Ukrainian Crisis

Ukraine is Merely a Pawn in an Imperial Chess Game

By Jim Vail

March 3, 2014

As the media goes crazy with another possible war scenario in the Ukraine, it is important to take a step back and understand the situation.

But not according to the US media propaganda viewpoint (NY Times), versus the Russian media propaganda viewpoint (Russia Today).

Let’s try to understand this latest military adventure according to the people’s perspective.

It is the people who first and foremost, in the spirit of the Greek people protesting the austerity cuts in Europe and the Egyptian people protesting the Mubarek regime, who took to the streets to valiantly protest the government.

When President Barack Obama stated his concerns with Russia’s plans to control and possibly take back the Crimea from Ukraine, let’s not take this seriously.  I mean, didn’t the US illegally invade Iraq and the world condemned this action? And now the US is threatening Iran.

So let’s leave the hypocrites out of this for the moment.

The Russians have “invaded” the Crimea, similar to the US invading Middle Eastern countries, for the simple reason that Ukraine is an important strategic interest. Ukraine has natural resources and valuable gas pipelines criss-crossing the country that the US would love to pry away from Russian control.

When I first read about the protests in Ukraine that resulted in perhaps a 100 deaths and the ouster of the government, I first said – What?  The people are protesting ties with Russia so they can sign a pact with the European Union?  Didn’t the UE just decimate the people in Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, etc. after imposing huge austerity cuts?

Well, mistake No. 1. I was reading the NY Times.

So let’s begin by understanding what the people of Ukraine have to say about their valiant efforts in the streets in their fight for a better life.

According to Taras Ilkiv, the editor-in-chief of Newsradio.com.au who hails from western Ukraine, there are some important facts outsiders need to know about the situation in Ukraine.  His comments were reported in Business Insider and provides the following analysis. 

First, the people there are fighting for their rights, and not for EU membership.  The US media is focused on saying the Ukrainians want to join the West and turn away from corrupt old Soviet rule. But the fact is, when President Viktor Yanukovich rejected an EU deal and instead signed a $15 billion deal with the Russians, there were only local rallies. It was only after the violent disruption of a peaceful student protest in Kiev that a million angry people took to the central square, turning into an anti-government uprising and demanding the resignation of the president.

It is important to note that democratically-elected Yanukovich legitimately beat his opponent and darling of the west, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a billionaire oligarch herself who signed a hated gas contract with the Russians and went to prison.

The corruption in Ukraine, like anywhere, is outrageous. The president has enriched his family members, with the total wealth of the president’s son alleged to have reached $510 million.  Suddenly, pictures of Yanukovich’s huge mansion are shown everywhere. What if the US media started detailing the riches of our corporate CEO’s and their government puppets? I’m sure Gates domestic headquarters could compete with any corrupt oligarch in the world.   

The Ukrainian media, like US media, is just about totally controlled by big money interests tied to the government. Most TV channels in Ukraine have avoided criticism of the authorities. Ukraine has no independent media outside the Internet (does the US?). Recently, Yanukovich signed a law that allows anybody to close any websites without trial or warning because of the slightest complaint (but didn’t Obama declare war on whistle blowers – Watergate anyone?). One journalist, Tatyana Chornovol, who wrote about the wealth of Yanukovich, was recently severely beaten.

The Ukrainian opposition, like anywhere really, is weak. It is represented by Tymoshenko, former world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, and a bunch of nationalists with radical slogans (like the far right Golden Dawn party in Greece and other neo-nazi wanna bees). None have any clear action for the people. Unfortunately, they are merely controlled, if not by Russia, then by the US and EU, with the IMF offering the same $15 billion in aid. Except, this will be a really bitter pill to swallow for the people when the government announces massive cuts to go along with it.

Now, here’s a very important point made in the Business Insider article listing 10 facts people need to understand about Ukraine. “Many protesters do not really believe in that the EU and US are ready to help Ukrainians uphold democratic values.”

The cruel hard fact is the Ukrainian people are $%#&! There is no other way to really put it. Now the US-backed EU and IMF will offer credit to take over the country and further destroy the people’s lives. Ukraine is an extremely poor country with some rich resources. Think Africa. With all its oil in countries like Nigeria that have enriched multinational oil companies like Chevron, what do the people have to show for it? Poverty, misery and a sense of hopelessness in this ugly global world in which the US is fighting bitterly to maintain power.

I think it is a major mistake of the Ukrainian people to stop protesting and go home thinking the ouster of President Yanukovich was a victory. The heads of states are mere puppet heads! Life only got worse in Egypt after Mubarek was taken out and currently replaced with an unelected military state; like the current Ukrainian leadership is unelected. It is the system, and not an individual, that is the enemy of the people!

If the people do not have control of the political levers, then they have nothing. They are mere beggars. Capitalism requires subservience to the power of the dollar, profits at human expense. To seek a better system for the people, in which the country’s resources aren’t outsourced to foreign companies and corrupt government hacks, requires nothing short of a revolution. A revolution in which not a mere 100 may be killed, but a war in which thousands more may have to die fighting a ruthless ruling class that will stop at nothing to maintain its wealth and interests. 

*This story was reported in The Greek Star which you can access at TheGreekStar.com