"Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance."
What would you do if you received that text message in the midst of a protest in your countries capital? Well, many people in Ukraine had to answer that question yesterday. Read this article from the independent for more info on the text and read this NPR article about the increasing intensity of the protests.
Ukraine is currently going through a major political upheaval. Protesters from the pro-Europe west of the country are calling for the current President Victor Yanukovych to step down after he broke his promise to to be pro-EU. This is specifically about Ukraine's relationship with the EU and Russia, but it is also a more broad protest against corruption in the bloated Ukrainian government. Here is the latest article from BBC reporting on the situation.
A couple questions to consider about how it relates to some of the concepts and countries in this course.
1. Is the Ukranian regime a democratic or authoritarian? If the President was democratically elected, should he be able to pursue his own policy goals until his term is up?
2. How does this relate to the different methods used by Putin to quell protests? Look at these political cartoons for more info.
3. Who is in the wrong here? The Ukrainian protesters for vowing to intensify the protest (with the assumption that violence is the next step)? Or the President for breaking his promise and passing laws to stop the protests?
Comments welcomed below
1.Viktor's regime is a Authoritarian because although he was elected,he has ignored several principles of democracy like restricting freedoms like speech and press.
ReplyDelete2.Putin used force to coerce the population down and is shown by the formula, Viktor's is just like another student following a tutors formula.
3.I believe that initially the blame is the governments because it broke its promise to the people, and yet it's suppose to be a democratic government.
The Ukranian regime may have started as a democracy but the continued unrest by the people illustrates that it has shied away from such ideals. A democratic government is meant to represent the people; however, the mass texts illustrates an oppression of the people. The government has the right to keep the peace but should they be quelling the protestors with force or adhering to the people? President Yanukovych was in the wrong as soon as he stopped representing the people and started oppressing the people.
ReplyDelete1. President Viktor Yanukovych was democratically elected, particularly because, at the time of his election, Yanukovych seemed to be moving toward Western European ideals. However, once he was elected he began moving toward an autocratic rule similar to Putin's. Therefore, by Yanukovych moving away from the principles of democracy and denying his peoples the rights that come with a democracy, he should not be able to pursue his own policy goals until his term is up, because he is not acting as a democratically elected official should.
ReplyDelete2. In Putin's case there is not a large, strong opposition like there is in Ukraine (Russia has a silent majority). However, just like how Yanukovych copied Putin's autocratic model, he seems to be doing the same in his methods to quell the protests. It's as though Yanukovych is ensuring that Ukraine remains a "little Russia"...
3. I think it is fairly obvious from my answer to #1 as to where I stand on this question. When you are elected democratically by the people to provide representation and to fight for the ideals of those people, you are expected to do as promised. When you go back on your word to the people, it is only to be expected that the people you are now oppressing are going to be angry and begin using and threatening further violence.
1. The Ukrainian president was democratically elected, but he has developed an authoritative regime determined to ally itself with Russia. He should be allowed to pursue his own agenda, provided that such a large part of his nation doesn't disagree with it. There is too much opposition for him to follow through with this course of action.
ReplyDelete2. Putin has a history of being harsh toward protesters. These anti-protest laws seem to be directly influenced by those used by Putin. Also, with the Ukraine moving toward Russia economically, it makes sense that they would also try to adapt methods used in Russia to control a protesting population.
3. I would say the President is in the wrong. He agreed to enhance the country through trade with the EU, but his current course requires no reforms and binds the country to Russia, something many of the people are trying to avoid. When the leaders stopped listening to the people, the people had earned the right to try and get their governments attention, in this case through unfortunate escalation of violence.
1. Right now, I would say it is authoritarian because the country is in a state of attack. I must go into wartime government control. I'm not saying the protesters do not have a right to attack, but purely from the states point of view they see themselves as being attacked so they must respond accordingly. Mr. Yanukovych, as a democratically elected president, does not really have the right to pursue his own policy. The people wanted him to join the EU, so he should of, the trade agreement would have helped the Ukraine fiscally and socially with the democratic reforms it would of had to make.
ReplyDelete2. He is using anti-protests laws and Putin probably on the phone with him telling him how to quell protests.
3. Both, the protesters are mad and resorting to violence which is probably not the answer. But Yanukovych is just being passive aggressive with the anti-protest laws. He knows he can justify them by saying he's trying to make peace but in reality he knows it will just piss off the protesters more and cause more protests. As a leader he should try and make peace talks with the protesters. YANUKOVYCH IS A PUSSY.
P.S. do not take this like i'm not taking the post seriously, I'm just saying Yanukovych is letting Putin control him and not taking proper reactions against the protesters.
ReplyDelete