Tom Paine 1949
Diamond Member
- Mar 15, 2020
- 5,407
- 4,507
- 1,938
Here is a Russian nationalist view of the election protests in Belorussia. I don’t usually agree with Russian nationalists, and I certainly can’t confirm details reported here, but the overall political analysis of the situation there is interesting. These demonstrations against the decades long dictatorial Lukashenko regime in Belarus may initiate the start of new serious problems in Eastern Europe between Russia and NATO. The author of this piece claims involvement of the CIA and the Ukrainian SBU in a complex plot to make an anti-Russian coup in this poverty-stricken and extraordinarily corrupt “independent” country bordering Russia (but made up of Russians):
***
Now the events in Belarus force me to address this very unpleasant topic: Belarus is facing a complex and dangerous crisis which might well result in a major crisis inside Belarus and even a loss of sovereignty. But first, before we look into what just happened, let me begin by a quick “mini-primer” about Belarus. Here is what I think everybody ought to know about this country:
But there is much more to this story. Following a meeting between Lukashenko and Pompeo, the US will now open a (very big) embassy in Minsk. For years the West has been calling Lukashenko all sorts of names, and now it is suddenly “all smiles”...
[Sidebar: yes, I know, Lukashenko is called the “last dictator of Europe” and he is not popular in the West.... Over and over again, Lukashenko tried to get support (meaning “money”) from the West and now Pompeo & Co. have apparently decided to make “their” son of a bitch “our” son of a bitch. What I mean by that Lukashenko was the textbook case of the “our son of a bitch” phenomenon, but not for the West – for Russia. I furthermore believe that like all “sons of bitches” (including “theirs” and “ours”) – Lukashenko has now turned into a liability for Russia.] ...
Putin and Russia are facing a very serious crisis in Belarus | The Vineyard of the Saker
Here is a BBC article for a normal Western view: Belarus protests: more than 6,000 arrested, says interior ministry
***
Now the events in Belarus force me to address this very unpleasant topic: Belarus is facing a complex and dangerous crisis which might well result in a major crisis inside Belarus and even a loss of sovereignty. But first, before we look into what just happened, let me begin by a quick “mini-primer” about Belarus. Here is what I think everybody ought to know about this country:
- Belarus is a completely artificial creation, even more artificial than the Ukraine. At least in the Ukraine there were “westerners” (Galicians) who truly were not Russians at all (you can think of them as the “real Ukrainians” if you want) and whose hatred for everything Russian was every bit as rabid as the one of the Interahamwe of Rwanda. There is no meaningful equivalent to the Banderites in Belarus.
- Lukashnko was no more pro-Russian than Ianukovich. This is crucial. Lukashenko was always pro-Lukashenko, not pro-Russia. Both the West and Lukashenko like to say that Belarus is the only real Russian ally. This is false. Technically, Russia and Belarus are supranational union states. However, it is true that Lukashenko tried to use the historical identity between the Russian and Belarusian people to demand that Russia help him out over and over and over again. And until recently, Russia did.
- As a country, Belarus is a quasi perfect police state with an extremely competent and feared KGB (yes, in Belarus they kept the name) which controls everything and everybody. This is also crucial for reasons I will explain below.
- As for the Kremlin, it always wanted to foster a reunification with Belarus but this process was never fully completed due to regular problems, and even crises, between Moscow and Minsk. Russia poured immense sums of money to keep the Belarusian society from crashing.
- Finally, Belarus is really a poor country with very limited resources. For Russia, however, Belarus is a crucial military ally, one which plays a central role in Russian defense plans. If the US and NATO will be successful in taking control of the country, this will be a major strategic threat for the Russian security....
But there is much more to this story. Following a meeting between Lukashenko and Pompeo, the US will now open a (very big) embassy in Minsk. For years the West has been calling Lukashenko all sorts of names, and now it is suddenly “all smiles”...
[Sidebar: yes, I know, Lukashenko is called the “last dictator of Europe” and he is not popular in the West.... Over and over again, Lukashenko tried to get support (meaning “money”) from the West and now Pompeo & Co. have apparently decided to make “their” son of a bitch “our” son of a bitch. What I mean by that Lukashenko was the textbook case of the “our son of a bitch” phenomenon, but not for the West – for Russia. I furthermore believe that like all “sons of bitches” (including “theirs” and “ours”) – Lukashenko has now turned into a liability for Russia.] ...
Putin and Russia are facing a very serious crisis in Belarus | The Vineyard of the Saker
Here is a BBC article for a normal Western view: Belarus protests: more than 6,000 arrested, says interior ministry
Last edited: