Birdnow's Aviary

March 07, 2022

Miracle on the Dniepr

Dana Mathewson

We are reading and hearing a whole lot of "stuff" about the war between Russia and Ukraine -- some of it less accurate than other. Here's an article that impressed me greatly, and as I often do, I'll refrain from excerpting and give it to you unvarnished.

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/03/miracle-on-the-dniepr

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 11:13 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 54 words, total size 1 kb.

1 I know Im sounding like a Russian sympathizer but the whole Ukrainian history, short as it is, is a country that was made into a country where no country could exist, especially with its leadership.
My biggest issue with this piece is his attempt to paint the Ukraine region as being and old European country. It never was. When I looked into the Golden Age of Kiev,thanks to Tim who enlightened me, I found nowhere Ukraine as a country mentioned. What I did find was a State called Rus, by its leader Voldomyr the Great, who turned Kiev into a shining example of Eastern Europeans abilities. Early on the Dnieper River was the border, but later expansion saw the rest of the Ukraine area come under his control.
The other issue is the meanings of freedoms and liberties which I contend, depending on which side of the Dnieper you live, have different meanings. Did you know that when the Ukrainians voted for independence that their ballots were already marked so no matter which of the 6 candidates they choose they voted independence regardless as to how they felt? Nothing like stacking the deck and showing the uncertainty of a vote just cast for independence.
One other point about freedom in Ukraine. 5 years ago or abouts the Ukrainian parliament passed a law banning Russian as a spoken language in Ukraine. They did so knowing the law would affect roughly 50% of their population and mainly those in the East. So much for freedom and we will take these liberties Ukraine had become a country hell bent on erasing its communist past to the extent that it was killing itself economically by having no dealings with the Russians.They are even pumping Russian gas thru Ukraine into Poland and then buying that gas from Poland and happily paying the mark up just so they could say they have no direct dealings with Russia. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. But what can you say when their oil company hires a person whose only qualification is in how to you use drugs and get high.

Posted by: Mike at March 08, 2022 01:18 PM (vIW9s)

2 Thanks Mike.

Yeah; Ukraine is far from a great old country. It's been corrupt since independence, for certain, and that is why it's beloved by America's political class.

I didn't know about that business about the ballots, but it doesn't surprise me. I did know about the way they were squeezing the speaking of Russian out. It was one of the justifications Putin used to launch this war.

Ukraine is hardly the completely innocent victim here by any stretch.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at March 09, 2022 08:40 AM (znTZ1)