WESTERN UKRAINE SHOULD SEEK FULL INDEPENDENCE

In modern post-Orange Revolution Ukraine, what I’ve just said may land me in prison. Surprisingly enough, freedom of speech in our country is still limited: it ends with one’s call for the country’s partition. And yet I believe this very issue must be addressed sooner rather than later for only the blind cannot see the fact that Ukraine’s East and West are drifting apart. Slowly but surely.

Whenever a hint of the discussion about pros and cons of Ukraine’s split begins, there is always plenty of people who rush to dismiss the issue completely loudly calling those in favor of “two Ukraines” “Russian (or Polish, or American etc) fifth column”. That is their only argument. They always fail to answer one straight question: what does actually keep Ukraine united or, rather, is there anything that keeps Galyczyna and Donbas together? Objectively, I mean.

After 15 years of independence, there is not a single clear reason for Ukraine to remain one country. Existence of “Big Ukraine” makes less and less sense because all its different parts still have in common is… football. Moreover, the existing status-quo not only serves as the frame for our infamous “we have what we have” but lay the foundation for future serious conflicts between different regional groups in the Ukrainian society.

Let’s go back to 1991. Then, our independence came falling suddenly and nobody really new what to do with it. Besides few dissidents locked up in Siberia, we, the Ukrainians, never dreamt of or fought for this independence. If anybody doubts that, I strongly suggest to look up the results of the March 1991 referendum. The next referendum, in December 1991, when the majority supported Ukraine’s independence was nothing more than just an indication that the society is confused and does not really know what it wants. Lack of societal consensus regarding the country’s direction presents a fundamental difference between population and civil society.

In this aspect, little has changed since 1991. The Ukrainian society remains confused which can be distinctively seen through different opinion polls that almost always paint an odd picture: the majority’s support of Ukraine’s further integration into the European institutions while favoring, at the same time, closer ties or even reintegration with Russia and the former Republics. All kinds of “awareness campaigns” (as well as great deal of money spent on them) has generated little or no impact.

Many tend to think this was changed in 2004. One should have simply been regularly monitoring the events in Ukraine to know it was not. The Orange Revolution’s phenomenon, as it turns out, was called to life by the general protest against the existing state of affairs in the country rather than the united, well thought out push for a new development model. You don’t think so? Please go back to the results of the last parliamentary elections, then replay the “Orange government” saga in your mind, and after you do that, check the name roster in the current Cabinet of Ministers.
The everlasting struggle for power in Kyiv between different political actors, while typical for any country – democracy or not, – possesses one “uniquely post-Soviet” aspect. It always consumes the involved parties entirely, leaving no space or time to come up with coherent reform strategies and policies that are so crucially needed. They have been all the more needed for Ukraine, a newly emerged country with a huge bag of political, economic and social problems and without properly functioning institutions to deal with those problems.

The existing structure of power in Ukraine complicates the situation even more. There is President, Prime Minister and the rigid, centralized, hard to control Executive branch. The non-stop conflicts between powerful President and powerful Prime Minister (names left aside) who, by the way, is the Head of the Executive branch, thus, have been destined to happen from the very moment an experienced apparatchik Leonid Kravchuk realized he wanted maximum power and minimum responsibility. That model sure worked for him, it catered especially well to his successor, Leonid Kuchma. The only problem is it miserably failed to do good for the country but who counts, really?

A purely Parliamentary Republic could have solved old and prevented new conflicts and contradictions within the elite (or between different elites, for that matter). But the latter was already preoccupied with what it always did best: power struggle and personal enrichment.

Another fatal blow to Ukraine’s future as one country was done by the elite’s ignorance and ignoring of a need for the radical Administrative Reform (By the way, how are you, Mr. Bezsmertny?) which could not only end the country’s totally artificial Soviet division into 25 oblasts but also outsource main decisionmaking power to its historically established regions: Zakarpattja, Galyczyna, Volynj, Donbas, Podillja, Krym etc. Yes, it would have required Ukraine to become a federation and Galycjka Asambleja has been an undaring attempt to push for country’s federalization. It failed because Mr. Czornovil and Co. were building it with the usual Ukrainian type of brick – half steps. Had it happened, it would have eased the existing (then – fairly insignificant) contradictions between the regions and helped prevent the new bigger ones.

Even if introduced tomorrow, Ukraine’s federalization will no longer help to keep the country united. Because now, wherever in Ukraine you may be, there is always us and them and what we want is totally different from their wishes.

Secession of Western Ukraine – and not just Galyczyna – will allow us, Western Ukrainians, to achieve what can no longer be achieved by “Greater Ukraine”: it will make possible to have a smaller Ukraine as an integral part of Europe and I don’t talk geography now. Our small compact country will not be called just “Ukraine” anymore but we will still be Ukrainians. European Ukrainians, that is.

There will be another state – right next door from us – bearing the name “Ukraine”, its capital will still be Kyiv and its national symbol, just like ours, will still be Taras Szevczenko. Let that Ukraine go wherever it wants to – or not to move at all. Let that Ukraine be proud of its huge industrial potential, Russian as a second (Or first? Or the only?) state language, overregulated economy permanently feeding total corruption, laws that only deepen lawlessness, strong “NO” to NATO and “YES” to Moscow’s chokingly tight embrace. Let those Ukrainians be happy the way they want to be in their permanent crisis of identity, blind belief that government always will and should take care of them – after all, they have their rights, too!

But right now, in this “Unified Ukraine”, it is us losing our country which is rapidly becoming theirs. They outnumber us and, respectively, it is their votes that make weather when casted. And, much worse, many of them hate us. Some of this hatred is historical but most of it is actively fueled these days. To see it, all you need is connection to the Internet and browsing through Eastern and Southern Ukrainian web forums and please, don’t underestimate the number of their visitors.

In our part of Ukraine, we may have often misunderstood them, we may have always overestimated our ability to spark that Great Resurrection of national self-conscience in their minds. One thing is sure: we have never ever hated them. We have always thought that all our brothers and sisters from East and South really need is us being out there for them in the name of our common and suddenly independent Ukraine. They did not and we are still unable to fully appreciate this fact.

It is time for Ukraine’s elite to climb down from the Hills of Pechersk, shake down their permanent state of denial and face the reality: this country looks, acts and sounds ridiculously artificial. It is time for us, Western Ukrainians, to realize that if we want to save our Ukraine and everything we know, feel and call “Ukrainian”, we need to move on and break free from this country otherwise it will drag us forever into the permanent Eurasian “yesterday”. If we ever want our Ukraine to join, not to neighbor as outcast, Europe, then we have to stand up and peaceably but strongly raise our voice for full independence for our Ukraine from theirs.
And it is time for them to please let us go.

МОЯ ЛОДКА

Я в лодку пассажиров не беру,
Один встречаю горькую беду.
Плыву по разгулявшейся реке –
Один в своем дырявом челноке.
Напрасно измеряю глубину –
В водовороты попадаю снова.
Не дотянуть до берега другого,
Иссякнут силы – и пойду ко дну.

Как мне доплыть до берега другого?
Что обрету на новом берегу?
О том что было, не скажу ни слова,
Свои невзгоды в тайне сберегу.
Идет зима – пересыхают реки,
А летом разливаются опять.
Вернется все, тебя не удержать...
Не возвратить, не отыскать вовеки.

Когда река текла неторопливо
Тебя я видел в зеркале воды.
Была ты ярче утренней звезды,
И молода, и хороша на диво.
Но дунул ветер – зеркало распалось,
Исчезло отраженье без следа.
Сгорела предрассветная звезда –
И только одиночество осталось.

Один, в тумане в огненном бреду,
Переживаю тайную беду.
Плыву по разгулявшейся реке –
Один в своем дырявом челноке.
Напрасно измеряю глубину –
В водовороты попадаю снова.
Не дотянуть до берега другого...
Иссякнут силы – и пойду ко дну.
__________________________
Незрул Ислам (?)

СПІВДРУЖНІСТЬ ДЛЯ ІДІОТІВ

Український Гарант, відпочиваючи у Карпатах разом із кумом, який, за збігом обставин, є грузинським Гарантом, знову висловився (ого! - і знов критично!) про СНД. Мовляв, неефективне воно на 150%, українські ініціятиви хєряться за повною програмою, пропонована зона вільної торгівлі взагалі курить на балконі вже ___ (потрібне вписати) років тощо. Але усе одно питання про вихід з СНД "не стоїть на порядку денному". І нічого, що бюджет щорічно відраховує мільон доларів на годівництво СНД-шного апарату, себто тупої, совєцького штибу, бюрократії на чолі з "крєпкім хозяйствєнніком" Павлом Бородіним, за яким, здається, в'язниця плаче. Україні ж немає де гроші подіти, а так Гарант може час від часу на пост-радянські тусовки їздити, щоправда, ходить він там із переважно похмурою фізіономією.

Пане Президент, чи ми дійсно вже стали завершеними ідіотами? Чи, може, Вас лякає те, що у разі виходу України з цього маразматичного угрупування нас у Кремлі "нє так поймут"? Ось естонці, латиші й литовці цим занадто не переймалися - й банкують собі у Європейському Союзі...

Чи Ви просто побоюєтеся вдатися до "украй непопулярного кроку"? Але ж справжні Державні Діячі увіходять до історії саме цим: мудрістю усвідомлювати необхідність таких кроків та мужністю їх робити.

KILL THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT!

Somebody in Italy suggested to impose a worldwide moratorium on Capital punishment. This initiative is overdue! UN must finally justify its existence and do something about it. States which allow death penalty MUST BE FORCED to impose the moratorium. Including the US, which has no business whatsoever preaching about democracy and civil rights to others while allowing this barbarism at home.

Definitely being a person of faith, I, at the same time, am not a religious one and my opposition to Capital punishment, thus, is not dictated by Christian, Judaic, Muslim or other values of that kind. I believe in UNIVERSAL VALUES - they do not belong to a single religion but to all people capable of telling good apart from evil. And while there are values and ideas worth dying for, there has never been a single value or idea worth killing for.

Taking a human life is wrong. Period. There should be NO fine print below.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!

Happy 2007 to everybody, especially, of course, those few who may accidentally see this page :)