Strippergate

Ukraine is going through a revolution and there is a talk about a possible civil war, splitting the country etc.. Meanwhile in Canada, the hottest political item is the minister of immigration, Judy Sgro's, involvement in a governmental program to bring more strippers to Canada.

Liberal media is having a hard time, dealing with this issue. To condemn this practice on moral grounds would be too conservative yet, Ms. Sgro is virtually the only one who keeps defending it. So a new argument has been brought up: the idea of bringing strippers to Canada is bad because women often get sexually exploited. That's what Jane Taber from the Globe said today at the CTV's Question period.
Well, I don't doubt there is som truth to it but it I cannot help but ask:
so if we somehow manage to ensure women don't get exploited, it would be a commendable thing to import strippers from overseas??

Guardian columnist's past

As it turned out, Jonathan Steele, the guy who'd written the article I mentioned in a post below, used to be an apologist for the Soviet Union in the 80s.
Well, no surprise here.

Ukraine: big day tomorrow

Supreme Court is expected to rule on the complaints about election fraud submitted by the Yushchenko team. In the light of the parliament's decision to cancel Yanukovych's victory it seems very much likely that the Court would do the same and schedule a re-run of the second round on December 12, as Yushchenko has demanded.

Secondly, Yushchenko has issued an ultimatum to the ongoing president Kuchma to sack Yanukovych.

Ukrainian revolution and Western Left's reflexive anti-Americanism

In the course of the last two days the Ukrainian revolution has finally managed to attract attention of media throughout the world (not just in Canada, where it's all about a large Ukrainian diaspora).
The coverage is mostly positive going along the lines people vs. the regime paradigm.
But virtually the only people outside Russia/Belarus/China/Cuba/North Korea who have voiced their objections turned out to be the European Left.
Jonathan Steele wrote a piece entitled "Ukraine's postmodern coup d'etat".
and John Laughland commented on western media's bias in covering the events in Ukraine is his "The revolution televised".

There is so much wrong with their arguments. John Laughland is no stranger to me. I've trashed his writings on Ukraine before.
Let me just point out again that this is the guy who didn't believe that Putin was an imperialist!
Essentially, to them the main fault of the Ukrainian revolution is that has gained support in the West, and in particular in America. Their mantra is simple: America can do no good therefore there must be something fishy about those Ukrainians and their alleged 'revolution'. Hence accusations that mass protests are being fully paid for by the CIA, U.S. AID etc.

Well, it just makes it easier for me to understand how the Left could support communist dictatorships, such as in Cuba, and question the Prague Spring in 1968.

P.S. I'm not sure whether Mr. Laughland had me in mind while ranting about Yushchenko's western sponsors. Today days ago I donated 20$ CAD to help the people protesting at Maidan (Independence Square). Does it qualify as subversive Western aid?

summary of today's developments in Ukraine

There are two major things:
- talks between Yuschchenko, Yanukovych and Kuchma to resolve the crisis
- statements issued by a number of regional authorities that essentially are tantamount to a threat of secession.


Yushchenko has essentially agreed to have a new round of voting. It is to be held on December 12.
There has been a passionate debate on the Ukrainian side of the internet as well as among pundits whether it's a colossal mistake or a brilliant move.
Those who think it's a mistake argue that Yushchenko has won already and should only negotiate the transfer of power. There is a fear that people would become disillusioned and would abandon the cause.
Others prefer a more legalistic approach, going through the courts and so on.

As to the cecession threat, there is a good article on it at Glavred (in Russian/Ukrainian)addressing this concern. It points out that the East of Ukraine is not monolithic and so elites in Dnipropetrovsk would never bow to the Donetsk clan. The reason why this issue has been brought up is quite simple: regional bosses implicated in the election fraud are terrified of facing the music, so to speak. It's an act of desperation.

the mechanics of fraud

It has become a widely accepted truth to say that the presidential elections in Ukraine were rigged. But few in the West have a good understanding of what the election fraud in Ukraine entailed.
I came across this article (it's in Russian) that provides a first hand account of the tricks, employed to obtain those absolutely implausible numbers in Donetsk region(where most of the falsifications are believed to have taken place).
96% - overall turnout. 97% - ballots cast for Yanukovych.

The article is written by a Russian observer, Aleksandr Kynev who, on November 21, was in the city of Gorlovka (Donetsk region).
I've translated the entire article but as of now I am only providing a 'juicy' excerpt:

Having made my way through to the table I took the position to observe the process of counting. Nevstruev [head of the polling station commission] was sorting out the ballots at the speed of a machine gun. I saw with my own eyes how a ballot marked for Yushchenko went to the Yanukovych stack. Then there was one more, and another, and another. When I saw the fourth ballot going that way, I forgot Nevstruev’s promise to have me removed from the polling station if I make any comments. I couldn’t hold myself and said: “Stop. Please put a couple of ballots back!. The ballot for Yushchenko was indeed pulled out from the Yanukovych stack. So was one more and one more… On the fifth ‘caught’ ballot Nevstruev exploded: Do you want to get another ballot for Yushchenko? The commission members started hissing at me. “Who are you working for? What’s the matter with you?” “We’re counting ballots and I want the count to be accurate” I replied. “You’re from Russia, and Putin supports Yanukovych. So why are you interfering with our work?

P.S. it shoudl be noted that Mr. Kynev is from Russia therefore is no fan of Yushchenko. In fact, his recollections were published at an 'imperialistic' Rissian web site that contains a lot of anti-Yushchenko, and I would say anti-Ukrainian, bile.

latest developments in Ukraine

Putin has congratulated Yanukovych for the second (!) time on his 'victory' - well, no surprise here.

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has prohibited publishing the elections results until after the complaints filed by Yushchenko are fully examined

Representatives of the SBU (Ukrainian analogue of FBI) came up with a statement supporting Yushchenko and against the elections fraud.

Peter Goldring, Edmonton's MP, spoke today on the Rutherford Show from Kyiv. Everything was fine except one thing: he, and I had also watched CNN earlier, made a somewhat erroneous impression that the conflict is between eastern, Russian-speaking and Russian-oriented regions of Ukraine, and more pro-Western ones.
That's not the point: Kyiv is a pretty much Russian-speaking city and there are thousands of Yushchenko supporters who speak primerily Russian. Yanukovych is a stooge of thugs and oligarchs from Donetsk who wanna to bend over the entire Ukraine, Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking alike, to their will.
People are tired of being ruled by gangsters and thugs. That's why the protests are so numerous.
I think Western media should emphasize this aspect of the issue rather than muse constantly about how it's a conflict between East and West.

P.S. some new pics here
(top picture: Yushechenko, heavy weight champion Klitschko, and 2004 Eurovision winner - Ruslana).

Blogosphere's coverage of the Ukrainian revolution

Here are other blogs that do the job of covering the Ukrainian revolution much better that I can ever do:

Europhobia has tons of good stuff and being updated constantly. There are also many links to other blogs.

Neeka (journalist Veronica Khokhlova)is blogging from Kyiv

What West should do

Former Canadian ambassador to Ukraine, Dick Fraser wrote in today's Globe&Mail:

West should pressure not only Ukrainian authorities but also Russia.

I'm of the same opinion. Russia is behind all this mess and the West should be unequivocal that if Putin doesn't stop backing the unlawfully elected Yanukovych, Russia will get into a serious trouble with the West.

Canada and U.S. reject the announced results

Central Electoral Commission has finally declrared Yanukovych the winner of the 2004 presidential elections.
Canada's Anne McLellan said

Canada cannot accept the results in Ukraine's presidential elections.

So did Colin Powell

"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse,"

BBC offers a good roundup of the story.

It's instrumental that the U.K., the E.U. countries follow the suit and do the same.
In the Canadian parliament, both sides, Conservatives and Liberals applauded the decision. Whatever are the political differences between the U.S. and Europe this is an issue that can bring everybody together. Ukrainians shan't be left alone in this struggle. I really hope so.

kooky stuff

The entire day I've been following Ukrainian events and I feel overwhelmed by their magnitude. Perhaps, tomorrow blood will be shed in Kyiv, which I hope won't happen. But for now I'm in a mood for some jesting.

Joke N1:
Скорбное ебало Януковича
(this phrase in Russian aptly describes Yanukovych's facial expression when he spoke of the egg bomb incident and a month later when he was ambushed by a German journalist who asked him about his criminal convictions.)

Joke N2
Я спросил его, признает ли он, что 96-процентным может быть спирт, но никак не явка на выборах.
"I asked him to admit that 96% can only refer to ethanol's percentage in pure spirit, not a voter turnout" (a reference to the Central Electoral Committee's data on the Donetsk region)

look at these faces

People from Donetsk are coming to rescue Yanukovych.

More picture here

rally in Edmonton in support of Yuschenko

It's been a while since I took part in a street political event
About an hour ago I came back from a pro-Yuschenko rally at the Alberta legislature. It was organized by local Ukrainians. There were about 100 people and TV people: CBC, Global, CFRN(local CTV channel) were all there.
We chanted Yuschenko! Yuschenko! many times; I felt a bit awkward. There were a couple of speeches made and we sang the Ukrainian anthem (it was wonderful - I never thought it was so cool to sing it, last time I did that in public was about 15 years ago). We sang the Canadian anthem too.
It was a bit chilly but every time I felt cold I thought of the people in the streets of Kyiv who are out there day and night.
Anyway, democracy will prevail!

P.S. hope to post some links soon

Current mood: Ukraine is not dead yet!

UPDATE: I just learnt that yesterday about 1900$ CAD had been collected to provide financial help to the protesters in Kyiv.

Ukrainian revolution: tent city in Kyiv

source: RBC

protests in Kyiv: pictures

MaidanNezalezhnosti, 7-9 p.m. November 22

more pics

Pro-Yuschenko rally in Kyiv

Attention world! Ukrainian revolution

Yesterday, Ukrainians voted in the second round of the 2004 presidential elections.According to the Central Electoral Committee, prime minister Viktor Yanukovych appears to have won.

It is no doubt in my mind that the elections have been rigged. IT WAS A FRAUD!!!
there is no need to go deep into details to see how blatantly were the results skewed. In the east, in the prime minister's stronghold, Donetsk region, the turnout was 97%. It just can't be! Unless one lives in North Korea or the former Soviet Union, turnout could never be that high, no matter what. Apparently, Ukraine has joined that list.

There is a big rally going on in Kyiv right now, about 100,000 people out there, on the streets, protesting the outcome. I hope there is enough determination to keep the pressure so that the authorities will listen. But I have few illusions. They didn't hesitate to rig the elections for they knew how much was at stake.
Russia, which had been shamelessly interfering in the Ukrainian internal affairs, has already congratulated Yanukovych on his victory. Western observers though have protested the violations and deemed the elections unfair.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH.

I really hope that Western governments and public opinion will finally pay attention. We need your help, we need heads of Western governments to take a stand and come to the rescue of Ukrainian democracy.
I hope that cheap Russian gas and oil haven't bought Putin quiet approval of his imperialism.

FREEDOM to UKRAINE!!!

this weekend events

Barcelona-Real football game - Saturday, November 20
Ukrainian presidential elections, second round. Sunday, November 21

quote of the day

When asked whether she was concerned about CBC's 'soft' [i.e. low] ratings Liza Frulla, Heritage Minister, replied:

"...my main concern is to make sure public television remains public"

(sourse: John Ivison, Keeping the barbarians at bay - and CBC afloat, National Post, November 18)

Welcome to France, Messrs. Criminals!

The Russian Dilettante wrote:

Anatoly Gladilin (Anatol Gladiline), a Soviet Russian writer, left the Soviet Union in 1976 and has since lived in Paris...Gladilin, apparently a man of moderately conservative convictions, has recently completed a non-fiction book on crime, punishment and law enforcement in his adopted homeland, France, Welcome to France, Messrs. Criminals!

I've read Russian excerpts from the book and if 1/10 of what he says is true, France is truly beyound repair.

P.S. Will it be ever published in French or English? IMHO, not a chance.

photos from Fallujah

Source: this Russian blog by Drugoi (more pictures there)

Moscow guest's badge

The winner of the best badge for Moscow's visitors contest from the Russian site "Modern Art online".

Non-Russians and those who've never had the opportunity to experience the hospitality of Moscow cops first hand would probably be unable to appreciate the poignant humour of this endeavour.
Just so you know, the number 77 is Moscow's official license plate code.

Alexandre Trudeau goes to Moscow

I've known for a long time that Canadian elite have a soft spot for communism and socialism is a respected doctrine among them. But when confronted with an actual manifestation of that fondness, one can only be feeling stunned and flabbergasted.
So here comes Trudeau's son article at MacLean about his trip to Russia.
Bob Tarantino again demonstrates excellently how Trudeau Jr. made himself into a complete idiot.

He covers it all except this one:

On my intellectual adventures in the land of the old guard, one last encounter is necessary. No one is more identified with the end of the communist era than Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev...
It seems fitting that I only manage to catch him at the VIP departure lounge at of the Moscow airport as he is leaving Russia, where he's hated, for a visit to the United States, where he's seen as a hero. Mikhail Sergeyevich is impatient, but soon waxes poetic about Canada. "They say that Thatcher was the first in the West to discover me, but Canada knew me before," he says. Knowing my time is limited, I get straight to the point: "Is there a future for socialism in Russia?" He looks at me as if I am out of my head. Then I quickly remember that socialism is what the Soviets called Marxism, even Stalinism, and add, "I mean socialism as we understand it in Canada or Sweden."

Two paragraphs earlier this great expert on the varieties of socialism praised Che Guevara, Nicaragua Sandinistas, mourned over the demise of the 'Bolshevik' party, and resorted to seek advice on current Russian affairs from a dino, hardcore Stalinist - Viktor Anpilov. (Anpilov would probably be the last politician to be consulted about the significance of Beslan. He's so utterly irrelevant these days. But Trudeau wants to get a certain answer: blame it all on the demise of socialism and he gets it. What a bastard!!!)

P.S. My other ideological, political cultural disagreements with the Western Left notwithstanding what truly I can never ever forgive them is the continuing inability to acknowledge and disown communism. In the 30s, when Stalin sent millions to GULAG, the likes of Trudeau were slavishly praising his regime. Blood was upon their hands too. The descendants of Kremlin's western sycophants haven't learnt a thing.

foreign students to be allowed to work off campus

I have to admit. I'm almost always frustrated with the way liberal media treats any issue, even if the cause is quite worthy.
Say, for example, today's Globe and Mail article about the on campus only restriction imposed on foreign students in Canada.

The article presents a solid case why they should be lifted. Of course, it has all the obligatory liberal reference points:
- slight nationalism (Canada could loose an edge in attracting foreign students)
- appeal to social justice (under the current only affluent students can afford to study in Canada)
- a touching personal story (a foreign student who is lucky to get a job on campus but says it is tough anyway)

It's not that I dispute these arguments. I find them kinda dull but heck, what about the main issue that is left absolutely unaddressed. Why are those restirctions there in the first place? Well, because there is a danger that some will try to get into Canada only to get a job here rather then to study. Again, I don't profess to know whether that would be a valid concern at all, but hey it could be mentioned at least in passing.

Secondly, under the current system foreign students obtain student authorizations that allow them to stay in Canada for the duration of their studies. Right now, it's possible to obtain student authorization for the entire period of your program. Say, if it's a Ph.D. program that lasts five years you can get it for five years too.

However, I strongly suspect that once restrictions on the off-campus work are lifted you will be no longer elibigle to obtain student authorization for more than a year. And believe me, it's a ardious and challenging procedure that costs money.
I'm not so sure that the tradoff will be so great.

Intolerant who? (media reaction to Van Gogh murder)

There has been an extensive coverage of the Theo van Gogh murder all around the world. It was followed by a wave of violence and attacks against mosques, immigrant centers etc.
In addition, Dutch voted Pim Fortuyn as the Greatest Dutchman.
Reporting it, Reuters attempted to connect the dots:

"The telephone and Internet vote was held amid an upsurge in sectarian attacks, including the recent killing of filmmaker Theo van Gogh and retaliatory arsons against mosques, churches and schools, which have strained Dutch traditions of tolerance."
"Dutch traditions of tolerance" had been already strained by the act of violence against the filmmaker who got slain simply because somebody, for whatever reason, didn't like what he had done.

The violence that followed is reprehensible but understandable. As Instapundit explains so well:
Nothing breeds that sort of freelance violence like the perception that the duly constituted authorities aren't willing to protect the citizenry. People in the United States didn't doubt that; people in the Netherlands have had reason to.

There is little doubt that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice.
But from what I know about Holland and modern Europe in general, there will be little willingness to address the 'root causes' of this incident to treat it from a broader perspective. The way media has reported such stories only confirms this point.

Update: more in the same vein from Boston Globe:

"A shameful succession of retaliatory fires and bombings at mosques and Islamic centers suggests that just below the surface of Holland's open society runs the molten lava of xenophobic intolerance."

Yuschenko to rescue Russia?

click on the thumb to see the full picture

Caption says: Viktor Yuschenko, candidate for president of the Russian Federation. Vesti Nedeli [weekly analytical program on Russian TV]
First we take Kyiv, then we'll take Moscow :-)

reflections upon Remembrance Day

My ancestors didn't die on the Flanders fields. But one of my most treasured possessions is the picture of my great great father, Mikhail Kovalevsky, wearing a Russian army officer uniform. The date is 1915.
In the former Soviet Union the First World War is almost forgotten due to the tumolous times that followed it: revolutions, civil war, Stalin's repressions and above all the Second World War have erased any memory about those who died on in Galicia and East Prussia, the Eastern, less known, front of that war.
Only in Canada, I discorovered that the WWI is indeed remembered. And it makes me happy to know that I've got my own piece of memory to share about it.

to my grand great father, a WWI veteran, and to my grandfather, who fought in the WWII - I remember ye!
Lest I forget...

Ads for Yanukovych in Moscow

On the background - a Yanukovych bigboard, the road sign on the forefront says STOP.

via Obozrevatel.com.ua

that's funny

Election Day Guide

Yuschenko ahead after the first round

Having been trying to hide the obvious the Central Electoral Committee of Ukraine has finally released data for all 100% districts:


Viktor A. Jushhenko 39.87% 11 125 395
Viktor F. Janukovych 39.32 % 10 969 579


As you can see Yuschenko is ahead by 0.5% but it's still a major victory for the opposition.

I'm delighted!!!

Kerry's presidency: lost opportunities

As I said here and here I was cheering for Bush. And he delivered having won quite convincingly all the deluded loonie-left naysayers notwithstanding.
Yet, I was prepared to accept Kerry's presidency too. There could have been several good things about it:

- cocktail parties. Not that I would've been ever invited but I am sure Western diplomats would've been delighted

- watching Kerry's wife antics

- Shirac, Shroeder etc. trying to twist themselves into pretzels explaining why they could not support the U.S. when Bush is gone now.

- watching Jon Stewart ridiculing John Kerry stiffness and wooden demeanor. Though, in the last month of the campaign, to my dismay, Stewart appeared to be more a partisan than I had thought.

- perhaps, a stronger opposition to Putin's authoritarianism, though I greatly doubt that.

Bush dodgers to flee to Canada - not so fast

The delusional nature of love-hate obsession that many Canadians have towards the U.S. has manifested itself again in the debate about recents musings that many disillusioned Americans from the so called blue states want to relocate to Canada out of disgust with Bush's victory.
As this article at Slate correstly points out immigrating to Canada may take up 25 months. I would only add that this is an optimistic estimation. In the developed countries it may take up to five years to get through. The 25 months waiting period is only applicable to the U.S. offices precisely because they are less crowded as they serve mostly foreign nationls. And it still 25 months! If there is indeed a massive exodus of Americans, the system will get cloged up even more.
But what actually pisses me is the fact that Canadian lefties are now saying that Canada should welcome those Yankees. it makes me angry for it can only mean that Americans should be given some kind of 'special treatment', fast track immigration procedure, comparing to all other immigrants.
See I have no grudges against Americans per se, even left-wing ones, and provided their credentials are valid they shold be able to immigrate like anybody else. For the same reason of fairness though, they ought to go through the process like everybody else. And lemme bet on this: once your typical Bostonian finds out that he/she has to wait 3-4 years to get permanent residence, the enthusiasm would vane considerably.
My verdict: another media non-story

Red states/Blue states divide is mythical

This map provides a county by county look at the results

Animated GIF showing by county with intensity (darker for higher percentage win), 2000 followed by 2004 pause, then cycle again. Colors are reversed for some reason, blue is Bush, red is Gore/Kerry.

vi Michael J.Totten

a really misleading article on Ukrainian elections

So far most of Western coverage of the presidential elections in Ukraine have been quite sympathetic to Yuschenko and critical of Kuchma and Yanukovych. So the fact that West is morally (not much else unfortunately) behind Yuschenko makes some on the left feel uneasy.
Hence, I think this article in the Spectator - Western aggression by John Laughland.

If you've read it and wanna know what's wrong with this article, let me know - I'll write a full review (otherwise why bother :-)).

P.S. It's not a coincidence of course that Laughland is apparently a big fan of Mr. Putin. In another article published in the SpectatorPutin the poodle he makes an astonishing claim:
Ever since Putin came to power on New Year?s Eve 1999, he has been the very opposite of a dictator or an imperialist.

I'm...like..uh-uh...speechless...

Why Kerry lost

Nowadays, to vote for the Democrats you have to be either very poor, or too 'progressive'.

Russia's criminal chronicles: a story

They were trained to kill foreign troops and protect their country. But once their skills were no longer required, they realized they became useless too. So the only thing left was the only thing they knew - killing randomly, trying to avenge themselves for the misery of their lives.
This story didn't make the front page of an online newspaper Gzt.ru even though it was full of grueling and grisly details. What happened was all too typical:
two guys, named Pilnyk and Sobkovich, from the most western Russian region of Kaliningrad got drafted into the Parus - an elite squad within the Russian navy, akin to the U.S.'s Navy Seals.
Upon honourable discharge they returned to their native town in the Kaliningrad region. They tried to start a security firm but failed. Then, they began to kill local soldiers, sailors, and cops. In total the death count was 12.
They were eventually caught when the cops realized that somebody specially trained was behind the murders. Spilnyk was sentenced to life in prison. During the last hearing he said, addressing relatives of the victims:
you can sleep safely now, I have no plans to get out.
The other guy was declared unfit to stand trail. While in custody he shocked his cellmates (in Russia inmates share cells, there could be as many as 100 in one cell),when he began eating his feces.

I was profoundly touched by it, even though I had read something even more disturbing before. No, it's not the gruesomeness of the killings but the sheer despair that is so common in Russia nowadays. I could readily imagine them hanging around that small town with no purpose and hope. No jobs, no perspectives, only cheap vodka and cigarettes. This is the reality of Russian life outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg. And yet, the Russian government is only concerned with the restoration of the lost Soviet might or raising the GDP by 200% by 2008.
I am sure these kinds of stories will happen again...

the original story (in Russian)

Sergei Zholtok - R.I.P.

Nashville Predators center Sergei Zholtok died at age 31 after becoming ill during a hockey game in his hometown of Riga, Latvia.

I can't exactly say why but I always liked the guy. He was one of those quiet workhorses, a talented player who earned his money hard.
Being an ethnic Russian, he was a patriot of his native Latvia where he was born and raised. He played for his country in many international tournaments whenever possible.
During the lockout he came to play for Riga-2000, not some big money Russian club.
And he was a very nice man, intelligent, soft-spoken, devoted to his wife and children.
He collapsed on the ice while playing. It's been reported that the probably cause
of death was cardiac arrythmia. And he was only 31...

Rest in Peace, Sergei. Vechnaya Pamyat.

Four more years!

It's now over - several hours ago Kerry decided not to hold on to the vain hope of Ohio and conceded.

BUSH IS RE-ELECTED!!!!
and GOP has won more Senate and Congressional seats.

I'm not gloating or in a jubilant mood. Like many others I've had some reservations about Bush's policies and still remains to be seen that this bold attempt at nation-building in Iraq can and will be successful.

I wish him luck though and I'm glad that America-haters have lost.

online coverage: my picks

Here's the list of web sites I am following:

Instapundit

CNN election 2004

Little Green Footballs blog

Yahoo elections

C-Span

For the pre-elections predictions (in case you want to compare) go to
Electoral-vote.com

P.S. at the time I'm writing this message Bush is leading with 170 votes. Kerry's got 112.

U.S. elections - last note before tomorrow

I have already explained on this blog the sentiment, if not the reason, why I stuck to my guns and somewhat reluctanly endorsed George W. Bush's candidacy.
I was a bit surprised that Gerard Baker, of the London Times thinks essentially along the same lines. But he does it so much more eloquently and forcefully than me...
This is the part I enjoyed the most:

...I have to say it is his enemies who most justify Bush's reelection.

The list of those whose world could be truly rocked on Tuesday is just too long and too rich to be ignored. If you think for a moment about those who would really be upset by a second Bush term, it becomes a lot easier to stomach.

The hordes of the bien-pensant Left in the universities and the media, the sort of liberals who tolerate everything except those who disagree with them. Secularist elites who disdain religiosity except when it comes from Muslim fanatics. Europhile Brits who drip contempt for everything their country has ever done and long for its disappearance into a Greater Europe. Absurd, isolationist conservatives in America and Britain who think the struggles for freedom are always someone else's fight. Hollywood sybarites and narcissists, self-appointed arbiters of a nation's morals.

Soft-headed Europeans who think engagement and dialogue with mass murderers is the way to achieve lasting peace. French intellectuals for whom nothing has gone right in the world since 1789.

The United Nations, which, if it had its multilateral way, would still be faithfully minding a world in which half the population lived under or in fear of Soviet aggression. Most of Belgium.

Above all, of course, Middle Eastern militants. If your bitterest enemies are the sort of people who hack the heads off unarmed, innocent civilians, then I would say you are probably doing something right.

(via Daimnation)

And here's another verbal gem from Mark Steyn on Kerry candidacy:

John Kerry, with his pining for summits, his aspirational French, his boundless retrospective wisdom after some other fellow's taken the difficult decisions he ducked, his modish embrace of the Viet Cong and the Sandinistas and even Saddam in his Kuwaitswallowing days, is almost a parody Eurograndee.

Toronto Argos mired under fire of criticism

Facts: According to the National Post, a CFL football team, Toronto Argos, have come under a strom of criticism for the decision to sit out ten of their best players in the game against Montreal Aloquetts.
Argos lost the game 20-58.

My take: interesting, what's the fuss about? In Russia, it's a common practice that team that's secured a playoff spot would do that. And people here are outraged. I'm impressed.

Elections in Ukraine: results of the first round - commentary

Yesterday, I spent time hanging out with other Ukies at the office of a Ukrainian owned travel agency downtown and frantically reading various web sites and listening to the live broadcast by a radio station from the city of Sumy.

I didn't feel like posting anything because it was not immediately clear which direction the elections were going and I am sure my site is not the primary source of info for those interested in Ukrainian politics, to say the least :-).
However, by the Monday evening, 94% have been counted and posted at the Official web site of the Central Electoral Committee. The two leading candidates appear to be neck in neck. Yuschenko has got 39.15% of votes and Yanukovych 40.12%. There is a strong indication that the remaining 6% may erase even this miniscule lead.

Ok, what this all means?
My current mood about it the results is cautious optimism. It appears to me, Yanukovych was not prepared to go to the second round or at least without a sizeable lead over Yuschenko. How badly he wanted to win in the first round can be seen from the fact that he had used almost any imaginable trick possible to secure victory:
- raising pensions
- pro-Russian statements
- Putin's visit to Ukraine
- total dominance on TV
- fear and intimidation campaign waged on his behalf by various local 'bosses' (most common story - the director of a local factory urges his subordinates to vote for Yanukovych threatening that otherwise he would fire those wouldn't)


The use of administrative resource didn't bring him victory and I am not sure it will be so readily available to him. Perhaps, some local governors would switch sides or try to sabotage Yanukovych's orders now.

It would be harder for Yanukovych to avoid public (TV) debates with Yuschenko now, when there is just two of them left. But Yanukovych is not a public politician. His Ukrainian is pretty bad so is his Russian, save for the criminal slang. I am not sure he can do a good job.

The next round is scheduled on November 21.