Charles Krauthammer ...What he Said

Charles Krauthammer has a piece up that says a lot of what I tried to say below about the rush to speak in the wake of the VA Tech tragedy. Only he says it with much more eloquence.

He also mentions our failure to care for our mentally ill, something I've railed about it on this blog with no illusions that anything will ever be done.

One point of departure with Krauthammer is that the problem he describes is not exclusively from the left. This has been an equal opportunity for exploitation.

Ukraine Continues the Crisis

Subscriber only piece from Jane's Foreign Report titles Ukraine's President Pushes the Panic Button does a good job of providing background in a nutshell.

Their forecast?

The main winner from the crisis is Tymoshenko. In early elections, her bloc
would be likely to come a close second to the Party of Regions and, in an
ensuing Orange Coalition, she would become prime minister.

However, Yanukovych could still turn the tables on his Orange Coalition
rivals and consolidate his position as the key political power in Ukraine.

Should the crisis continue unabated, the potential for violence would also
grow and with this would come the risk of wider societal division and
widespread domestic instability.

During my time in Ukraine I was constantly frustrated by the apathy the west showed toward the region. It is a critically important area that will unfortunately be recognized only when things go terribly wrong.

For anybody that has lost faith in the US political system, just be aware that it is a paragon of virtue in every way when compared to Ukraine.

Imus is in Mourning

Yesh, this Imus thing is one long, boring, train wreck.

I learned about Imus when I caught his show on MSNBC and was informed of his great popularity. I never got it. But then I never got Howard Stern either.

So I can't really comment on his character, but the hand wringing going on about his completely meaningless comment has become disgusting. Without mentioning anybody, any particular comic, any particular musical act, any particular reverend, I think me merely mentioning the non-particulars is enough to bring up dozens and hundreds of cases of things said that are so absolutely vile that "Nappy Headed Ho" sounds absolutely quaint.

In the end, it isn't about real or imagined offenses taken, it is about power. And those that increased their power over this are perfectly happy to destroy a man in the process. Its not like they haven't done it before.

UPDATE: Sometimes I try to come up with a witty heading for my posts. I've never thought them actually witty but it gives me joy. Anyway, a quick google blog search of "Imus Mourning" reveals that dozens of bloggers share my incredible skills.

Where is Ukraine?

And how did it get here? Here is a decent analysis of the current situation in Ukraine, tracing back through the squandered opportunities to move the country into a positive direction. The only complaint I have it the title of the piece "Did West Pull Up Stakes Too Soon?" The title implies that the west is responsible but that really doesn't reflect the conclusion reached.

Yushenko ultimately bears the blame for the fiasco since he clearly failed to exploit the massive outpouring of support, failed to use his political capital to push through needed legislation, failed to effectively build working coalitions and failed to maintain the appearance of a level of incorruptability that a person in his position has to have. He failed so completely that the comically corrupt Prime Minister Yanakovich has a piece in the Financial Times about the importance of the Rule of Law!

I don't see how Yanukovich, attempted thief of the 2004 election, was able to pound out the words without destroying his keyboard from convulsions of laughter. Actually, from every impression I've ever gotten of Yanukovich, I don't understand how he was able to actually find the keyboard or the power switch to the computer. Maybe he consulted with his coalition. That's what coalitions are for!

And of course, Yanukovich is demanding the President abide by the law in order that Yanukovich can continue his process of literally buying members of the Rada to create a super majority coalition.

If I sound cynical, see if you can read this passage about protesters in Kiev without a twinge of it yourself:

They pay 40 hryvna a day and 100 hryvna a night, - confesses an elder man
from Zhytomyr camping in the Mariinsky Park next to the Parliament. - I can
make my monthly salary here within a week".

But a group of young people who observe the political show in the Maydan are
divided in their opinion. "I wouldn't have ever accepted any money from
these guys", - says Yurko, a student of Mohyla Academy. But his friend
Alexander, who lives in a student dormitory, says: "Why not? They return
back to the people the money they stole from them.

Their recruiters offer 40 hryvna for just two hours to stay here with
blue-and-white flag. I don't support Yanukovych but my stipend is 350 hryvna
and I get no extra allowance from my parents. I feel it would be actually
better if we take these money ourselves and pay them lip-service. Otherwise,
they would bring their real supporters from Donbas who may make a lot of
harm here".

Unfortunately, this comes from an op-ed by Mykola Rjabtschuk in a German publication (Berliner Zeitung, No.86) that I don't have a link to. The English translation is available at the Action Ukraine Report, a nationalist oriented newsletter maintained by the ex-pat (or diaspora) community in the US. The opinion piece is very slanted in favor of Yushenko but I have known people that took payment for protesting. It is commonly known. If you are interested in receiving the newsletters, you can sign up at the link above.

I've always enjoyed the Action Ukraine Report and actually had the opportunity to meet Morgan Williams, the publisher, who is a very nice man. I don't share his partisanship but I think his heart is in the right place. It just takes a careful reader to understand what is news and what is political opinion.

Finally, no day is complete without visiting the always interesting Neeka's Backlog where Veronica mentions yet more talk of a potential split of Ukraine. I've always thought that kind of talk was silly and hope it still is...silly rather than frightening. Veronica seems to travel a lot and I think she is currently in Russia but she brings a passion and real anger to her posts that captures the heart of somebody who truly cares.

Geniuses Pontificate and Get It Wrong

I listened to the FOX, ABC and NBC talking heads gabfests this weekend as various politicians lied through their teeth and various real, real smart people predicted the future of this presidential election.

I'd just like to predict right now that the majority of the experts are wrong in their predictions. Remember Howard Dean?

I guess it is still entertaining to watch but wouldn't it be great if somebody kept score of all the things that are said now and then dragged them out in 19 months to hammer these dopes over the head with?

Has anybody kept track of all the praise heaped on John McCain in the past 4 years by the people that are going to start destroying him now?

Coalition of the Bored

Via Neeka's Backlog , an example of the intense commitment to political change. Probably the best use of a Party of Regions flag in years.

Meanwhile the Party of Regions has canceled a rally scheduled for today because of bad weather.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear that the lack of enthusiasm is limited to the Yanakovich team.

Money is NOT the Answer

I just ran across this piece by Nikolas K Gvosdev that is an interesting take on the current Ukraine situation. I know nothing about Mr. Gvosdev except that his name implies he is from that part of the world, and I know nothing about National Interest, the publication his commentary is in.

One part that I definitely take issue with is his assertion that the West must pump even greater amounts of financial aid into the country. Ukraine has recieved huge amounts of aid. Vast amounts of that aid have been embezzled. The best thing they west could do is come up with some system that demands accountability and protects the monies being provided from ending up in somebody's living room, or redecorating the living room, or building the house with the living room.

Ukraine in Turmoil

I should have posted something about the latest debacle in Ukraine but frankly I was temporarily overcome with a bit of weariness over the whole situation. Having lived there during the revolution and believed in the great future that Ukraine has in its hands, I'd grown tired of the continual political gamesmanship that all sides have played to the detriment of the country.

It is about around now that I need to start chanting some positive affirmations to myself and regain my optimism.

Anyway, Yushenko has dissolved Parliment and the people have yet again taken to the streets. They say Maidan is full but the Maidan Cam I use doesn't seem to show that.

During the revolution, this was a great source because the TV was defacto government controlled and you couldn't get true coverage there. I kept up with everything through blogs of people living in Ukraine and with some connections with government officials. Unfortunately one of the best Orange Ukraine seems to have all but stopped any postings but another of my favorites Neeka's Backlog, is back in Kiev and posting up a storm with video and pictures. She definitely has an "on the ground" view.

I am calling friends to learn more but so far no luck.

UPDATE: A friend in Nikolaev says there are no signs about what is going on although they have been advised to not travel to Kiev. She is going to ask around but has to be careful not to bring up politics with the locals.

Atlas Shrugs at UN

The video posted below came from UN Watch via the always great Atlas Shrugs, who provides a transcript of all the statements that the Human Rights Council President is so thankful for.

There was a time that 9/11 conspiracy theorists were on the fringe of the left. Now you can catch the latest fevered accusation on Rosie's chat show. There was a time that being against the UN was on the fringe of the right. Why can't this now so obviously rational and correct position be moved into the mainstream? It really is an appalling situation.

Shot in the Foot

I've always been a Mark Wahlberg fan, as an actor, I really despised his rapping character, and have been surprised at his choice of roles since he has defied expectations by not pursuing the action star path.

So I was a little excited when I saw that he was making The Shooter with Antoine Fuqua. Ever since seeing the highly underrated Tears of the Sun, a movie that literally brought me to tears, I've been interested in Fuqua's work. Leaving the country soon after Tears, it made it hard to keep up with his work.

Last week the local free weekly came out with a rave review of the film, a review that put me in the theatre opening day. Sorry to say that although Fugua still knows how to create elements of a great action film, he has a tendency to beat the audience over the head with points that would be better made with a bit more nuance. Ned Beatty has a couple of scenes that are simply embarrassing and I wonder if he was while he was screaming his lines. And the trend of multiple endings has really run its course with The Shooter exceeded its count by at least 3. Overall, a big disappointment.

Of course I should have been prepared. I learned long ago that many critics are simply so disconnected from certain genre films that they don't even understand what makes one entertaining for their audience and so when they offer praise of one, you can almost bet it is for all the wrong reasons. That's how you get almost universal critical acclaim for movies like The Host and Children of Men and dumbfounded audiences wondering what the hell it is they just watched.

Thompson as Candidate

I've always been a fan of Fred Thompson, both as an actor and politician. That is based on his presence on screen and seeming common sense take on the issues of the day. There is a piece here hat seems to show him as a powerful presidential candidate if he chooses to run.

The only problem that I see is that since Thompson has begun rising as a political star, his radio commentaries have been widely distributed and I'm a bit underwhelmed. I guess his folksy, cornpone style of making a point goes over well with a certain segment but just as I'm irritated by the faux folksiness of Garrison Keilor, I'm more annoyed than charmed by Thompson when he lays out his case so us simple folk can understand.

I understand the importance of communicating but I'd still like to see Thompson let his intelligence shine through a little more. It would insult my intelligence a little less.

Goring

Al Gore's proposals listed here at Hit and Run. Some writer's at Hit and Run have joined the global warming alarmists. I'm curious how they will react when the government starts laying out all the laws that are counter to what a libertarian believes. But then I've been skeptical of Reason's true dedication to Libertarianism for years.

Similar to a good Libertarian, I do believe that drug laws should be appealed. In the event that this occurs, I have begun considering a new business venture in which I will import legal marijuana from Mexico.

Sure, all the deep pocket importers will be able to overwhelm me with volume but here's my secret. In a post Gore world, I smuggle incandescent lightbulbs in the middle of my bales of pot! I'm going to make a fortune.

All I have to do is figure out if I want to eliminate my street gang competition or incorporate them into my business model. Its all about planning.