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The Truth About Ukraine
Yesterday, President Obama gave a commencement address to the cadets at West Point. Here’s what he said about Ukraine:
This weekend, Ukrainians voted by the millions. Yesterday, I spoke to their next president. We don’t know how the situation will play out, and there will remain grave challenges ahead, but standing with our allies on behalf of international order, working with international institutions, has given a chance for the Ukrainian people to choose their future — without us firing a shot.
Here’s what he should have said:
This weekend, courageous Ukrainians voted by the millions, some standing in line six hours, others defying threats of violence. Despite long odds, they rallied behind a consensus candidate on the first round. They have a government that no enemy can call illegitimate. The Ukrainian people have held their country together in the face of foreign aggression. It is they who fight on the front lines on our behalf and on behalf of international order, with minimal help from international institutions and the United States – without us firing a shot.
Editor’s Note: Please welcome a new contributor to Ricochet, Hoover Institution Research Fellow — and Russia expert — Paul Gregory
Published in General
Excellent point.
Welcome, Mr. Gregory, and well done, though the truth underlying your corrective paragraph is sad, indeed.
Amen. Sadly, I fear we will never hear this president say anything like the things he should say.
President Obama should read The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest. The Ukrainian struggle with Russia did not start after the Sochi Olympics. The genocidal starvation of Ukrainians is a living memory as is the brutal repression of the Ukrainian Orthodox and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Russians call the Ukraine the heart of Russia. They are referring to its’ land not to Ukrainians.
Paul,
You bet. Washington DC was behind Kiev all the way. Yep, about 4,800 miles behind them.
The Misleader of Men: Profiles in Cowardice.
Now available everywhere you look.
Regards,
Jim
Glad to have you on board, Paul.
It sounds like you might be a good anti-Communist, at least. I’m all for that. I’m starting to get anti-Russian, too. (Except for some recent friends here in America, I guess. — I’ll amend it to be anti-Russians who live and want to live in Russia. Both things required to get my disapproval. That seems more reasonable.)
It’s interesting the name Vladimir, isn’t it? Vlad the Impaler, Vlad the Commie in chief and the present day Vlad the pig. What’s with that? It’s a name that should have the same cache as Adolf or Osama do — but, not the case. In Seattle, we have a statue of the Commie Vlad in the Fremont district. Pathetic, truly pathetic. Some of the local Russians have painted his hands red. Seems appropriate.
Here’s a test question for you: Do you think Obama is 1) a Socialist, or 2) a Marxist? I’m starting to be persuaded by Dinesh D’Souza’s book, Obama’s America that he’s anti-American, anti-Capitalist and, I gotta admit: it seems the anti-colonial thing is a good fit.
It’s a great start, Paul! Looking forward to your future posts!