Good morning!

Just in case you didn’t click over on a link in Monday’s article, I’m posting it here for you. I said that I was going to be a constant reminder about voting. No, it won’t be every day, but it will be a lot until election day.

Here’s the write from The Washington Post:

Barack Obama is a smart dude. Democrats should listen to him.

President Obama’s speech at a Democratic Governors Association fundraiser in D.C. last night contained a key pearl of political wisdom for his party. Here it is:

 If there’s one message I want to deliver today to every Democrat and every person who’s interested in supporting Democratic policies, it’s that you got to pay attention to the states.  You have to stay focused on what’s happening in the states, and you especially have to pay attention to what’s happening in the states during midterm elections.  Because we know how to win national elections, but all too often, it’s during these midterms where we end up getting ourselves into trouble, because I guess we don’t think it’s sexy enough.  But the fact of the matter is, is that that’s where so much of the action is.

Obama is exactly right. His party — from the donor community to the activists — gets very excited about presidential elections but tends to lose interest (at least when compared to Republicans) in midterm elections.  Put another way: Democrats love the Super Bowl; they are less attracted to the mid-season game between two teams they probably haven’t heard of. (Browns-Vikings…it’s fantastic!) Young people — a key pillar of the Obama coalition — tend to stray from politics during midterms. Attempts by Democratic operatives in past midterm elections to build outside organizations to battle conservative groups on the airwaves fizzled for lack of interest.  And so on and so forth.

That lack of focus/interest has hurt Democrats nationally far more than the average person — or even the average political junkie — understands.  The 2010 election is a perfect example of this reality. While most people focus on the 63-seat Republican gain that brought them control of the House, what often gets lost is the remarkable turnover in governorships and state legislatures.
Republicans picked up eight governorships in 2010 — including critical swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. They also held on to the governorship in Florida. The change at the state legislative level was even more striking — and arguably more impactful.

Here’s a map of partisan control – via the National Conference of State Legislatures – in state legislatures across the country before the 2010 election:

And here’s what that map looked like after the 2010 election:

Wrote NCSL’s Tim Storey after the 2010 election:

Republicans have added over 675 seats to their ranks in this election, dramatically surpassing 1994 gains. This number could go even higher as the tallies in the undecided races are determined. The success by Republicans at the state level could give the GOP a dramatic advantage in the redistricting cycle that will start in just a few short months. The Census Bureau will deliver data to legislatures in early February. There are many caveats when it comes to redistricting, especially given the legal complexity of the task and the inevitable litigation. But Republicans are in the best shape for the decennial line-drawing they have been in since the modern era of redistricting began in the 1970s.

Boy was Storey right. Republican gains in 2010 led to a redistricting process nationwide in 2011 that entrenched the Republican House majority, making it very difficult — though not impossible — for Democrats to recapture the chamber any time soon.

And, the impact of the 2010 midterm elections at the gubernatorial and state legislative level also had considerable policy consequences. The most high-profile of those was Gov. Scott Walker’s successful fight to outlaw collective bargaining for public sector unions in Wisconsin. More abortion restrictions were passed in state legislatures between 2011 and 2013 than in the entire previous decade combined. In the first six months of 2011 alone, six states passed stricter voter ID laws. You get the idea.

There is some evidence that Democratic donors have woken up. The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic-aligned super PAC designed to run ads in Senate races, collected almost $9 million in 2013. House Majority PAC, a mirror group for House races, raised almost $8 million. And, because Democrats were so badly swamped in 2010 at the state and local level, the party does have ample opportunity to makes gains — with GOP-controlled governors in Pennsylvania and Florida in deep trouble.

Still, most Democratic strategists — including the current occupant of the White House — will acknowledge that state and local contests, particularly in a midterm election, are the one place where the Republican infrastructure (funders + organizations + activists) trumps their own. And, as 2010 showed, that’s a major problem for the party.

*****

Wake up and Blog me. :)

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Bush’s Defense Secretary Destroys GOP Talking Points Against Obama’s Handling Of Crimea

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates pushed back on Sunday against conservatives who’ve blamed President Obama’s “weak” foreign policy for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Crimea.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Gates dismissed arguments that Obama’s handling of the conflict in Syria or his efforts to trim the defense budget emboldened Putin, arguing that the Russian president also invaded Georgia during the George W. Bush administration.

“My own view is, after all, Putin invaded Georgia when George W. Bush was president. Nobody ever accused George W. Bush of being weak or unwilling to use military force,” Gates, who served as Defense Secretary for Presidents George W. Bush and Obama said. “So I think Putin is very opportunistic in these arenas. I think that even if — even if we had launched attacks in Syria, even if we weren’t cutting our defense budget — I think Putin saw an opportunity here in Crimea, and he has seized it.” Earlier this week, Gates told the Washington Post that the GOP lawmakers should “tone down” their criticism and “try to be supportive of the president rather than natter at the president.”

Though most Republicans agree with Obama’s policy for handling the Crimean crisis, some conservatives have argued that Obama’s perceived “weakness” on the global stage has given Putin the space to move Russian troops into Crimea. “We have a weak and indecisive president” and that “invites aggression,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said last week. “Putin is playing chess and I think we’re playing marbles,” Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee claimed, adding that Russia is “running circles around us.”

During his appearance, Gates also dismissed criticism of Obama’s weekend vacation. “I’ve seen this happen year after year, president after president. President takes a day or two off and plays golf. Doesn’t matter whether it’s President Obama or the first President Bush going fishing. I think you’ve got to give these guys a little time off, you know, mostly they are working 20 hours a day.”

Gates said he does not believe that “Crimea will slip out of Russia’s hand.” “I think it’s part of a long-term strategy on Putin’s part to create a Russian sphere of influence, a Russian bloc,” he explained. “I don’t think he will stop in Ukraine until there is essentially a pro-Russian government in Ukraine, in Kiev.”

*****

So…how’s everyone doing?  Blog me. 

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

I love when I get to see the passion and courage of a woman, tell her story about her own life experiences, and through her journey she inspires and empowers other women and girls. Now, that’s my kind of girl. And that’s the heart of Susan Bremer O’Neill. 

“Self-Appeal – All relationships start with the relationship you have with yourself.”

~Susan Bremer O’Neill

I met Susan almost 2 years ago at a business course that we both attended along with many other incredible women entrepreneurs. Susan is a lovely woman, with a soft-spoken voice, a bright, beautiful smile, and a set of piercing blue eyes that lets you know she is tuned in and listening to your every word.  We kept in touch and through various networking events and one-to-one conversations I got to know Susan on a more personal level. And…I discovered that she had a story inside of her to tell.

And tell it she does, in her new memoir. I haven’t read it yet, but if the title intrigues you, read on…no doubt her story will too.

From Sex Appeal to Self Appeal: One Woman’s Journey to Recover Her Body, Her Sexuality, Her Self

*****

Pretty cool and captivating huh? Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what a few other women are saying about Susan’s book:

“I recommend every woman who is struggling with self worth to read this book It takes you on a personal journey of low self esteem to having what the author calls “self appeal.” It will change your life It changed mine.”

~Oleta Kay Ham, Author of Migrant Mother, the Untold Story

“What an amazing life story! Life lessons around every corner. I did not want to put it down!”
~Christine Baily

“Each woman’s sexual development and experiences are unique to her, but all women can identify with the feelings and the needs bared so skillfully here, no matter how different their own sexual experiences may have been. I was both moved and inspired by the book, and I only wish I had read it in my early twenties or late teens instead of in my early sixties. With soulful honesty and a tender vulnerability, she shares the story of a young girl turned woman searching for love, acceptance and meaning in both a successful career and a series of affairs, only to find real healing and her true self in some very unusual places and ways. Both suspenseful and satisfying, this book may well end up being required reading in many Sexuality 101 courses throughout the nation, as well it should, for its gritty reality coupled with sweetness and hard-won insights reveal necessary truths to males and females alike. It liberates, empowers and heals women in so many ways, but could also hold the key to helping men relate more successfully to women as well.” 
~Carol Pinckney, MJC English Instructor

“With superlative writing skill, this author opens my consciousness to a very different life than the one most women readers have lived. Her intelligence, courage and stalwart confidence in the life she cuts out for herself have lifted my awareness into a sense of feminine power I had not previously known.  Hers is a story well told and a life well-lived!”  
~Shirley Irving

A magnificent journey that has gone full circle, proving that inner strength, diligence and discipline win over and over.  There are so many wonderful life lessons – it doesn’t matter that her path was different from other women – what the author struggled with are what many of us struggle with at all ages, and we all can learn so much from this! Every woman (and men too!) should read this memoir. ~Karrin Dalton

 ♥ ♥ ♥

Readers: So…if you are inspired to dive in and read, I encourage you to pick up a copy through Amazon. And if you order today, and email Susan: susan@selfappeal.com, letting her know that you bought her book, you’ll get a special invitation for an exclusive virtual read and Q & A with Susan on April 4th! (And no, I am not getting a kickback for promoting Susan’s book. :) I’m just happy to do it because she is, after all, empowering women and girls through her own life experiences and lessons…and in my mind that’s good reason to give her blog time and my title of Wonderful Woman Of The World.

Thoughts? Comments? Blog me.

Peace & Love…you know what to do. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

If you don’t know who the Billionaire Koch brothers are, it’s about time you get to know them and their agenda for the 2014 elections and beyond.

From The Washington Post:

Harry Reid may not be afraid of the Koch Brothers. But he’s trying to make Democrats very afraid of them.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a bit of a one-note Johnny these days.

There’s a problem in Washington? To hear Reid tell it, it’s the fault of Charles and David Koch, the libertarian-minded brothers who have bankrolled a slew of ads slamming vulnerable Senate Democrats via Americans for Prosperity, one of their many quasi-political entities.

Reid was at it again Thursday morning on the Senate floor, vilifying the Koch brothers for, roughly, everything that’s wrong with America. Here’s part of Reid’s speech:

I’m not afraid of the Koch brothers. None of us should not be afraid of the Koch brothers. These two multi-billionaires may spend hundreds of millions of dollars rigging the political process for their own benefit. And they may believe that whoever has the most money gets the most free speech. But I will do whatever it takes to expose their campaign to rig the American political system to benefit the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

Reid has demonstrated that commitment repeatedly in recent weeks, using the Senate floor as a staging ground for attacks that he will almost certainly will keep up. What’s Reid’s end goal? In his ideal world, to make the Koch brothers household names — and, in the tradition of the villainizing of Mitt Romney during the 2012 campaign — a living, breathing symbol of a view of government and society built on inequality. Again, Reid from earlier Thursday: “It would be a terrible thing to allow the Koch brothers to buy Congress. But it would be catastrophic to allow that Koch Brothers Congress to devastate the American middle class with their richest-take-all policy agenda.”

Reid’s ideal world as it relates to the Koch brothers isn’t going to happen. Or, at the very least, it’s not going to happen before the 2014 elections.  Why? Because the average person has no idea who they are.

There’s very little polling on the two men but even a Democratic-aligned firm like PPP found that 47 percent of its sample had no idea who the Kochs were. Here’s Democratic pollster Geoff Garin in an interview with the Associated Press on that topic: “Garin says Americans, when given this basic information, believe the brothers are trying to elect a government that helps them at the expense of less wealthy people, who would fare better under Democratic policies.” The problem of course is the “basic information” caveat; such a statement assumes that voters will being paying close enough attention that information on the Koch brothers — whether served up by Reid or by any number of Democratic candidates and groups – will influence their votes. And, if past is prologue, the average voter simply doesn’t pay that much attention.

That’s not to say that simply because Reid’s ideal scenario won’t comes to pass that his Koch Brothers strategy is without merit for Democrats.  Because, while the Kochs aren’t broadly known in the electorate, they are already relatively well known — and disliked — by Democrats. (A majority of Democrats — 51 percent — had an unfavorable opinion of the Kochs in that PPP poll.)

Remember that the single biggest problem Democrats face heading into the November midterms is that their base just isn’t all that excited about voting. Republican base voters, by contrast, are on fire about the prospect of turning out in the midterms to send a message to President Obama.  That energy disparity is a major problem.  (Check out these numbers from the new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll to further understand that base problem.) It’s a major reason why Democrats lost a jump ball special House election in Florida on Tuesday night and why, at every chance he gets,President Obama tries to tell voters — and donors — not to be complacent about the fall.

While passion in politics occasionally comes from a positive message/messenger — that’s what happened for Obama the candidate in 2008 — it occurs much more often as the result of negative influences. We all love to hate a good villain. And that’s why Reid is trying so hard to make the Kochs into just. The more he talks about the Kochs, the more — he hopes — rank and file Democrats get fired up to turn out to stick it to the Kochs. And the more — he hopes — major Democratic donors open up their checkbooks to counter the Kochs spending. (One liberal donor — Tom Steyer — is already pledging to spend $50 million of his own money to promote candidate supporting climate change, a fact Republican were all to quick to point out in the wake of Reid’s latest anti-Koch brothers speech; “the only person who has ever put Congress up for sale is Senator Reid and his fellow Senate Democrats,” said Republican spokesman Jahan Wilcox.)

Reid might not be afraid of the Koch Brothers. But he is hoping he can convince Democrats to be very, very afraid of them.

*****

Readers: Reid may be a one-note Johnny, but he has good reason to be. This won’t be the last we hear from Reid nor from myself when it comes to the Koch Brothers. Unfortunately, I believe that one of the most important things in this article that was said is true, and it needs to be changed:

Remember that the single biggest problem Democrats face heading into the November midterms is that their base just isn’t all that excited about voting. Republican base voters, by contrast, are on fire about the prospect of turning out in the midterms to send a message to President Obama.  That energy disparity is a major problem. 

Yes it is, and we need to make that gap disappear. Between now and November of this year, you can count on me to practically being a one-note Johnny as well…because I have good reason to be. If we sit on our laurels like the last midterms, you can count on this country going to shit in the proverbial hand basket because Obama will not be able to do anything if we lose control and hand over the keys. And we all know what that will look like if the repubs are in control. If you think it’s bad now with everything I’ve been posting about the repubs, it will get a lot worse. A LOT. 

I cannot stress this enough over the next 6+ months but I am sure going to give it my best. We need to be on it. We Dems need to rally our base like we’ve never rallied them before. I’m issuing a clarion call to all Dems to get active and get involved. And of course vote. Am I stressing this too early? Maybe. But believe me, this won’t be the last time I ask you to vote in the midterms, before November rolls around. I will be a constant reminder of how important it is and I will be continually reminding you of what the Koch brothers and the repubs are doing, right up to election day. I want the elections to come and go and not have to say, “I told you so.” So…Are you with me?

What do you have to say? Blog me.

HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY!

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

“Just Noticing…”

From Think Progress:

Why Much Of What You’ve Read About Ukraine Isn’t Quite Right, As Explained By Ukrainians

Though protests had been raging in the capital city of Kyiv and cities across Ukraine since November, the eyes of the world turned sharply toward the former Soviet republic at the end of February when then-president Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia and Russian president Vladimir Putin decided to directly insert himself in his neighbor’s internal turmoil. Citing an imminent danger to Russians living in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea, Putin sought permission from Russia’s parliament to send military forces into Ukraine. As of Monday, Ukrainian officials said 16,000 Russian troops were in Ukraine and in a Tuesday press conference from his Moscow home, Putin said they “reserve the right to use all means to protect” Russian citizens in Ukraine, but denied having sent Russian forces there.

With all of the speculation regarding Russia’s motives and endless posturing over what’s in Ukraine’s best interest, the perspectives of those that matter most, actual Ukrainians, seem to get lost along the way. “The radical voices are always the loudest,” said Olga, a native of Sevastopol, Crimea who moved to the U.S. in 2007. “I wish there were some moderate voices in between that would be heard.”

Olga

In order to understand what’s happening now, Olga said you need to first accept that “Crimea is really different from the rest of the country.” (For safety concerns, all of the Ukrainians quoted in this article will be identified by first name only). The region was part of the Russian empire since the end of the 18th century and only recently became part of Ukraine when then-Soviet Union leader Nikita Kruschev gifted it in 1954, “but it was really only a formality.” When the Soviet Union collapsed and borders were drawn, Crimea became part of Ukraine “to the dismay of a lot of people there.” Most of the population is Russian speaking and even the ethnic Ukrainians that do live there are Russian speakers for the most part, she explains. And as home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the city of Sevastopol in particular has many people who are Russian citizens. “In general, the sentiment is way more pro-Russian than pro-Ukrainian.”

Olga said her family, living in Crimea’s port city of Sevastopol, watched cautiously as the last four months of protests escalated — though she’s clear that their unease was not due to an affinity for the ousted president. “Nobody had any illusions about who Yanukovych really is,” she said emphatically. “He is disliked all over the country — south, east, west, regardless — disliked and distrusted.”

When the opposition took over in Kyiv, Olga said that people in Crimea were very distrustful of the new leaders and felt they didn’t have any representation in the new government or choice in who would lead it. With most of their information coming from pro-Russian websites and TV channels, she says “they do get a one-sided perspective for sure.” Initially, she believes they were supportive of Russian involvement — their fears were very great and Russian support perhaps felt like a last resort. However, as the events of the past week unfolded, “it’s looking now like its not just protection … It’s a full-blown invasion. As time goes on, that’s becoming more and more apparent.”

The distrust felt by her friends and family toward the interim government stems in part from who comprises the coalition. Oleh Tyahnybok in particular “has been a very vocal anti-Russian voice” and “his Svoboda Party has gone from a marginalized extreme right group with little support to a mainstream political force gaining more seats in the government.” She explains that most ethnic Russians in Ukraine want to remain in an independent Ukraine, while maintaining their linguistic and cultural traditions.

Olga has been talking to her parents every day and they described the atmosphere in Sevastopol as peaceful but very tense “because nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow.” She emphasizes that her parents, “as pro-Russian as they are, they do not want separation. They do not want Crimea to become part of Russia. They basically want to have a say — they want Crimea to have that autonomous status and to elect their own authorities.”

Bogdan and Viktor

Like Crimea, eastern Ukraine has close historical, ethnic and linguistic ties to Russia. Many havespeculated that Putin’s next move after Crimea would be to spread the occupation into eastern Ukraine. And Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations claimed on Tuesday that ousted president Yanukovych, who hails from the eastern city of Donetsk, asked Russia to send troops across the border. But Bogdan, a 45-year-old teacher living near Kharkiv, said that despite having close ties with the Russian Federation, he believes the majority of Ukrainians living in the east have the same simple goal as Ukrainians elsewhere — independence. “I think that all people in Ukraine understand that we live in independent country,” he said. “The name of this country is Ukraine and it will never be part of any other country.”

Located near the Russian border and containing the second largest city in Ukraine, the sharp contrasts of eastern Ukraine are clearly seen in the Kharkiv region — with a large student population in the city surrounded by areas of Russian supporters. While the atmosphere where he lives is peaceful, “people are worrying about the future,” Bogdan said. “It’s only 40 kilometers from the Russian border and it will take only ten minutes for military forces to occupy.”

Another resident of the Kharkiv region, Viktor, said via email that while “life is mostly calm and stable outside of the major city centers” for now, “one question bothers the whole country — should we wait for the war?”

A veteran of the Soviet Army, Bogdan said the situation in Crimea reminds him of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, when Soviet propaganda sought to convince people that the invasion was necessary to protect Soviet citizens and interests. Ultimately, however, “Ukraine wants to be free and that’s why we are fighting against it.”

“I am against war and I don’t want my country to be invaded,” said Viktor. “War has never brought happiness, only losses.”

Ruslana

“I never thought that after the Orange Revolution in 2004, people will once again gather and protest,” said Ruslana, a 23-year-old living in Kyiv, via email. “As the protests began, I was afraid they would quickly run out and people did not achieve their goal! But after Berkut [riot police] beat protesters then gathered on Independence Square … then I realized what we have strong people.”

After months of enduring sub-zero temperatures on Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), the protest movement, and Ukrainians around the country, were stunned when police turned their weapons on the crowd in February. “When snipers began to kill ordinary people, Ukrainians were shocked,” Ruslana said. “Almost a week we had a mourning.”

“After these events, life in Ukraine has changed dramatically,” she continued. Yanukovych was stripped of his presidential powers, a move that was met with great happiness — though she notes the price at which that aim was achieved.

Their happiness was short-lived, however. “No one expected” Russia would send troops to Crimea, said Ruslana. While she understands that in Crimea, “they speak Russian, they have Russian TV,” she believes that “not everyone in the Crimea and the east support Russia.”

“Now in Kyiv and throughout the country, the tense situation … people are preparing for war,” said Ruslana. “Near military offices queue young guys! This is very scary.” Ultimately she believes that if Putin decides to send forces further into Ukraine, “people are going to fight! They will not give a piece of their country, I’m sure.”

A Common Goal

After the Orange Revolution of 2004, Bogdan said “nothing changed for ordinary people.” But the things he’s seeing from the new leadership in Kyiv is giving him hope. And his aspirations for Ukraine are quite simple: “My idea is to live in the independent country which is economically developed.”

While she “can see why people in the south are worried about their future,” Olga still maintains that “the majority of Crimeans don’t want separation. It would be economical and political disaster for Crimea.”

“Ukrainian people want justice, live without corruption, without stealing,” said Ruslana. “People want independence.”

A good politician will always be thinking of the people who elected them, Viktor writes. “His or her own profit must stand in the last place and the people the first.”

He added, “politicians come and go, but the people remain.”

The author met both Olga and Ruslana while living in Ukraine from 2005 to 2007.

*****

Blog me.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"