Belarus

[Serb]

Thanks. I suspected that.

Any furhter comments about hypothetical Polish figting for purity of American language as a symbol of American independance?

[Heresson]

Serb...
Ukrainian, Byelorussian and Russian are considered separate languages of the same Ruthenian root. I could much easier claim Polish, Kashubian and Polabian are one language, and could the same claim western Slavs - Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and both Lusatians speak the same language, just different dialects. I can easily understand Slovakian or Czech.
Also, I do not demand banning Russian from Byelorus, as You try to imply. I just think that a state ruled by a guy who closes last schools with the lands' national language is not a normal thing. And it was not Jelcyn (Yeltsin), but Putin.

[TheStinger]

Hands up anyone who thinks Belorus is an open free country.

Anyone other than Serb.

One man against the tide, you gotta admire that.

[Cort Haus]

Definitions of Open and Free are contentious anyway. Is Orange Ukraine open & free? Belarus is at least as open and free as any number of US-backed regimes around the world. Is it US-supported Uzbekistan which allegedly boils people alive? Lukashenko is genuinely popular, and he's entitled to defend his country's soveriegnty.

This has nothing to do with western crocodile tears for the freedoms of the Belarusian people, and everything to do with enforcing US-compliancy - same as Ukraine, ex Yugo etc.

I expect that even the same people are involved, from the western NGOs who just happen to be backed & financed by senior US Foreign Policy officials, to the Serbian OTPOR janissaries who ply their trade in just about every country where the US tries to manipulate governments.

[TheStinger]

ok thats 1 then

[Saras]

Originally posted by TheStinger
One man against the tide, you gotta admire that.

There's nothing admirable in childishness and stupidity.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Definitions of Open and Free are contentious anyway. Is Orange Ukraine open & free? Belarus is at least as open and free as any number of US-backed regimes around the world. Is it US-supported Uzbekistan which allegedly boils people alive? Lukashenko is genuinely popular, and he's entitled to defend his country's soveriegnty.

This has nothing to do with western crocodile tears for the freedoms of the Belarusian people, and everything to do with enforcing US-compliancy - same as Ukraine, ex Yugo etc.

I expect that even the same people are involved, from the western NGOs who just happen to be backed & financed by senior US Foreign Policy officials, to the Serbian OTPOR janissaries who ply their trade in just about every country where the US tries to manipulate governments.

As info, the US no longer supports govt of Uzbekistan. The US cut aid to protest human rights abuses, and the govt of Uzbekistan denied the US further basing rights in Uzebekistan.


I dont know of any western NGOs that are personally financed by senior US FP officials. There ARE four democracy promotion organizations that are financed by the US taxpayer, and have been for 20 years. The amounts of money are small. If you want more info on their activities, its freely available.

And its hardly surprising that Serbians who achieved a democratic revolution in their own country would be willing to help others.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus Belarus is at least as open and free as any number of US-backed regimes around the world.

indeed, Belarus is as at least as open and free as Saudi Arabia.


But what does that have to do with the question? Theres no denying the US supports some countires that are not open and free. Whether or not thats a good idea is a matter of some debate within the US.

[Myrddin]

Originally posted by Serb


Bullsh!t.
The people there are richer than most of the people anywhere on post-Soviet space. You just have no idea what are you talking about.

No?

So how much of the Former Soviet Union have you seen, or even how much of Russia?

Don't assume that you know more than me just because I now live in the UK

[Serb]

I don't. But you've said:
There has probably been less change in Belarus than in any of the countries of the Former Soviet Union- the people are poor and repressed and likely to stay so as long as Lukoshenko is still in power

Looks like I need to post this figure once again.

[VetLegion]

Hah, in Lithuania, the number of poor people even increased, as it fell in Belarus. Nice graph

[Jon Miller]

I didn't realise that Armenia was so poor. We have several Armenians on this experiment, they rock.

Also, people will put up with quite a bit of tyranny if it is putting food on their table...

Jon Miller

[VetLegion]

Armenia is landlocked and had an exhausting war with Azerbaijan. That explains much of their economic woes.