Euromaidan – 2013 Ukraine protests
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from wikipedia
Quote:The Euromaidan is the wave of demonstrations and civil unrest that began on the night of 21 November 2013, when Ukrainian citizens started spontaneous protests in the capital of Kiev after the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. In turn, protesters have demanded the resignation of the current government, the impeachment of the president, and have called for snap elections.Looking at the parties to the conflict, brings to mind the saying that politics makes for strange bedfellows.
I see they've pulled down a statue of Lenin, even if for entirely the wrong reasons. Still, it will save us having to do it when socialism is established.
For spotterly interest, I was curious to see if this woke up the old Stalinists, so I wandered over to the Morning Star and saw this piece by a No2EUerhttp://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-806e-Ukraine-the-untold-storyI wonder which side Weekly Worker will take as they are supposed to be pro-Europe? I wonder which side Left Unity will take?
He might be a reconstructed Stalinist but much of what he writes is not implausible, especially this (and even though he takes the side of Russia):
Quote:Ukraine's refusal to sign an EU association agreement, the ensuing protests and the attempt to oust the government in a failed no-confidence vote all have their origins in a grand geopolitical battle being waged between Germany and Russia.To be dependent on either Germany or Russia has always been the lot of the smaller states of east Europe. In the Ukraine some have wanted to side with Germany and some with Russia, as in the Second World War and still to-day. Any socialists there would obviously be saying a plague on both your houses.
SPAM POST REMOVED BY ADMIN. Reminder: Rule 3. Do not use the forums to send spam, advertisements, charitable appeals, solicitations, or other messages primarily intended to promote a particular product, service, campaign, website, organisation, venture, or event, unless it is relevant to the SPGB or its companion parties, without first obtaining permission from the moderators.
Sorry, mate, we've been had by scammers from the Ukraine before. So were others:http://www.internationalist.org/ukraineimpostors0803.html
I understand u.. but I'm really on the maidan. And I even have no oppotunity to go home for Christmas to spend it with my family
You can't make financial appeals on here, its considered spam. We are not a charity.Why don't you discuss Euromaidan and your experience instead?
As it's the supposed season of goodwill, apologies, seafire, but there's a good (actually, excellent) article on this here:http://www.critique-sociale.info/category/english/
One of the interesting things about Euromaidan is it exposes the bias of Russia Today which some of the more credulous in Britain had assumed might be an alternative to the mainstream news agencies.http://rt.com/news/war-gear-ukraine-riot-084/I may be mistaken, but I get the impression they are trying to paint most of the protesters opposed to the government as violent or fascists.
Libcom is carrying an interesting interview that sheds some more light on the Ukrainian unrest. http://libcom.org/news/politicians-had-obey-crowd-29012014
Yes, interesting as you say. I noted this part in particular:
Quote:Q: Right-wing parties and fascist groups play a role in the protests. How important are they actually? Do they get much support? How do other protesters relate to them?A: Far right party Svoboda is the most organized of the three large political forces trying to control the protest. They are the only party which has real active cells in various regions, actual activist base. So, as the most organized and the most ideological of the three, they are gaining the most. Apart from Svoboda, there is an umbrella coalition of neo-nazi militant groups. It is called Right Sector. They were formed in the beginning of the protests, and by now they've succeeded to gain enormous prominence and conquer sympathies from apolitical and liberal people. They are mostly famous by their demonstrative militancy and aggression, and the public doesn't see anything wrong with these cute young patriots. Lately, the same pattern repeats in other regions, where neo-nazi football hooligans turned out to be the main assault force fighting the police and pro-government thugs.The fascist hegemony was indisputable until January 19th, when the protests were joined by lots of other people – random apolitical citizens, liberals and even the left. That happened because the agenda of the protests shifted to repealing the "dictatorship laws" passed on January 16. Since then they had to step back a bit but nevertheless it's obvious that in the long run these protests will enormously benefit the far right, whoever wins. In the case of the victory of the opposition, they will surely get themselves the police forces, special services etc. If Yanukovych wins, this means that half of the country will become firm supporters of the far-right as supposedly the only patriotic radical force able to confront the dictator.It seems that, just as in Syria, the Western Powers are using movements to which they claim to be ideologically opposed to further their ends. That it's not about "democracy" but realpolitik as to which sphere of influence the Ukraine is to fall into: the West's (Germany's in particular) or Russia's.
http://nihilist.li/2014/01/08/ukrainian-anarchist-dispels-myths-surrounding-euromaidan-protests-warns-fascist-influence/ This is another very good interview with an Ukrainian anarchist explaining quite a lot. (it even discusses national anarchism with proponents i have debated with and manarchism which i never encountered before…macho-lifestylism??) He also describes "syndicalists believe that unions should pursue political goals together with the economical goals, they should fight, for example, for high wages and together they should keep in their mind that they are fighting eventually for communism, for the downfall of capitalism. In the syndicalist theory, this is called revolutionary gymnastics.The revolutionary gymnastics is everyday struggle for similar reformist things which at the same time develops the muscles of the working class. After these struggles, the workers come out of them more organized and higher level of class conscience.During strikes and demonstrations, the working class consolidates and sort of trains itself for class battles, and for more important and more vital political battles which will come.The revolutionary syndicalism unites basically any left anti-capitalist, while anarcho-syndicalism also implies that all the members of the movement share anarchist views.Personally, I don’t think that anarcho-syndicalism is contradictory in any way to other forms of social anarchism.Anarcho-synthesism is a school of thought which combines anarcho-communism as an ideal, anarcho-syndicalism as a method of reaching that ideal and anarcho-individualism as a base from which you evaluate your actions.”
alanjjohnstone wrote:(it even discusses national anarchism with proponents i have debated with and manarchism which i never encountered before…macho-lifestylism??)I hadn't either till I read this article in the December Standard:http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2010s/2013/no-1312-december-2013/brocialism-and-manarchism
The most frustrating thing being a socialist is the anger that swells up when we witness hypocrisy. We see the USA/UK condemn Venezuela but turn a blind eye to Hondurus, we see the UK/USA threaten sanctions against Ukraine but not a peep out of them about Bahrain. Yes i am increasingly thinking the scenario is being set for a a coup and regime change in Ukraine which won't go without a response the pro-Russia factions and Putin.http://rt.com/news/obama-condemns-ukraine-violence-799/Syria and Libya, Mali and CAR , Somalia and South Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan …list goes on of misjudgements of the consequence.I hope i am proved wrong but i see a vicious civil war brewing and the prospect of a new cold war between the West and Moscow. These ICBMs in their silos will be getting a polish and the cob-webs dusted off. How i recall the end of the Berlin Wall and the peace dividend, end of the Arms Race…as much a fantasy as new technology ushering the freedom from work leisure society …Can i be blamed for sharing Private Frazer's pessimism about the world?
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