Hardly astounding it is that President Obama continues his journey beginning as the “Hope and Change” savior of 2008 to being America’s neo-con right-wing obsequious host to Ukraine’s new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk of the Fatherland Party at the White House on March 12.
Yatsenyuk previously served as Ukraine’s minister of economy, deputy governor of the central bank, speaker of parliament and foreign minister. He is viewed as a “tough technocrat” by the West, exactly the person to implement harsh austerity measures in Ukraine that will be dictated by lenders, EU and the IMF. Mr. Obama will “highlight the strong support of the United States for the people of Ukraine, who have demonstrated inspiring courage and resilience through recent times of crisis,” said the White House handout. No mention by Washington, hence America’s media, will be made about the makeup of his post-revolutionary Ukrainian government, and the backgrounds of some within it. To wit (by date):
From Daily Kos (US) March 2
“Ukraine Ethnic Purity Extremists [Neo Nazis] threaten Russians, Jews, non-whites”
From Voltairenet.org March 3
“Who are the Nazis in the Ukrainian government?”
http://www.voltairenet.org/article182428.html
From 4 News (UK) March 5
“How the far-right took top posts in Ukraine’s power vacuum”
http://www.channel4.com/news/svoboda-ministers-ukraine-new-government-far-right
From FAIR (US) March 7
“Denying the Far-Right Role in the Ukrainian Revolution”
http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/03/07/denying-the-far-right-role-in-the-ukrainian-revolution
From Global Research (Canada) March 8
“Who’s Who in Ukraine’s New “Semi-fascist” Government: Meet the People the U.S. and EU are Supporting”
Of course, these articles might be judged biased, wrongheaded, incendiary, bigoted, anti-American or even ghosted by Russian partisans. To give the devil its due, the following articles refute those listed above:
From Washington Post, Feb. 28 and March 5 (US):
Let’s not argue over the word “fascism”, wrote Adam Taylor in this pre-coup article in the Washington Post [Feb 28]. After all, even George Orwell ended up deciding that it meant very different things to different people.
“Both Ukrainian and Venezuelan protesters have been called fascists. Why?”
Just five days later, March 5, the Washington Post gleefully reported Hillary Clinton comparing Vladimir Putin to Hitler. Transparently revealing its far-right bias, the Post concluded: “Fortunately for the country and the GOP, Republicans are zeroing in on the fundamental errors in the foreign policy mindset she gave voice to for four years.”
“Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin and Hitler”
CNN International – Opinion, March 6
While detailing background information of members in Ukraine’s interim government, “At very least,” writes David Speedie, “the interim government has made bedfellows of some highly suspect and divisive forces. But it is also true to say that many of the specific details of far-right activity and influence are anecdotal and perhaps contradictory.”
“Rein in Ukraine’s neo-fascists”
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/06/opinion/speedie-ukraine-far-right/index.html?iref=allsearch
From The Week, March 10
The final word:
“No, Ukraine is not being run by fascists”
http://theweek.com/article/index/257646/no-ukraine-is-not-being-run-by-fascists
Let’s not argue over the word “fascism”, as the Washington Post implores.
Let’s downplay any reports deviating from the official consensus as “anecdotal and perhaps contradictory,” as CNN suggests.
Let’s just put Putin in his place.
Besides, if Cold War II coupled with McCarthyism II will trigger WWIII we can solve overpopulation; exterminate whole peoples and nations unfriendly to Western interests; win the “Great Game” by controlling the world’s energy supplies and distribution channels; be Lord and Master of all we survey. Besides, it will inspire a hundred scripts for Hollywood screenwriters to provide über-viewing experiences on 70-inch wide-screens to 6-inch iPads. We might even knock off Iran and China in the process.
Personally, I’ll finally get to write a bestseller, How to Make a Bundle on Armageddon and Live to Spend It!
Cynical?
What isn’t cynicism is this: Mr. Obama’s tenure has gifted this nation with wars; drones; assassination programs; violations of the Constitution and Bill of Rights; totalitarian surveillance; repression; criminalization of dissenters and “whistle-blowers”; widened the income gulf between billionaires and the average citizen; protected criminality by the finance sector; and muzzled America’s erstwhile “free press”.
Having delivered such without restraint from Congress, his constituencies or from a passive public barely awake to their crippled democracy, Mr. Obama of the Homeland Party will now deliver to Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk of the Fatherland Party the “strong support of the United States for the people of Ukraine, who have demonstrated inspiring courage and resilience through recent times of crisis.”
Meanwhile, the IMF will take care of Ukraine and NATO will take care of Putin and finalize victory in the “Great Game”. Maybe then, and only then, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the networks and the remainder will stop calling Barack Obama “soft”.
Michael T Bucci is a retired public relations executive currently residing in New England. He has authored nine books on practical spirituality collectively titled The Cerithous Material.
