by American infotainment.

At stake in the minds of the protesters-cum-insurgents is the economic windfall of becoming the most important NATO outpost.

[The Stranger]

10. Suddenly Russian Troops are not such a bad option?

I'm trying to catch up on this story.