Zelensky is Time’s Person of the Year
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Anonymous
Nice try! Like geopolitics works like that. Even ostriches don't really hide their heads in the sand thinking it can evade danger that way. |
Anonymous
All politicians who promise one thing but then change their minds because someone leaned on them should be ousted! |
Anonymous
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Corruption is widespread in Ukrainian society.[1][2] In 2012 Ernst & Young put Ukraine among the three most-corrupt nations from 43 surveyed, alongside Colombia and Brazil.[3][4] In 2015 The Guardian called Ukraine "the most corrupt nation in Europe".[5] According to a poll conducted by Ernst & Young in 2017, experts considered Ukraine to be the ninth-most corrupt nation from 53 surveyed.[6] According to Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, (a scale of least to most corrupt nations), Ukraine ranked 122nd out of 180 countries in 2021, the second most corrupt in Europe, with Russia the most at 136.[7]
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Anonymous
^^^ Translation: Don't waste your pity on them because they are "bad people." Too bad that the concern here is Russia's predatory actions in Europe. |
Anonymous
| Have you opened your wallet to help? |
Anonymous
Yes, Ukraine has long had a problem with corruption, but it did not start in 2012. It is a legacy of the Communist system and, in modern Ukraine is particularly but not exclusively tied to pro-Russia parties. (See the “estate” of the pro-Russian former President Yanukovych, now a Museum of Corruption, here: https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/world/2019/10/10/former-ukrainian-presidents-estate-now-museum-corruption/3930071002/). Anti-corruption was a primary motivating issue for the Maidan protests and the “revolution of dignity”. Ukraine has made progress against corruption, which requires complicated changes in legislation politics and courts and is a long term project (and part of why Putin threatens Ukraine - to protect the corrupt oligarchs who own land and business in Ukraine).. Here is what Transparency International’s Ukrainian Director has to say, “ On October 27, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine effectively blew up the foundations of the anti-corruption reforms put in place since the 2014 revolution that removed Viktor Yanukovych from power. Thanks to a decision that has sparked protests outside the court, it is no longer illegal for public officials to lie in their declarations of financial interests and assets. The declarations will no longer be independently verified by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. Immediately, over one hundred criminal proceedings were dropped as the offence under investigation was decriminalised. Scandalous as it is, the decision is just the tip of the iceberg. The bigger problem is that the Constitutional Court judges exceeded their powers. Going beyond the scope of the petition put to them by parliamentarians, they answered a question they had not been asked. In doing so, the judges served pro-Russian elites, turning the country back from a path towards European integration that is lined with governance reforms. Not only had the anti-corruption tools abolished by the court proven to be effective, they were the cornerstone of the country’s progress towards the West. For the anti-corruption community in Ukraine, this raises a difficult question. How to protect the country from the actions of the Constitutional Court itself? The court is protected by the Constitution, so there is no easy way to change how it works. Legislators writing the Constitution in 1996 probably never imagined that the judges charged with upholding the document would act unreasonably, in violation of the Constitution and to the detriment of the state. The phrasing of Articles in the Constitution was meant to avoid the court being influenced by changes in political elites. A series of rulings going back at least to 2010, and accelerating this year, have proven that this is not the case. There are currently two issues that need to be prioritized. The first is slowing down the court’s drive to destroy reforms and Ukraine’s process of European integration. The second is restoring the effectiveness of the anti-corruption system and providing it with the tools it needs to hold those in power to account.” Full essay here https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/how-to-solve-ukraines-constitutional-crisis Somewhat familiar that a constitutional court is behaving corruptly and striking legislation designed to protect democratic rights and the rule of law, huh? |
Anonymous
Except you left out the part where we in the U.S. weren't getting bombed. I 'm in wonder as to how any government is supposed to function with this current state of warfare. |
Anonymous
You really don't understand this space at all. The only way to make progress against corruption in Ukraine is to give every Ukrainian a brain transplant. Ukraine may have the best anti-corruption legislation on the planet. I mean bribery is illegal in Russia, too. Legislation isn't a problem. Culture is. And the fact of the matter is that in this general post-USSR space bribery and corruption are viewed as part of life. They are not considered unacceptable. Every Ukrainian, if honest, will tell you a story of how they tried to bribe someone, anyone, to get ahead, and usually found someone to take it. This is just how things are done. Does culture change? Maybe. but not with laws. Culture trumps structure, always did. |
Anonymous
Seems like you are talking about India (let's be honest) and I say this as someone of Indian heritage, but somehow we are besties with them because <cough> China. None of what you say makes Putin's actions okay. Should he get Ukraine because they are "corrupt" but we can draw the line at his next destinations since that country is better. |
Anonymous
Wow. Racist much? As the material I quoted stated - Ukrainian culture has changed - that’s what Maidan and the Revolution of Dignity were about. The problem is that some elements of Ukrainian society - often those linked to Russian businesses and political parties, because those were privileged for a long time - do not want to give up the benefits derived from corruption or want to be able to hide their corrupt past acts or avoid prosecution. Thus why Yanukovych fled instead of running for office again. He knew he would not win because Maidan showed that people no longer had to tolerate his and his party’s brand of corruption. And he knew that if he were no longer President, he likely would be prosecuted for his corruption. That is also why Putin holds onto power by any means necessary - once out of power he will likely be prosecuted for his massive corruption. |
Anonymous
| ? what does Ukraine being corrupt have to do with Russia invading? Is it Russia's responsibility to root out corruption there? As if Russia isn't corrupt? Some hypocrisy going on there. |
Anonymous
so? What does this have to do with Russia? They probably can't even get an accurate picture of Russia's corruption for fear of being assassinated. |
Anonymous
I should have included the date of the article - Oct 2020. The problems with the CC predate the war. And the struggle over corruption probably contributed to Putin’s desire to invade - lots of Russian oligarchs, businessmen and politicians will be unhappy with less corruption. Less corruption means less of a chance for Putin to influence Ukraines destiny via corrupt methods (i.e. bribery). I mentioned our own Supreme Court only to demonstrate that a Court can be corrupt even when the rest of society is not or is trying not to be. |
Anonymous
It's obvious some of you have never watched Zelenskyy's show, "Sluha Narodu" (Servant of the People). It was wildly popular because of its anti-corruption takes, and that is part of what led Zelenskyy to ultimately get elected. The Ukrainian people are sick and tired of corruption, much of which was left over and entrenched from the Soviet legacy. |
Anonymous
I note that you assume that all the protests with which you agree are self-organized, and all the protests with which you disagree must necessarily be plotted by Russia. Our daycare teacher is from Donetsk. She is against the war, of course. But she has zero use for the Ukrainian government from 2014 onwards for the aggressive Ukrainization and complete disregard for any sentiment that disagreed with the party line. When the war started, we expressed concern, and she said that for them, the war started in 2014. |