December 30th, 2004
“safe for democracy”
The Pakistani dictator has broken a promise to step down by the end of the year because his political opponents are a “threat to democracy.” “This is the voice of the majority and the minority should accept the voice of the majority” said General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power from an elected government in 1993.
I guess I should comment on the recent elections in Ukraine, since I did spend 10 years of my life there. The primary significance of the victory of West-leaning Viktor Yushchenko over Russian-backed incumbent Viktor Yanukovych is that Ukrainians have officially rejected decades of Soviet tyranny and forced cultural indoctrination, including the brutal treatment they received from Stalin.
And yet, I have little motivation to cheer for the revival of Ukrainian culture since it is even more deeply embedded with mysticism, collectivism, and vicious anti-Semitism than Russia’s. The only things I miss about Ukraine are rye bread, beet salad, and cross-country skiing across the countryside.