There were instances when some would say we should try to understand the intricacies of realpolitik, and that it’s OK occasionally to attend a reception at the Soviet Embassy, if invited. Some were actually invited for tea.
These active citizens were no peaceniks or fellow travelers. They were just an open-minded lot. Jokingly they were dubbed the “realitetniks” and “ikroidy” (caviar eaters). Their shared attribute was eagerness to discover something positive in mostly bleak settings.
My own open-mindedness took me no farther than a Soviet auto show in Manhattan one day, where one dollar would also buy a ticket to a movie featuring the latest achievements. I chanced to talk to an official represenative on a coffee break. He said I look like a nice guy, and he could let me slip in without buying a ticket. That was that.
The attribute of looking for something positive on a bad block is alive and well today. It is apparent in some recently articulated attitudes in diaspora towards the persona of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych. The man is no angel, they admit, but what the heck! Didn’t he resist Russia’s pressure to join the Russian-led Common Economic Space? He is an economic patriot. If I didn’t hear this right, someone whistle.
The attribute of looking for something positive on a bad block is alive and well today. It is apparent in some recently articulated attitudes in diaspora towards the persona of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych. The man is no angel, they admit, but what the heck! Didn’t he resist Russia’s pressure to join the Russian-led Common Economic Space? He is an economic patriot. If I didn’t hear this right, someone whistle.
It goes beyond gemuetlichkeit (mellowness). An impression is conveyed that Ukraine’s president is not a brazenly lying reprobate, denying his commanding role in the persecution of opposition, but a basically solid citizen, just straying a bit here and there from a straight path.
The Aug. 5 arrest of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko looks to problem solvers like one big mistake, precipitated by a procedural mix-up in the courtroom. Did I get this wrong? Western pressure, including diaspora connections (the latter sounds awesome), should persuade Mr. Yanukovych to release Ms. Tymoshenko, because — let’s see – oh yes, it would make sense for all sides. To that end, some countries have already moved to a higher diplomatic and military alert, according to those who know. How does that add up? Does this not sound like a tall tale? Gimme a break.
To take this seriously, one would have to assume that Ukraine is close to being uppermost on the collective mind of Western powers. Or will be, as soon as the economic calamity in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom and financial tremors in continental Western Europe take a back seat. Incidentally, diaspora activists seldom take into account what is going on in their own backyard.
While taking Yanukovych measurements, I almost forgot about the person at the I almost forgot about the person at the center of ongoing consternation — Tymoshenko.
There is little doubt that some in diaspora wouldn’t mind having an accommodation with the Yanukivych regime — as long as it would keep Russia at bay. Maybe Tymoshenko would have to trim her sails. For many, she had been a nuisance anyway, the one who tripped Viktor Yushchenko, the best president Ukraine will ever have (the best according to Svoboda newspaper in New Jersey).
The Yanukovych establishment is driving towards a systemic wipeout of Ukrainian content in that nominally Ukrainian state. Yulia Tymoshenko stands in his way as the most effective voice.
The main problem with such an accommodation – aside from its immorality – is that it is delusionary. The Yanukovych establishment is driving towards a systemic wipeout of Ukrainian content in that nominally Ukrainian state. Yulia Tymoshenko stands in his way as the most effective voice.
Diaspora, as usual, is having jitters of angst about Russia’s intentions. Never mind that internal subversion has already taken over and nullified the achievements of the 2004 Orange Revolution [that overturned an election rigged for Yanukovych].
Apparently some imagine there is a powerful number of anti-Russian platoons of oligarchs in Ukraine that are or could be defenders of Ukraine’s independence. To be real, one should spend some time in that country to understand the mentality of its players, who often mix business and crime. The milieu and psychology of moneyed clans breed attitudes of despise toward the cultural and national values of conscious Ukrainians.
It would be easier to teach the clans to perform in Swan Lake than to accept the norms of Western-style politics.
Boris Danik is a retired Ukrainian-American living in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
