Just as in Crimea the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine is proceeding with professional troops with professional weaponry and wearing professional uniforms--without insignia. Official Ukraine has issued an order that Sloviansk and the buildings in other Ukrainian cities occupied by the Russians be retaken. Official Russia meanwhile has said that such is a "criminal order." In short all is in place. The Rape of Ukraine proceeds.
Should Ukraine resist it's rape? What a question! "Give it to a Russian?!" A rape victim need not fight her rapist. She need not risk maiming or death. If a rapist has a gun and points it to her head she need not resist; she should not resist. It is no less a rape to "give it" to a rapist with a gun.
That is the position, as were are to understand it, of Ukraine. Russia has 30,000-40,000 troops--with guns--on the border. The "window of opportunity" for invasion is now and it refers to Ukraine unpreparedness as well as Russian preparedness. If Ukraine fights, as Ukraine has said it will, it will lose with frightful loss of life. The annexation of Crimea was accomplished in precisely the manner in which this is proceeding. It was bloodless. No one thinks the Ukrainian people unmanly or unwomanly or cowardly in not fighting in Crimea. No one will think of them so in the present case. When rape is inevitable, not resisting is not "enjoying" rape as sex, it is living to fight another day by other means.
Nor is the rapist viewed more favorably if his victim saves her life by capitulation to overwhelming force. Putin is not viewed more favorably for Ukrainian non-resistance in Crimea. The American Ambassador to the United Nations said today that the sanctions over Crimea have driven the ruble to its lowest level in history and the Russian stock market is off 20%. A fine is paltry punishment for a crime and has not deterred Putin. We have rather a marginally less well-off serial rapist now. Did Ukrainian non-resistance in Crimea lead to or cause or some such verb Putin's current invasion of Ukraine. No. This was his intent all along, as far back as 1994(?) when he told Condoleezza Rice "Ukraine is ours."
Might Ukrainian non-resistance now encourage Putin elsewhere? Yes. Yes, indeed. The world expects "Transnistria" next immediately and may expect states now on the periphery of Russia foreseeably, as part of Putin's "Greater Russia" conceit. The West did not draw a "red line" on Georgia in 2008, did not draw a red line on Crimea, has not on Ukraine, will not on whatever Transnistria is. Putin knows he can have Ukraine without fighting a war with NATO, the West, with America. Rightly so! did the West not draw those red lines. Putin will (merely) be fined more heavily for his Rape of Ukraine. If there is to be war between the United States and Russia, the red lines have been drawn around the NATO countries. NATO is far bigger than it should be, far more eastern; there will be resistance in America--Here!--to a Russo-American war over Vilnius and trade, but that is where America and the West have drawn the red line.
That is where we have drawn the line. Outside Kiev. What about the Ukrainians? Will they fight? I think they will. I would! Whoo-doggie, if I know myself and myself was Ukrainian, my trigger finger would be numb now! It would be numb because I'd be dead too, in addition to overuse. I cannot recommend my course to others.
Should Ukraine resist it's rape? What a question! "Give it to a Russian?!" A rape victim need not fight her rapist. She need not risk maiming or death. If a rapist has a gun and points it to her head she need not resist; she should not resist. It is no less a rape to "give it" to a rapist with a gun.
That is the position, as were are to understand it, of Ukraine. Russia has 30,000-40,000 troops--with guns--on the border. The "window of opportunity" for invasion is now and it refers to Ukraine unpreparedness as well as Russian preparedness. If Ukraine fights, as Ukraine has said it will, it will lose with frightful loss of life. The annexation of Crimea was accomplished in precisely the manner in which this is proceeding. It was bloodless. No one thinks the Ukrainian people unmanly or unwomanly or cowardly in not fighting in Crimea. No one will think of them so in the present case. When rape is inevitable, not resisting is not "enjoying" rape as sex, it is living to fight another day by other means.
Nor is the rapist viewed more favorably if his victim saves her life by capitulation to overwhelming force. Putin is not viewed more favorably for Ukrainian non-resistance in Crimea. The American Ambassador to the United Nations said today that the sanctions over Crimea have driven the ruble to its lowest level in history and the Russian stock market is off 20%. A fine is paltry punishment for a crime and has not deterred Putin. We have rather a marginally less well-off serial rapist now. Did Ukrainian non-resistance in Crimea lead to or cause or some such verb Putin's current invasion of Ukraine. No. This was his intent all along, as far back as 1994(?) when he told Condoleezza Rice "Ukraine is ours."
Might Ukrainian non-resistance now encourage Putin elsewhere? Yes. Yes, indeed. The world expects "Transnistria" next immediately and may expect states now on the periphery of Russia foreseeably, as part of Putin's "Greater Russia" conceit. The West did not draw a "red line" on Georgia in 2008, did not draw a red line on Crimea, has not on Ukraine, will not on whatever Transnistria is. Putin knows he can have Ukraine without fighting a war with NATO, the West, with America. Rightly so! did the West not draw those red lines. Putin will (merely) be fined more heavily for his Rape of Ukraine. If there is to be war between the United States and Russia, the red lines have been drawn around the NATO countries. NATO is far bigger than it should be, far more eastern; there will be resistance in America--Here!--to a Russo-American war over Vilnius and trade, but that is where America and the West have drawn the red line.
That is where we have drawn the line. Outside Kiev. What about the Ukrainians? Will they fight? I think they will. I would! Whoo-doggie, if I know myself and myself was Ukrainian, my trigger finger would be numb now! It would be numb because I'd be dead too, in addition to overuse. I cannot recommend my course to others.
