Chris Snow encouraged me to watch a 2008 documentary by Latvian filmmaker Edvīns Šnore called The Soviet Story. It takes about 90 minutes, but it is a worthy investment to understand the source of conflict in the current Russia-Ukraine war.
There wasn’t much in this documentary I had not encountered before. But having all these historical stories in one place, complete with pictures of many dead bodies, was … unsettling. There is a connection between the past and the present.
Medium contributer B Kean spent 30 years in Russia, trying his hand at several businesses. He has written many Medium articles that give us insights into the Russian mindset. Russians may be Caucasian and Christian. But Russians are definitely not from a Western culture.
This war would not be happening if there was not at least a significant minority of ethnic Russians backing the re-conquering of Ukraine at any cost to Russia. Dominating other ethnic groups is more important than opportunity and prosperity. Sad!
There should be no wonder why Ukraine is fighting this war. The consequence of a “Russian peace” is worse than the war. There is too much history to hope that the Russian mindset will magically go away with a Ukrainian surrender.
About a week after I watched the documentary, Paul Fiolkowski gave us a little photo gallery of the results of this war. My apologies if the link does not work, you probably need to be a Medium member to access this articles. Nonetheless, the photos are unsettling, with bombed houses and dead children and adults.
What about us?
Medium contributor, indi.ca, tells us how the International Monetary Fund is now telling the reformed government of Sri Lanka how to run its country. This will likely mean government austerity, cuts to schools and hospitals, opening of imports at the expense of local jobs, privatization with foreign investors, and offshore ownership of property. Western nations and Western citizens will indirectly benefit. Average Sri Lanka citizens will not see a better life for a generation, if at all. Here is the article's link, but my apologies again if the link does not work for you.
The IMF does not have a good history of nation-building. The IMF was involved in the reforms for both Russia and Ukraine in the early post-Soviet days. These reforms opened up both economies for plunder by Russian oligarchs. Ukraine was starting to overcome the IMF mismanagement, and the Russian psyche just could not let Ukraine be successful enough to integrate into Europe.
Need I mention Chile, Iraq, and Round 1 for Sri Lanka. Round 1 then led to the conditions for today’s Round 2 of an IMF bailout. Please read my review of The Shock Doctrine.
The IMF is ostensibly run by 190 member countries, with the United States having the most influence. But to me, the IMF looks like a rogue bureaucracy that is not willing to learn from past mistakes. There does not appear to be any mechanism for accountability.
The Russians have an overt way of displaying their dominance-over-other-nations instinct. On the other hand, western nations, especially the United States, have other means for their continued colonialism. While the IMF helps bankrupt countries to regain financial stability, it has a secondary function of subtle western colonialism. The indebted countries owe too much to move themselves forward. Their social infrastructure is left in shambles.
To summarize, the IMF is a dysfunctional institution. It needs to be changed out. Western democratic nations will not or cannot change it out.
The IMF is another reason to look at a new way of governance.
For inspiration, please look at Mr. Fiolkowski’s article again, the one with dead Ukrainian children.
Published on Medium 2023
Russian-like Soldiers in Your Home Town
Democracy coming to a Ukrainian theatre near you
Addendum 2024: I made a comment about Russian speakers in Ukraine desiring to return back to Russian rule. I believe this was their desire up until the Russian invasion in 2014. a majority of this population has changed their outlook, seeing their opportunity and prosperity with Ukraine being aligned to Europe.
