| | | >>>> Cause and effect, sometimes hard to determine. Very different stories can be woven just by choosing a different starting point.<<<
That is very true. If you start not from the Orange coup, but from the days of Stalin’s “collectivization” of peasants - and the resulting famine - it becomes a different story. That is, indeed, the narrative that drives many Ukrainian’s hatred for the Russians. Is it justified? In some ways, of course - if it’s hatred towards the stalinist butchers. But it was a long time ago, and Russians were - some more, some less so - in the same meat-grinder. Besides, collective guilt is a very questionable idea. Maybe the post-WWII period would be a more constructive starting point.
Actually, modern history in that region started in 1956 - after Khrushchev’s famous speech in which he denounced Stalin and his crimes. Relationships between the Ukrainians and Russians took a far more natural tone since then. Having lost millions of people to hunger is unforgettable - but, 90 years later, maybe it’s not worth bringing on an end of the world over it.
Another thing… In the decades since European colonialism started falling apart, in many newly independent countries local thugs and warlords used the opportunity to grab political power and rule their people like serfs. The fact that Ukraine is in Europe did not make it immune to this problem. Many of their rulers were thugs - and had no interest in fighting corruption. Which, in turn, kept them the poorest nation in Europe.
If they’re smart, they should search for a new course. Also, they may want to tell descendants of old emigres who are stuck in a time capsule and feed on old hatreds - to buzz along and mind their own business. |
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