Zelensky, the Democrat

[Sertorio]

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zele ... eoliberal/

by Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real. [I am an ethnic Ukrainian born in Kharkov, a Ukrainian city on the borderline with Russia, where my dad and other relatives are still living.]

How has Zelensky’s record been on democracy – freedom of speech and press, political pluralism and treatment of different political parties? How does it compare to past presidents of post-Soviet Ukraine?

I agree with Jodi Dean who argues that democracy is a neoliberal fantasy in a sense that it cannot exist in neoliberal systems of government controlled not by people but by supranational institutions. As mentioned earlier, this became especially evident after the Maidan when foreign ministers were appointed by these institutions to present their interests in Ukraine. However, in his reforming zeal, Zelensky went further. In early February 2021, first three oppositional television channels—NewsOne, Zik, and 112 Ukraine—were shut down. Another oppositional channel Nash was banned in the beginning of 2022, before the beginning of the war. After the war broke out, in March, dozens of independent journalists, bloggers, and analysts were arrested; most of them are of leftist views. In April, television channels of right-wing leaning—Channel 5 and Pryamiy—were shut down as well. Moreover, Zelensky signed a decree obliging all Ukrainian channels to broadcast a single telethon, presenting only one pro-governmental view on the war.

All these developments are unprecedented for the history of independent Ukraine. Zelensky’s proponents argue that all the arrests and media bans should be written off for military expediency, ignoring the fact that the first media closures happened one year before the Russian invasion. As for me, Zelensky only uses this war to strengthen dictatorial tendencies within his regime of government, which started being formed right after Zelensky came to power—when he created a party machine to control the parliament and rubber-stamp neoliberal reforms without regard to public mood.

So, this is the hero, the champion of democracy, who is ready to die to free his people from the Russian tyranny...

[SteveFoerster]

I've long since concluded that any essay that uses "neoliberal" as a poorly defined all-purpose epithet can be safely disregarded, and this one seems like no exception.

[Doc]

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zele ... eoliberal/

by Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real. [I am an ethnic Ukrainian born in Kharkov, a Ukrainian city on the borderline with Russia, where my dad and other relatives are still living.]

How has Zelensky’s record been on democracy – freedom of speech and press, political pluralism and treatment of different political parties? How does it compare to past presidents of post-Soviet Ukraine?

I agree with Jodi Dean who argues that democracy is a neoliberal fantasy in a sense that it cannot exist in neoliberal systems of government controlled not by people but by supranational institutions. As mentioned earlier, this became especially evident after the Maidan when foreign ministers were appointed by these institutions to present their interests in Ukraine. However, in his reforming zeal, Zelensky went further. In early February 2021, first three oppositional television channels—NewsOne, Zik, and 112 Ukraine—were shut down. Another oppositional channel Nash was banned in the beginning of 2022, before the beginning of the war. After the war broke out, in March, dozens of independent journalists, bloggers, and analysts were arrested; most of them are of leftist views. In April, television channels of right-wing leaning—Channel 5 and Pryamiy—were shut down as well. Moreover, Zelensky signed a decree obliging all Ukrainian channels to broadcast a single telethon, presenting only one pro-governmental view on the war.

All these developments are unprecedented for the history of independent Ukraine. Zelensky’s proponents argue that all the arrests and media bans should be written off for military expediency, ignoring the fact that the first media closures happened one year before the Russian invasion. As for me, Zelensky only uses this war to strengthen dictatorial tendencies within his regime of government, which started being formed right after Zelensky came to power—when he created a party machine to control the parliament and rubber-stamp neoliberal reforms without regard to public mood.

So, this is the hero, the champion of democracy, who is ready to die to free his people from the Russian tyranny...

Where as Putin just shoots poisons and imprisons his political opposition.

[Sertorio]

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zele ... eoliberal/

by Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real. [I am an ethnic Ukrainian born in Kharkov, a Ukrainian city on the borderline with Russia, where my dad and other relatives are still living.]

How has Zelensky’s record been on democracy – freedom of speech and press, political pluralism and treatment of different political parties? How does it compare to past presidents of post-Soviet Ukraine?

I agree with Jodi Dean who argues that democracy is a neoliberal fantasy in a sense that it cannot exist in neoliberal systems of government controlled not by people but by supranational institutions. As mentioned earlier, this became especially evident after the Maidan when foreign ministers were appointed by these institutions to present their interests in Ukraine. However, in his reforming zeal, Zelensky went further. In early February 2021, first three oppositional television channels—NewsOne, Zik, and 112 Ukraine—were shut down. Another oppositional channel Nash was banned in the beginning of 2022, before the beginning of the war. After the war broke out, in March, dozens of independent journalists, bloggers, and analysts were arrested; most of them are of leftist views. In April, television channels of right-wing leaning—Channel 5 and Pryamiy—were shut down as well. Moreover, Zelensky signed a decree obliging all Ukrainian channels to broadcast a single telethon, presenting only one pro-governmental view on the war.

All these developments are unprecedented for the history of independent Ukraine. Zelensky’s proponents argue that all the arrests and media bans should be written off for military expediency, ignoring the fact that the first media closures happened one year before the Russian invasion. As for me, Zelensky only uses this war to strengthen dictatorial tendencies within his regime of government, which started being formed right after Zelensky came to power—when he created a party machine to control the parliament and rubber-stamp neoliberal reforms without regard to public mood.

So, this is the hero, the champion of democracy, who is ready to die to free his people from the Russian tyranny...

Where as Putin just shoots poisons and imprisons his political opposition.

No matter how bad Zelensky happens to be, to you Putin will always be worse. A good argument to help a crook staying in power...

[Doc]

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zele ... eoliberal/

by Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real. [I am an ethnic Ukrainian born in Kharkov, a Ukrainian city on the borderline with Russia, where my dad and other relatives are still living.]

How has Zelensky’s record been on democracy – freedom of speech and press, political pluralism and treatment of different political parties? How does it compare to past presidents of post-Soviet Ukraine?

I agree with Jodi Dean who argues that democracy is a neoliberal fantasy in a sense that it cannot exist in neoliberal systems of government controlled not by people but by supranational institutions. As mentioned earlier, this became especially evident after the Maidan when foreign ministers were appointed by these institutions to present their interests in Ukraine. However, in his reforming zeal, Zelensky went further. In early February 2021, first three oppositional television channels—NewsOne, Zik, and 112 Ukraine—were shut down. Another oppositional channel Nash was banned in the beginning of 2022, before the beginning of the war. After the war broke out, in March, dozens of independent journalists, bloggers, and analysts were arrested; most of them are of leftist views. In April, television channels of right-wing leaning—Channel 5 and Pryamiy—were shut down as well. Moreover, Zelensky signed a decree obliging all Ukrainian channels to broadcast a single telethon, presenting only one pro-governmental view on the war.

All these developments are unprecedented for the history of independent Ukraine. Zelensky’s proponents argue that all the arrests and media bans should be written off for military expediency, ignoring the fact that the first media closures happened one year before the Russian invasion. As for me, Zelensky only uses this war to strengthen dictatorial tendencies within his regime of government, which started being formed right after Zelensky came to power—when he created a party machine to control the parliament and rubber-stamp neoliberal reforms without regard to public mood.

So, this is the hero, the champion of democracy, who is ready to die to free his people from the Russian tyranny...

Where as Putin just shoots poisons and imprisons his political opposition.

No matter how bad Zelensky happens to be, to you Putin will always be worse. A good argument to help a crook staying in power...

How many of his country's neighbors has Zelensky Invaded?

[Sertorio]

https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/28/zele ... eoliberal/

by Olga Baysha, author of Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real. [I am an ethnic Ukrainian born in Kharkov, a Ukrainian city on the borderline with Russia, where my dad and other relatives are still living.]

How has Zelensky’s record been on democracy – freedom of speech and press, political pluralism and treatment of different political parties? How does it compare to past presidents of post-Soviet Ukraine?

I agree with Jodi Dean who argues that democracy is a neoliberal fantasy in a sense that it cannot exist in neoliberal systems of government controlled not by people but by supranational institutions. As mentioned earlier, this became especially evident after the Maidan when foreign ministers were appointed by these institutions to present their interests in Ukraine. However, in his reforming zeal, Zelensky went further. In early February 2021, first three oppositional television channels—NewsOne, Zik, and 112 Ukraine—were shut down. Another oppositional channel Nash was banned in the beginning of 2022, before the beginning of the war. After the war broke out, in March, dozens of independent journalists, bloggers, and analysts were arrested; most of them are of leftist views. In April, television channels of right-wing leaning—Channel 5 and Pryamiy—were shut down as well. Moreover, Zelensky signed a decree obliging all Ukrainian channels to broadcast a single telethon, presenting only one pro-governmental view on the war.

All these developments are unprecedented for the history of independent Ukraine. Zelensky’s proponents argue that all the arrests and media bans should be written off for military expediency, ignoring the fact that the first media closures happened one year before the Russian invasion. As for me, Zelensky only uses this war to strengthen dictatorial tendencies within his regime of government, which started being formed right after Zelensky came to power—when he created a party machine to control the parliament and rubber-stamp neoliberal reforms without regard to public mood.

So, this is the hero, the champion of democracy, who is ready to die to free his people from the Russian tyranny...

Where as Putin just shoots poisons and imprisons his political opposition.

No matter how bad Zelensky happens to be, to you Putin will always be worse. A good argument to help a crook staying in power...

How many of his country's neighbors has Zelensky Invaded?

He is happy screwing his own people...

[SteveFoerster]

How many of his country's neighbors has Zelensky Invaded?

He is happy screwing his own people...

Even if that were true, you have said repeatedly that if a people will throw off their own oppressor that they don't deserve to be helped.

You really are blissfully unburdened by any sense of consistency.

[Sertorio]

How many of his country's neighbors has Zelensky Invaded?

He is happy screwing his own people...

Even if that were true, you have said repeatedly that if a people will throw off their own oppressor that they don't deserve to be helped.

You really are blissfully unburdened by any sense of consistency.

Unfortunately NATO is helping him remaining in power, so that he may continue screwing his own people...

[SteveFoerster]

How many of his country's neighbors has Zelensky Invaded?

He is happy screwing his own people...

Even if that were true, you have said repeatedly that if a people will throw off their own oppressor that they don't deserve to be helped.

You really are blissfully unburdened by any sense of consistency.

Unfortunately NATO is helping him remaining in power, so that he may continue screwing his own people...

They're being screwed by Putin, who, by choice, has invaded their country, destroyed their cities, and killed their people. Nothing Zelenskyy is alleged to have done holds a candle to that.

[neverfail]

They're being screwed by Putin, who, by choice, has invaded their country, destroyed their cities, and killed their people. Nothing Zelenskyy is alleged to have done holds a candle to that.

Zelinskyy in any case only became president in 2018 with no prior experience either in politics or government. He has been on a very steep learning curve since and unavoidably must have made a few mistakes along the way.

We had an elderly Irish priest resident in our parish until a few years ago who once pointed out to me (in conversation) that 'it took us in the Republic of Ireland almost a century to learn how to govern ourselves well'. Like the Irish prior to the year 1922 Ukrainians have an even more recent historical background of having been a people accustomed to being ruled by others; so like the Irish in their early days of sovereign independence the Ukrainians have been in the slow process of learning how to govern themselves well. But at least unlike in Russia where Boris Yeltsin's efforts to lead his country through a transformation into a democracy was thwarted by his mistake of appointing former KGB cadet Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister of Russia, Ukraine seems to have successfully accomplished the transition reasonably well.

Ukraine has a track record of endemic corruption in government circles and not a few government decisions made in the (pre-Zelinskyy recent past have likely handicapped and thwarted rather than assisted the country's efforts in national development. This broadly seems to reflect the pattern evident in post-colonial Africa: a patchwork of contrived states whose borders were determined at the pleasure of the European imperial rulers of yore.

Ukraine, whose borders coincide approximately with the ethnic spread, does not deserve to have its path of national development thwarted or its sovereignty extinguished by Russian invasion.