The political tensions that have been building in Ukraine over the past year or so may well come to a head over the next few days.
Two rival protests have been organised in Kiev this weekend. One for supporters of embattled President Viktor Yushchenko, the other for supporters of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.
The protests are expected to attract tens of thousands each, and I’d imagine there is a significant risk of a clash between rival groups at some stage over the weekend. Particularly as the protests come at a point when President Yushchenko is reportedly considering dissolving Parliament and ordering new elections.
I must confess, I haven’t been following the nuances of Ukrainian politics recently, but I’m a little baffled by this decision. I’d thought that Yushchenko was in a relatively weak position electorally, with his potential support divided between two parties (his Our Ukraine People’s Union party and Yulia Timoshenko’s All Ukrainian Union Fatherland party), whilst his Viktor Yanukovich’s support was more unified.
What do you think? Would dissolving parliament be a wise decision for Yushchenko?
*This image, found on Flickr, was taken by user txd.
About Andy Young
Tim to Mike: Judging from your comments on various message boards over the last couple of months, I understand you are struggling to find an editor who will publish your writings.
Does a foreign policy analyst and media critic have to do this ? Why does he claim to not have a blog of his own ? What about Averko’s Russia Report ?
Gosh, he is so far off the mark when analysing and criticising Russia, does he really have to do the very same thing with Germany, with the very same quality now ? Plese no !
Do 2 comments (one of December 23, 2006 and one of March 22, 2007 at Serbianna.com hake someone an foreign policy analyst and media critic ?
Do 8 hits at “The Tiraspol Times” (most of them only bring up his name, only 2-3 were written by him) make a foreign policy and media critic ?
Do 9 letters to the editors of the New York Times (1st on August 16, 1993 – last on March 16, 1999) make a foreign policy analyst and media critic ?
Do comments on privately owned blogs make anybody a foreign policy analyst and media critic ?
Is my 3 year old son a foreign policy analyst and media critic because he grunts and whines when I switch the TV set from his favourite kiddy channel to the news (on foreign policy) ?
Could anybody please tell me what it takes to become a foreign policy analyst and media critic ?
I’m not sure what it says about your son’s credentials as a foreign policy analyst, but I think you’ve clearly demonstrated that he is a far more able media critic than most of us…
)))Beauty Andy. Very well said)) Am actually laughing at loud at that one!))
Ger,
that was many years ago. She ranted a lot about how Ukraine should be an EU member, or will be, how it will defend itself against Russia… run of the mill nationalism. It was mostly about recruiting election observers, lots of appeals to the Ukrainian diaspora and such stuff. She actually never really answered my question, come to think of it.;)
I’m not sure what it says about your son’s credentials as a foreign policy analyst, but I think you’ve clearly demonstrated that he is a far more able media critic than most of us…
Ok, the “media critic” goes to my son then. But there are other things I could do ….
a) I could go out to dinner in a Michelin Star decorated restaurant and could yell at the waiter … this clearly would make me a gourmet critic.
b) I could address the ladies of the Salvation Army running around in Düsseldorf, analyse their looks and the quality of their uniforms …this clearly would make me a military analyst.
c) I could engage my mother-in-law and saw her head off. After this I could not only claim to be an expert on the war on terror, I could also claim the title of a successful dragon slayer and become the hero on the Medieval Fantasy Websites & Blogs
Funny that RM, so she’s just like our politicians back home -hot air, waffle and bullshit. I knew a girl who got to ask Yegor Gaidar questions at a seminar at MGU some years ago -and she said the same thing you did. Hardly any useful information came from him at all. You’d imagine Yegor Gaidar would have a few tales to tell or at least strong opinions anyway.
Tim/Mike/Heribert – stop this row please. Now I know I’m not one to talk myself and sorry to all I’ve offended previously, but this row has gone a bit personal. Everyone has something to add here but ripping pieces off each other has no use at all.
Andy -my parents old dog at home Bob is quite docile and funnily enough only seems to bark when politicians are making the rounds of the houses before elections. How would you rate him as a political observer?
Tim/Mike/Heribert – stop this row please. Now I know I’m not one to talk myself and sorry to all I’ve offended previously, but this row has gone a bit personal. Everyone has something to add here but ripping pieces off each other has no use at all.
Hä ? Which row ? The (serious) question is what does it take to become a foreign policy analyst and media critic.
As far as I remember, neither Tim nor me ever claimed to be anything else than bloggers who have fun in what they do. And what we do is blogging, not giving us the aura of being some expert, analyst or critic. Neither Tim nor me have ever claimed to be the one and only source of important information the world has to listen to. And I cannot remember having read Tim, or having written myself, that people do not have the right to make a fool of themselves. I do this on a daily basis.
And yes Ger, you are right. No offense intended, but the job of the Siberian Light Moralist is Andy’s job, not yours. Particularly not after posting your “Birthday Wishes” to the La Russophobe Boys just recently. As long as Andy doesn’t complain and tells me (or Tim) how to behave on his blog I will write what I think is appropriate, the way I think being appropriate.
Tim:
Seeing how Russians suffered at the hands of Ukrainian and Jewish Communists, then Russians have a right to despise Jews and Ukrainians?
It’s wrong to blame Jews for Communism. It’s also wrong to do that with Russians.
as per your other comments, the Serbs were persecuted by Albanians which in turn ignited what transpired after 1989. This had been detailed at the venue you participated in with fact based info.
Heribert:
One of my Tiraspol Times articles is frequently featured at the very top portion of its web site at http://tiraspoltimes.com. TTT has informed me that my articles there are among the most read.
You’re carrying on like a demagogue with broad negative side swipes which misrepresent my contributions elsewhere, to go along with not directly addressing my points.
Your LR like belittling of my NYT letters negates the following:
- 7 of the 8 were published within a two year span in a pre-internet era when it was extremely difficult to get anything published in the “paper of record”.
- Such names as Mark Ames and Peter Lavelle have yet to make The NYT op-ed.
- From the looks of things, I’ve provided more original and fact based analysis than your grandson and yourself combined and not just at blogs (besides The NYT and TTT: JRL, Serbianna, Intelligent.ru and the AUR).
I did it while never backtracking on my views, which are very much suppressed in the “free” (for those who can afford to influence it) press.
Ger:
Just setting the record straight.
Tim:
Seeing how Russians suffered at the hands of Ukrainian and Jewish Communists, then Russians have a right to despise Jews and Ukrainians?
It’s wrong to blame Jews for Communism. It’s also wrong to do that with Russians.
as per your other comments, the Serbs were persecuted by Albanians which in turn ignited what transpired after 1989. This had been detailed at the venue you participated in with fact based info.
Heribert:
One of my Tiraspol Times articles is frequently featured at the very top portion of its web site at http://tiraspoltimes.com. TTT has informed me that my articles there are among the most read.
You’re carrying on like a demagogue with broad negative side swipes which misrepresent my contributions elsewhere, to go along with not directly addressing my points.
Your LR like belittling of my NYT letters negates the following:
- 7 of the 8 were published within a two year span in a pre-internet era when it was extremely difficult to get anything published in the “paper of record”.
- Such names as Mark Ames and Peter Lavelle have yet to make The NYT op-ed.
- From the looks of things, I’ve provided more original and fact based analysis than your grandson and yourself combined and not just at blogs (besides The NYT and TTT: JRL, Serbianna, Intelligent.ru and the AUR).
I did it while never backtracking on my views, which are very much suppressed in the “free” (for those who can afford to influence it) press.
Ger:
Just setting the record straight.
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Mike,
Your LR like belittling of my NYT letters negates the following [...]
I do not belittle anything. I simply say that a writer of a letter to the editor is no columnist. By adding to every line you drop somewhere “Hey, the NYT published me !” you falsely suggest to have been published for being a serious commentator, columnist or author. Which you clearly aren’t.
There are plenty of analysts and critics who never were published by the NYT, simply because they never wrote a letter to its editors or didn’t feel like writing a column there.
This definitely does not make them worse than you are, or the other way around, makes you better than they are.
Everbody has (at some time) a dream about what he / she wants to become in life. Some want to become a firefighter, some want to become a cosmonaut. Some manage to make this dream come true and to achieve their goal. Others fail. You obviously want to become a famous journalist, analyst and critic. You’ve failed up to now. And this is the reason why some od your “friends” accuse you of actually flipping hamburgers at Wendy’s and not making a living of being a great analyst and critic.
Someone who travelled to Star City and was permitted to wear a real cosmonaut’s helmet once is as much a real cosmonaut as someone only writing letters to the editors of the NYT is a co-editor of this newspaper. Regardless how many times he / she claimes the opposite.
For the record. The young gentleman I mentioned is my youngest son not my grandson. I am no grandfather yet, although my older children are of an age when the easily could be parents already.
True, you’ve “provided” a lot of stuff. And a lot of the stuff you “provided” wasn’t published at all. You keep complaining yourself intensively enough about how much of your stuff is not published and accuse those who refuse to publish you of applying censorship and suppressing you.
May the real analysts and critics decide whether the stuff you provide, and which is “published”, is fact based and original or not.
My opinion doesn’t count as I am no self-proclaimed independent analyst and media critic. Your “independent” reads “unemployed”, this explains why you are so desperately in need of attention.
Or is your behaviour simply the symptom of a tremendous Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ? This would explain the massive flooding of blogs and message boards you (not only) lately produce.
Mike, you might try to modulate your tone a bit. I made a reserved comment just throwing a couple of ideas out there. I know you feel embattled and “censored,” but that’s no excuse for going off in a manner that alienates everyone, including people who might otherwise agree with some of your points.
Give Crimea back to Russia.
That’s one I can’t agree with, because I think we’ve seen how damaging it can be to try to re-draw borders in the post-Soviet space. Why not give northern and southern Bessarabia back to Moldova while you’re at it? If you start doing this, every country (or de facto statelet) will want to rewind history to the point in time when their territory was largest and declare a historical precedent for those borders.
It’s 100% bogus to whitwash the many non-Russian Communists in the USSR and abroad.
Sorry, but none of them ended up with any of the USSR’s property or legal obligations. Russia decided (wisely, I think) not to set up something like South Africa’s Truth & Reconciliation Committee, so many of the Soviet-era perpetrators will never be called to account. And I do recognize that in terms of raw numbers it was Russians who suffered the most. But I don’t think that justifies belittling the suffering of the smaller nationalities.
Also, you not only found something in my statement that wasn’t there (a supposed desire to “whitwash” [sic]), you also called it “100% bogus” – a classy way of showing how you’re open-minded and enter into these discussions in good faith.
No apology as you define it is owed.
I never said any was owed, or defined what form it might take, I just suggested that some form of apology might help everyone move on. One can debate at length whether the US states which have begun to apologize for slavery and racial discrimination owe those apologies; I think they can sometimes be a good idea regardless.
An apology is owed to Russians for the bigoted US congressionally sponsored Captive Nations Committee, which appears to be the most institutionalized form of anti-Russian bigotry on record.
I actually agree with your general idea that the Captive Nations concept became less productive after the fall of the USSR, and the diaspora communities could have found other ways to move forward in defining their home countries’ independence in ways that were not solely defined in opposition to Russia. At the same time, I don’t think it ever rose to the level of “bigotry.” And the idea of an apology for words (as opposed to, say, starving millions of people) is laughable. Would you have Russia apologize for the anti-American statements of certain Duma members? I hope not, because no one needs such an apology.
I did it while never backtracking on my views
George W. Bush has taken great pride in his similar approach to Iraq and other issues. I commend you both for your devotion to your respective articles of faith and persistence in propounding them.
Timeout, please.
Heribert:
Try getting anything published in The NYT, especially in the pre-internet era.
You disingenuously overlook the many articles I’ve had posted/published at sites that are well respected by many.
You once again don’t directly challenge any of my views which are in fact highly regarded by (among others) some of the folks regularly appearing at JRL.
You’ve definite crank like qualities.
When compared to yours truly and using your criteria, you aren’t qualified to judge me.
Lyndon:
Okay.
Here’s another tact to your earlier mentioned successor state point. Serbia and Russia are successor states to former multi-national conglomerates that each are no longer a part of (Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, etc). Likewise, the brutal Communist aspects of Yugoslavia and the USSR aren’t Serb and Russian monopolies.
Crimea was a rhetorical reference.
Timeout. Timeout. Who cares. Who gives a damn. I don’t care where anybody got published. Really. Couldn’t care less. Idiots get published, smart people get published. And vice versa. Heck, I got letters to the editor published in the only daily newspaper of the capital of one of the largest countries in the world…;) To this day i suspect it was published for comic relief.
Here’s the ultimate test for ‘being published’, in my opinion: if you are in Lexis Nexis (and i am not talking about the Court case database…)
Time out. Time out. Please.
RM
Jus playin with some people who make some rather absurd points. I’m not referring to your last post comments Lyndon. I’ll more than gladly keep it level with you and anyone else. I do have limits when it comes to reading some questionable commentary that harps on misguided sterotypes.
Hit and get hit is my motto. If you hit and then whine when such manner is returned, then….
Mike,
Try getting anything published in The NYT, especially in the pre-internet era.
Why should I want to do something like that ? One Averko in a century is truly enough
You disingenuously overlook the many articles I’ve had posted/published at sites that are well respected by many.
From time to time cows drop something very unpleasant, particularly when the weather is hot, and there are “many” circulating around it. Truly not a role model to follow
You once again don’t directly challenge any of my views which are in fact highly regarded by (among others) some of the folks regularly appearing at JRL.
Are we talking about the “biased” and “censoring” Johnson’s Russia List refusing to publish you ? The one that published the famous “La Russophobe Interview but for some yet unknown reason didn’t publish the Averko Interview ?
Are we talking about this particular Johnson’s Russia List you so bitterly complained about on this blog and elsewhere ? Didn’t you insist that Johnson’s Russia List wasn’t worth reading because it doesn’t publish The World’s One and Only Truly Independent Foreign Policy Analyst and News Critic ? Oh, I see.
When compared to yours truly and using your criteria, you aren’t qualified to judge me.
Hey, I am not judging you. I have a hell of a time laughing about you. Please keep up the good work !
Guys, this conversation is getting a bit tetchy, and I’d appreciate it if you would both tone it down a notch.
I know that both of you are pretty laid back, and neither will take too great offense from each other’s insults, but I have a problem with people throwing around personal insults on this blog, and its clear that others do too.
Fine with me
Me as well.
For the record, when I get posted at JRL,it’s a great accomplishment in lieu of the well documented biasaes there.
The not so funny bozo here can’t seem to make it anywhere and has yet to successfully debunk any of my points.
He has also insulted blogs by suggesting that they aren’t as worthy.
Some of my best material has been posted at blogs and establishment venues take some the leading blogs seriously.
In respect to Andy, I take back the Bozo comment while remaining steadfast on the rest.
Cheers Mike, much appreciated.
You’re a good man bro. Along with Sean and a few others, you’re a credit to the Eng. language coverage of the former USSR.
”And yes Ger, you are right. No offense intended, but the job of the Siberian Light Moralist is Andy’s job, not yours. Particularly not after posting your “Birthday Wishes” to the La Russophobe Boys just recently. As long as Andy doesn’t complain and tells me (or Tim) how to behave on his blog I will write what I think is appropriate, the way I think being appropriate.”
Heribert, who’s being a moralist? I was just asking you to stop acting like a twat, to put it more explicitly. You were ranting. LR style. Give it a rest, as Brian’s mother told him in ”Life of Brian”. 90% of what you were saying was just personal insult, trying to denigrate a man rather than what he had to say. Again to put it firmly to you, i dont give a s**t who’s in charge(apologies Andy). Some of what you said above was caustic and totally unnecessary and I’ll have a cut off you whenever the mood takes me for out. I just asked you politely/ I’ll know in future which tone is better with you. And by the way spare us the humour. You’re German. You’re not supposed to be funny and frankly you arent. With the exception of the mother-in-law/war-on-terror line, the rest of it was about as funny as a dose of the runs with no toilet paper. It’s like the Irish and cricket. Sometimes it works but really its just not meant to be.I’m telling you that I think what YOU said above was inappropriate, regarding Mike and Wendys. It was bloody atrocious. And unlike you, when I go over the top I apologise and withdraw what i said. I guess its all in the rearing.
Ger, are you being a little nationalistic today ? Thank you for reminding me, being a German, what I am supposed to do.
I will not remind you, being an Irishman, what you are supposed to do according to some. This involves “Wellingtons” and “sheep”.
Heribert,
nice try, but well wide of the mark. You wouldnt be raising the touch-judges flags with that one. Apologies. My tongue slipped. I meant to say Germans ‘arent’ funny rather than ‘supposed’ to be funny. Because frankly you arent. And I’ve worked with plenty of Germans to know that. They’ve certainly got their talents – frugality, avoiding buying rounds of drink, taking horrendous long distance bus journeys instead of paying a few extra euros for the train and wearing the same clothes for two years. But, I digress.
Your attacks on Mike were cheap and nasty and dont get too upset now that someone is flying in with a cheap and nasty tackle for you. And by the way getting a letter published in the NY Times is no small achievement. Around 20 million people read that newspaper so as you can imagine they get a lot of mail. Well done Mike. Did you get published anywhere, Heribert? Der Bild maybe?
‘Wellingtons’, ‘sheep’…are you thinking of New Zealand maybe? Can you think of a good one at least? Our drinking and fighting maybe? Our atrocious football team?
Heribert/Andy,
I take back the latter half of the first paragraph above. It was too much. The rest stands though.
Ger,
you may have your ideas about Germany and Germans. That’s perfectly ok with me. I understand why your German workmates didn’t buy you any drinks. I wouldn’t either
Back to the point of being published, I am not claiming to be a journalist or author, not claiming to be an analyst or critic. This is why I do see no need to write to any newspaper and demand to be published. Maybe this has slipped your attention.
And I’ve worked with plenty of Germans to know that. They’ve certainly got their talents – (…)
taking horrendous long distance bus journeys instead of paying a few extra euros for the train and wearing the same clothes for two years.
====
Actually, taking the bus is cheap AND educational. Done it FOUR times so far, and never got bored.
And what kind of wasteful rascals are you working with? Half of MY wardrobe is AT LEAST F I V E years old, and that’s NOT counting that great cardigan I inherited from my uncle…
And German humor is VERY funny. It’s not OUR fault YOU don’t understand it…
RM -i stand corrected)) Actually I cant say a word about clothes myself. I’ve got stuff on me this minute thats likely banned by the fashion police in most countries. Its not like I’m bloody YSL myself)
Heribert -you can dish out poison
”Hey, I am not judging you. I have a hell of a time laughing about you. Please keep up the good work !’
But you cant take it. Andreas Brehme clearly you aint, or Klaus Augenthaler for that matter. These were fine Germans who could sure take a good thump and give it back as good. You have that priceless tone of righteous indignation. Funny, you werent so righteous above in your attacks on Mike earlier.
Nothing slipped my attention Heribert. What caught my attention is you ridiculing Mike because of his publishing claims in the NYT and your cheap, childish, two rouble insults at him. No-one is saying you claim to be a journalist or a critic. But you do seem to have an unhealthy fixation with Mike’s claims, resulting in those enormous, meandering, humourless and frankly caustic rants above(sodium hydroxide is a very cheap chemical). Hence my questioning your big interest in his journalism and wondering out loud if, just maybe, you were really a hack in disguise..after all, journalists spend more time mouthing off about each other than anything worthwhile. You seem to fit that bill.
As for Germans not buying me pints, now that hurt. There are few ways to insult a Paddy better than not buy him a pint. After all, we’ll die of thirst and have to return to our cottages to eat potatoes and wait for the next EU cheque. From Germany. So one way or another we get drink from you)
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Stop it, please. Ger, Heribert — you’re both cool dudes, and as far as I know, you both have more than amply paid jobs to your honor. Please, please, stop it.
Thank you!!!!
Oh my god. I’m acting as a peacemaker… please don’t tell anybody, I’ve reputation to protect.
Ihr seid alles Saukoeppe. Da, fuehlt Euch beleidigt!!!!! Dammich.
As I’m not sure Ger understands my insults in German, here’s a special, just for you
Aich te bheal – Póg me hón!
Now stop hatin’….:D
Ihr seid alles Saukoeppe. Da, fuehlt Euch beleidigt!!!!! Dammich.
Jau, der war gut.
Zeig mal Deinen blauen Helm 
and as far as I know, you both have more than amply paid jobs to your honor
I have no job, sniff. Ich bin nur “Unternehmer”.
My formal titles are:
Foreign Policy Analyst Extraordinaire (FPAE) & Political Dissident (PD)
This is acknowledged by Heribert never having put a substantive dent in my analysis and the ongoing commentary from people like Yulia Latynina and Taras Kuzio.
http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@139.fkHUbwLtJ9D.3@.77480649/7475
To quote Dizzy Dean: “It aint braggin if you’re good.”
Heribert reminds me a bit of a German contact of mine in Moscow.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEACE!
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEACE!
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAZE!
Yes, I think it’s time to bring this ill-tempered thread to a close.
As of now, I’ve turned off the comments box on this post.