Holodomor and Other Anniversaries

Friday, November 21st,  marked the first anniversary of EuroMaidan, the dignity revolution.

Yesterday, Saturday 22nd,  was the 51st anniversary of the assassination of JFK.  It was also the 10th anniversary of the Orange Revolution that overturned a thoroughly fraudulent vote and frightened Putin to death as he realized it could happen to him, hence his vicious reaction to Euromaidan.

Yesterday was also the fourth Saturday of November, the day of remembrance for the millions of Ukrainians starved to death in Stalin's murderous famine, known as the Holodomor or Death by Hunger.

Timothy Snyder's book "Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin" contains one of the best histories of the "Ukrainian Holocaust" that I have read.

For brief summaries of the terror that was Stalin's planned starvation of millions of Ukrainians in 1932-33 to break any thought of Ukrainian nationalism, here are some links:

• The Toronto Annual Ukrainian Famine Lecture by Anne Applebaum, "Why Stalin Feared Ukraine and Why Putin Fears It Today".
• The Holodomor, 1932–1933 — The Genocidal Famine in Ukraine
• Secrets and Lies 
• Collective Farms, Common Graves: A Famine Lament

Murder in a small town

My mind has been otherwise occupied and multi-tasking is not a strong suit.  Not much has changed.  The cease-fire that never was is still "holding".  The Russian side continues to attack Ukrainian held towns and villages along the border between the Russian held area of eastern Ukraine and the rest of Ukraine.

Ukraine still holds the Donetsk airport and hundreds of terrorists and Russian soldiers have died trying to take it.  Supplies run the gauntlet of fire but are still coming through.  Russia continues to send "Humanitarian Aid" most of which is military supplies, and returns with cargoes of bodies and equipment looted from factories.  The Ukrainian government has shut down all services inside the Russian held area including pensions.  They want independence; they got it.

There are already reports of people starving to death and it will only get worse as winter comes.  There may be food but there is no money (and no jobs) to buy it. Russia has been busy moving troops and equipment into the area and Ukraine has been busy reorganizing its military and digging in for defensive purposes.  The expected attacks are still expected. the reason (Crimea) still holds.

After Putin got his ass kicked in Brisbane, he understands that the only person with less respect is Rodney Dangerfield and is seething for revenge.  Perhaps it will be served cold.

War of “evil” against Russia and “spiritual” mission of Russia in the world

Putin Jokes
Russian Culture
Russian News

We had a reminder in our town about a month ago of exactly what world Ukraine lives in.  A local businessman also involved in farming was murdered gangland style outside our best restaurant.  The man was well liked by everyone except a few big guys in whose side he was a constant thorn, fighting against corruption on behalf of small people.  The man parked his car outside the restaurant and went in to eat.  An old Lada parked beside it and two men got out and walked away.  Nothing unusual about that.

Inside the car was a high powered rifle on a remote.  When the victim came out of the restaurant and went to get in his car, he took three bullets in the back.  The old Lada then burst into flames and was completely consumed by fire, leaving no prints, no DNA, no nothing.  There is suspicion but no proof of who the Boss was who ordered the hit but the men who did it will never be found, even without corruption. Very professional.