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polly7

(20,582 posts)
3. Carnival in Crimea
Sun Mar 2, 2014, 01:16 PM
Mar 2014

THE ROVING EYE
Carnival in Crimea
By Pepe Escobar

Time waits for no one, but apparently will wait for Crimea. The speaker of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, has confirmed there will be a referendum on greater autonomy from Ukraine on May 25.

Until then, Crimea will be as hot and steamy as carnival in Rio - because Crimea is all about Sevastopol, the port of call for the Russian Black Sea fleet.

If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a bull, this is the red flag to end all red flags. Even if you're deep in alcohol nirvana dancin' your troubles away at carnival in Rio - or New Orleans, or Venice, or Trinidad and Tobago - your brain will have registered that NATO's ultimate wet dream is to command a Western puppet Ukrainian government to kick the Russian navy out of its base in Sevastopol. The negotiated lease applies until 2042. Threats and rumors of reneging it have already emerged.

The absolute majority of the Crimean peninsula is populated by Russian speakers. Very few Ukrainians live there. In 1954, it took only 15 minutes for Ukrainian Nikita Krushchev - he of the banging shoe at the UN floor - to give Crimea as a free gift to Ukraine (then part of the USSR). In Russia, Crimea is perceived as Russian. Nothing will change that fact.


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/CEN-05-280214.html

What do you suggest for all those people in Crimea who want no part of the new Ukraine leadership?
They are doing everything they can to blunt criticism including throwing this slight doubt into stevenleser Mar 2014 #1
Yup.. look how many here tried to claim it wasn't Russians NT Adrahil Mar 2014 #2
I missed that arely staircase Mar 2014 #11
Carnival in Crimea polly7 Mar 2014 #3
Are you really trying to make that argument? stevenleser Mar 2014 #4
YES, I really am trying to make that argument! polly7 Mar 2014 #6
If it is a strawman, prove it. Did you support the Iraq war? stevenleser Mar 2014 #10
Russia is not 'invading' the Ukraine. polly7 Mar 2014 #12
LMAO. We were liberators in Iraq too. Didnt you get the Bush memo? Listen to yourself. nt stevenleser Mar 2014 #14
You make as much sense as McCain. polly7 Mar 2014 #17
LMAO, McCain thinks breathing is essential for life so we should stop because he said it. stevenleser Mar 2014 #18
Sorry, I don't believe you know what you're talking about. polly7 Mar 2014 #21
Wait, I'm confused. Are you saying the Kiev protesters should not ask the US for help? sabrina 1 Mar 2014 #41
Referendum already moved forward to 30th March. dipsydoodle Mar 2014 #5
Thank you!!! polly7 Mar 2014 #8
Sorry, you better move.n/t sadoldgirl Mar 2014 #38
Wild guess libodem Mar 2014 #7
Didn't they come from the Russian base already there? nt arely staircase Mar 2014 #13
Who knows? libodem Mar 2014 #35
Plausible Deniability VanillaRhapsody Mar 2014 #9
got to be the most implausible plausibe deniability ever nt arely staircase Mar 2014 #16
Plausible deniability of course. hobbit709 Mar 2014 #15
Easy three main reasons AnalystInParadise Mar 2014 #19
I think one and two make sense arely staircase Mar 2014 #22
Speculation is that they're Berkut. Igel Mar 2014 #36
Skin heads? rdharma Mar 2014 #27
No I really don't AnalystInParadise Mar 2014 #31
Russia has plenty of skinheads....... rdharma Mar 2014 #34
Not security force AnalystInParadise Mar 2014 #42
Oh? Let's hear your thoughts on WHY they would employ skinheads. nt rdharma Mar 2014 #43
I read yesterday that they are Russia's private contractors, not active military. OregonBlue Mar 2014 #20
It is not an uncommon practice sarisataka Mar 2014 #23
but isn't the total lack of national identification that characterizes the Russians in Crimea arely staircase Mar 2014 #24
It depends on unit practice sarisataka Mar 2014 #25
Or the way the Japanese painted a big red target on everything jberryhill Mar 2014 #28
US pilots loved those red disks sarisataka Mar 2014 #29
Hence the random serial/tail numbers on vehicles and airplanes Recursion Mar 2014 #30
Forget that, what are they doing there without a hall pass! jberryhill Mar 2014 #26
Russia Today (rt.com): Happy Happy Happy aristocles Mar 2014 #32
I's amusing how one of the signs arrogates "Rus'" to Russia. Igel Mar 2014 #39
This message was self-deleted by its author aristocles Mar 2014 #33
More importantly, things are somewhat peaceful seveneyes Mar 2014 #37
Plausible deniability plus s fair amount of paramilitaries. nt Democracyinkind Mar 2014 #40
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