One of the biggest issues when it comes to trying to determine the truth of what is going on in Ukraine, is, well trying to determine the truth of what is going on in Ukraine.
basically I've seen a host of misinformation from both sides of the argument (mostly from the US) regarding who is who and who has done this or that. Russia claims the US basically couped the Pro-Russian government and is manipulating the situation in order to threaten Russia as well as open Ukraine to western markets.
Which in light of the revelations of certain US officials outright being caught admitting as such as well as the Pro-western leader in Kiev now making talks of austerity measures as well as revelations regarding US agri-corps making plans to move into Ukraine along with previous historical actions by the US expanding into post soviet territory despite promises not to, well it's hard not to feel that perhaps Mr. Putin is being honest in his accusations.
And yet, one cannot dismiss that the man himself in involved to a extent. After all, considering just how important Ukraine is to Russia's interests, Putin would have to be borderline idiot not to try to turn the situation to his favor. Of course Vlad is ever the Machiavellian politician and if there's anything the west should ever remember is that if there is one thing Russia is very good at, it's in intelligence operations. So far, unlike the US which has been caught nakedly engaging in more blatant undemocratic regime change, Putin is smart enough to keep his involvement well hidden enough that his actions will be relegated to open secret.
Anyway, I made this diary for two primary reasons.
One: to hopefully provide what to me is a accurate summary regarding the situation in Ukraine and why the country is so split. Because quite frankly I've seen a host of misinformation spread around on this very website and I want to put that to a end if possible.
Two: to talk about the dangers of crying wolf with political narratives. More on that in a bit.
now as for the link itself
http://socialistworker.org/...
Now I don't want to give away too much since then what would be the point of the link? But in essence the situation can be described as one nation of people being forced to pick sides out of fear for their future. The west afraid of being reduced to a Russian puppet with all the nastiness that implies, and the east, afraid of what little remaining economic prosperity they have left, being stolen due to western capitalism and reduced to poverty.
And in the end, Russia and the US basically ripping the country apart as part of their game with no concern for Ukrainian democracy.
Now as for the second point.
One reason why I mention the words crying wolf in political narratives is because lately ever since this event my overall faith in anything the US claims in regards to anything has been basically killed.
Too many times our government has lied to us regarding why we're involved in this affair or that affair, puffing us up as defenders of democracy and freedom in the face of evil demonized tyrants.
Only to find out some four years later that we basically invaded a country, or overthrew a government. Sometimes a legit democratic and honest one, sometimes a corrupt authoritarian one, on trumped up charges purely to protect our hegemony. Democracy doesn't even figure into planing. It has become a excuse that has been so thoroughly squeezed of any truth that it's very mention has become more a reflex than a genuine statment of anything by our government.
"Why are we dropping bombs on this country?"
"Because democracy or something."
Adding to this is our government's tendency to treat every situation is the most striking shades of black and white.
We are the most purest good. The heroes, the liberators, the golden winged angels sent from God on high to bring peace, and freedom, and all that is good to a oppressed land. All we touch becomes gold, and the nation we free is made better by our sheer proximity to them.
Our enemy is demonized. He is a modern day Hitler, Stalin, and every other thing merged into a evil singularity. His very existence is a blight upon our Earth. His government is corrupt to the extreme and must be purged for the good of this world.
Okay a bit dramatic but you get the point. We toss so many crude attacks at anyone who opposes us while simultaneously creating a false narrative of our and our allies own righteousness that the situation soon bares no relation to the often grey reality.
And this is a problem because as the situation in Ukraine has shown, people are beginning (assuming they haven't already) to just automatically dismiss anything our government says out of hand. Even our own people.
And to be fair to them, can you really blame them? Our government hides every detail about what it does half the time at best. And then expects either us or others to trust it.
And I say this is a problem because quite frankly what will happen when our government is actually being honest about how dangerous something is and it's warnings go unheeded because after so many times of being fed nothing but BS, people decided they don't want anymore.
Trust is not a infinite commodity. If you continue to squander it than don't be surprised if you find yourself out of it.
But then again when has our government ever showed it was ever bothered by silly things like limits?