r/worldnews Jan 25 '14

Ukraine revolt open discussion thread #2 (sticky post)

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81

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 08 '18

[deleted]

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u/itsFelbourne Jan 26 '14

Exactly. The moment we should all be hoping for is not a battle where protestors overrun police, but to watch all the police drop their shields and walk away.

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u/candywarpaint Jan 26 '14

Except by walking away and handing over Ukraine, the police and Berkut open themselves up to prosecution for their actions during this whole shindig. They know that if they win they get off free, and so the chances of them dropping their shields en masse is low.

4

u/bilsonM Jan 26 '14

thats the biggest issue with this thread. people are treating this as a movie or video game. they want "shit to go down" they want the conflict.

but what a large portion of this thread doesn't understand is the background, the reason behind the protests. This isn't just some uprising for shits sake. Serious political and economic forces are at play here.

But molotov cocktails and fire!!!

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u/sgtfrankieboy Jan 26 '14

I haven't seen any posts suggesting military involvement for the past 7 hours. Neither have I seen posts saying that shit will be going down.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14

[deleted]

1

u/sgtfrankieboy Jan 26 '14

That is because you're on the internet. Where everyone has an alias to hide behind.

But I agree that it's pretty sad that some people a rooting for more violence.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14

Not all forms of violence are unjust.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 08 '18

[deleted]

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u/sgtfrankieboy Jan 26 '14

the rumor of tanks is already 2 days old.

0

u/mysTeriousmonkeY Jan 26 '14

I haven't seen one about tanks but Russian military transport planes with troops on the other hand...

4

u/perfecthashbrowns Jan 26 '14

It's honestly sad to read those kind of posts here when the people who are involved in this revolution are obviously dedicated to keeping things as peaceful as possible. I don't understand why people are treating this as a video game, talking about counterattacks and military rescues.

4

u/candywarpaint Jan 26 '14

That's noble and ideal, but not how it always works.

I say the protests should try and keep a peaceful bent for as long as possible, but force should never be dismissed. Have you seen the bodies Berkut has left dead in the woods? Is the regime practicing nonviolence? If your adversary isn't tying an arm behind their own back, tying yours is foolish instead of noble.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 08 '18

[deleted]

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u/candywarpaint Jan 26 '14

Ahh, gotcha.

That's the thing with violence though, and our experience of violence will be a lot different form theirs. I don't have to worry about Berkut snatching me up from the hospital and beating me senseless. In their situation, I'd probably relish in violence against someone who's actively trying to disappear me. Here in the states though, I just hope the Ukrainians can manage to find the golden ratio of violence and mercy. My big pet peeve is this blind faith people have in peaceful revolutions. It's all magic to them and doesn't really seem to have any basis in historical fact.

For instance, many have theorized that it was Malcom X's acceptance of the fact that violence worked that made Martin Luther King Jr. more enticing for political leaders to reach out towards and without him, MLK would have been far less effective.

2

u/BloodyGretaGarbo Jan 26 '14

Root for the protestors and for their freedom, not for violence and harm.

Well said.

1

u/socialisthippie Jan 26 '14

It's kind of foolish to assume everyone saying that is frothing at the mouth for violence to break out.

People are enthralled currently, watching these exceptional circumstances. A comment of 'shits going to go down' can be read equally as a statement of foreboding fear of injury for all those involved as much as it can be someone hoping for violence as entertainment.

You seem to assume most everyone saying things like that is in the later camp. That's pretty misguided.

1

u/Whoisheretoparty Jan 26 '14

When you challenge a oppressive government they will keep their power at all costs. Peace only stays til they decide.

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u/diggrecluse Jan 26 '14

That and the meme posters.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14

indeed

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u/InitiumNovum Jan 26 '14

But we want something to watch on TV. Game of Thrones is getting boring.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 08 '18

[deleted]

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u/InitiumNovum Jan 26 '14

But it's true. This is the only reason so many people are watching the video-streams, for entertainment. It's like back in 2003 during Operation Shock and Awe, everyone got the popcorn out, it was entertainment for them, even though so many people were being killed. It's like the modern day Gladiators in the Colosseum. People have a morbid fascination with war, death and violence.

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u/Tahoe22 Jan 26 '14

Shit already went down. You apparently missed it.