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> Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 12:32
AM
> Subject: [KDN] ANTIWAR: Belarus: Oasis In The Heart Of Europe > > > > http://www.antiwar.com/nagle/pf/p-n012601.html > > > > ANTIWAR, Friday, January 26, 2001 > > > > At The End of History > > by Chad Nagle > > Antiwar.com > > > > Belarus: Oasis In The Heart Of Europe > > > > The independent "Nasha svaboda" on 12 January published a "medical > > conclusion" by Belorussian psychiatrist Dzmitry Shchyhelski stating that > > Belorussian President Lukashenka is suffering from a "moderately > > pronounced psychopathy with the prevalence of traits of a paranoid and > > distractive personality disorder.". Shchyhelski, who is currently on a > > trip in the U.S., told RFE/RL's Belorussian Service that since 1996 > > doctors in virtually all psychiatric clinics in Belarus have been > > discussing symptoms of Lukashenka's psychopathic "deviations." > > > > ~ Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline 15 January 2001 > > > > [Lukashenka] has.amassed near absolute powers, permitting little dissent > > or private enterprise. He openly admires Hitler and has said that > > Belorussians want him to bring back a Stalinist state. > > > > ~ "A Dictator in Belarus" (Editorial) International Herald Tribune, 3 > > November 2000 > > > > In a state where the president has amassed "near absolute powers," > > doctors in nuthouses all across the country are chatting endlessly about > > their chief executive's sanity. I had no idea this sort of thing > > happened under Stalin or any other tyrannical despot. I guess I'm going > > to have to go back into my history books. There must be a case somewhere > > of a Soviet shrink libeling Stalin in a nationwide newspaper and then > > being allowed to jet off to America to spread the news. Now, if I can > > only find it. > > > > DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE > > > > Speaking from experience, Belarus is a refreshing change for someone > > who's traveled extensively in the old Evil Empire. The streets of the > > cities are clean and peaceful, the stores are full of inexpensive goods, > > and the only beggars visible are small handfuls of gypsies and other > > nomads outside the churches (a common feature throughout central > > Europe). The Mafia omnipresence of other ex-Soviet capitals is > > strikingly absent, and the people still seem to have a spring in their > > step - an air of dignity as they go about their day-to-day affairs. > > > > An American would never know this from reading the mainstream press, > > which has loyally toed the New World Order's PC line for twelve years. > > It's easy, safe, and probably fun for the "experts" to perpetuate the > > demonization of Belarus, evidently because America needs enemies, and - > > as Hitler said - people are more likely to believe a big lie than a > > small one. > > > > Editorials like the IHT's catch the average American eye, but who's > > going to refute the content? Whenever Imperial America's opinion-makers > > go anywhere, all they do is stay in Western hotels, keep lesser mortals > > at a distance, and attend triumphalist conferences where they're told > > what they want to hear. Non-opinion-making Americans swallow the line > > with hook and sinker attached while they vacation in Florida and leave > > Belorussian reality in the hands of government mediocrities, NGO > > hirelings, and stringer journalists desperate to get in print. So what > > if NATO ally Poland has called for Kosovo-style bombing of peaceful > > neighbor Belarus? I'm all right, Jack, and those places are a long way > > from home. Besides, where exactly is Belarus anyway? > > > > Even Westerners who do see that swathes of international reporting are > > essentially lies nevertheless accept other reports - from the same news > > agencies - as basically true. If someone were to point out that > > Lukashenka visited Belgrade during NATO's bombing to show solidarity > > with the Serbs, many who opposed the war would likely respond: "Yeah, > > but he's a Communist" (the Belorussian Red Cross also sent Serbia > > several truckloads of humanitarian aid, which was held up by our trusty > > allies the Hungarians). And many would "tsk-tsk" reports that Lukashenka > > was a "dictator" or hadn't enacted "necessary reforms." > > > > Oh, before I get accused of being a latter-day George Bernard Shaw or > > other Stalinist fellow traveler, let's remember that no one has made a > > serious accusation that Lukashenka is operating gulags in Belarus, not > > even the lying Western media - not yet anyway. However, I would like to > > take this opportunity to accuse the Americans and other Westerners > > who've been to Belarus and reported on the "repressive" regime there of > > something else: Leninism - of viewing Belarus through the kind of warped > > spectacles that Bolsheviks Leon Trotsky and Nikolai Bukharin wore when > > they came to New York in 1916-17 and condemned early 20th-century > > America as evil. Like Trotsky and Bukharin, you see only what your > > "scientific" (i.e., "politically correct") ideology allows you to see. > > In your Western compulsion to find the "enemy" on whose face you can > > hatefully stamp forever, you conveniently fail to notice that in a > > country of 10 million people, supposedly without freedom of press, there > > are literally hundreds of newspapers - including several opposition > > ones. Then again, maybe you're afraid that telling the world the truth > > would cost you spineless hacks your miserable jobs. > > > > KILL A COMMIE FOR MOMMY > > > > Fifteen years or so ago, my attitude toward Communism and Communists was > > similar to that of Generalissimo Francisco Franco (1892-1975) of Spain. > > Franco used to blame all the world's problems on Communists and > > freemasons. Although I never thought much about freemasons back then, I > > now think the Caudillo may have had a point about them. But these days I > > bristle when I hear certain Americans say the word "Communist." Ten > > years after the end of the USSR, many posturing American armchair > > geopoliticians are still reflexively bleating about "CAH-mmunism" > > without any meaningful understanding of what they're talking about. > > > > What does it mean to describe Lukashenka as a Communist? Is he a Marxist > > ideologue? No. Is he a member of a Communist party? No. (There are two > > Communist parties in Belarus - the Party of Belorussian Communists and > > the Communist Party of Belarus - one of which is in opposition to > > Lukashenka.) Was he ever a member of a Communist party? Well, yes, but > > former Soviet Communist Party (CPSU) members describe him as having been > > a "corporal" in the apparatus. In fact, Lukashenka's "reformist" > > opponents - so loved by America - were a lot higher up in the Party than > > Lukashenka was. Ex-Speaker Semyon Sharetsky was reportedly the youngest > > person ever to receive the Order of Lenin. So it looks like "Communist" > > is simply a convenient catchword the West can use to label certain > > foreign politicians it doesn't like, and Lukashenka fits the bill. > > > > The same goes for terms like "dictator" and "tyrant." Even though > > Lukashenka was elected president fair and square in 1994 - and not even > > the propagandistic Western press disputes that he won over 80% of the > > vote in the second round - he is a "dictator." Why? Because he hasn't > > "reformed." Because he hasn't "privatized." Because he's used his > > constitutional powers - increased under a 1996 referendum - to keep the > > economy out of the hands of the Mafia and foreign vultures. Because by > > Western definitions, Belarus's government isn't "transparent" - i.e., > > not wide open to corruption and control by foreign interests (even > > "Transparency International" - one of US "philanthropist" George Soros's > > NGOs - had to admit that Belarus was probably the least corrupt country > > in the CIS). > > > > Is there private enterprise in Belarus? Plenty of it. It just isn't as > > "diverse" as in the more "reformed" republics. Racketeering, for > > example, isn't a major service industry. In short, thanks to Lukashenka, > > Belarus still manages to function more or less intact, because unlike in > > other ex-Soviet republics, the bottom hasn't fallen out of the economy > > and the spirits of ordinary working people haven't been completely > > crushed. These are things for which America and the West cannot forgive > > Lukashenka. But perhaps the worst of all his sins - his most grievous > > transgression - he's popular. We really hate that. > > > > LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE COMMON MAN > > > > Lukashenka doesn't belong to any party. He opposed the breakup of the > > Soviet Union just like the vast majority of the USSR's ordinary people, > > whose living standards plummeted in the decade after 1991. The West was > > quick to make good buddies out of the grotesque old elite when the > > Soviet Union was disintegrating, while it utterly ignored the plight of > > common people. And in a classic case of Western "doublespeak," it did it > > all in the name of "democracy." With plenty of help from us, the > > nomenklatura - the Communist Party elite - went from living high on the > > hog to living high on the hog. During the Cold War, some of us naively > > believed that our brave leaders understood a basic truth: that the Party > > nomenklatura were the real enemies of freedom. But it's them that > > America and the West have rewarded across the former Eastern Bloc. We > > gave them that helping hand and the pat on the back they needed to make > > the ultra-smooth transition to the nomenklatura of the New World Order. > > Their republics were left languishing in political and economic > > depression. > > > > But Lukashenka is a different story. Lukashenka embarrasses Western > > leaders because he's what the old aristocracy would have called a > > "peasant." He used to manage a collective farm and play professional ice > > hockey. He enjoys kicking a soccer ball around with fellow countrymen on > > occasion, and he talks about the price of bread, meat and milk when he's > > on TV. For standing up for common folk in Belarus, the West has > > pilloried him relentlessly. And it figures, really. The sordid, elitist > > likes of Madeleine Albright would much rather shake the manicured hand > > of a former Soviet Politburo member than the big proletarian mitt of > > Alexander Lukashenka. Maybe the Belarusian Leader should feel relieved > > he never had to interact personally with that little gem of Americana on > > a regular basis. > > > > PARADE OF THUGS > > > > On the day before the Belorussian parliamentary election on October > > 15th, a crowd gathered outside the Academy of Sciences to protest > > Lukashenka's tyrannical rule. The mass looked about 2,000 maximum, > > although an absurd Western news report I saw put the number at 10,000. > > This was the "opposition" boycotting the election (as opposed to the > > opposition taking part), and the West had advised these boycotters not > > to participate. One can only guess at the "incentive" provided, but the > > fact that the Belorussian Helsinki Committee had split apart in a > > squalid quarrel over the division of Western money was certainly > > illustrative. > > > > The "Stalinist" regime had allowed the demonstrators to assemble, wave > > red-and-white flags, give droning speeches, and play distorted, folksy > > pop music through large speaker systems. A lot of Western officials > > appeared at the rally, including some with Organization for Security and > > Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) armbands. A guy in a Timberland jacket who > > bore a distinct resemblance to Lee Harvey Oswald showed up defiantly > > wearing an anti-Lukashenka sticker on his sleeve. His eyes became > > increasingly fiery, mean-spirited and full of zeal despite the > > lackluster display. Go, Lee Harvey! I had a feeling he might be from the > > American Embassy and I wanted to ask him whether foreign service > > regulations allowed him to participate in a political demonstration in a > > foreign country. But he was probably the kind of "principled rebel" to > > flaunt such unprincipled laws. > > > > At last, the paymasters showed up. Several Western ambassadors and NGO > > chiefs arrived in their limos and shivered as they listened to appointed > > rally participants explain what was happening. They looked a little > > disappointed. The crowd was sparse and unfocused. It looked like all the > > expensive signs, sweatshirts, banners and stickers had gone to waste. > > > > Eventually, a spokesman for the boycotters announced through his speaker > > system that there had been a change in plan! The demonstration would > > proceed through the city to the opera house in violation of the > > government permit. O valiant rebels! Slowly, the motley mass of 2,000 > > moved together and prepared to proceed. As they spilled into the street, > > the wing mirror of a slowly passing car grazed one of the heroes. Though > > he was unhurt and had clearly stepped into the oncoming traffic, the > > outrage could not go unpunished. As the driver slowed to a halt to make > > sure there was no injury, a brave comrade stepped forward to smash one > > of the windows with his megaphone. The demonstration was off to a fine > > start. > > > > I followed the revolutionaries to their final destination at the opera > > house, walking along the sidewalk on the same path the Western > > ambassadors took. A man I think was the Italian ambassador walked ahead > > of me, grinning smugly as he showed his solidarity with what Western > > money had managed to buy. It wasn't much, frankly. Half the crowd were > > male, skinhead-type youths singing soccer hooligan chants as they > > trudged drunkenly down the main drag. I noticed that almost all these > > brave skinhead warriors wore bandannas across their faces to avoid > > recognition. Hard currency would evidently buy them for an afternoon of > > chanting and carrying signs, but couldn't quite get them to reveal their > > identities before the Belorussian public (even though that public > > supposedly supported them wholeheartedly). "Milosevic Today, Luka > > Tomorrow," many of the placards said in English. Were these > > English-language signs meant for the consumption of Belorussians? Oh, > > but I forgot. Western media were there, and the right camera-angles > > could make this look like a "Revolution." > > > > By the time the procession had made it three or four blocks, the street > > became so deserted you would have thought the city had been evacuated. A > > few old people crept out onto their balconies to have a look at what was > > making so much noise on a Saturday afternoon. One gentleman - who looked > > about retirement age - signaled to the demonstrators with a European > > gesture from very high up. He placed his left hand on his right arm just > > above the elbow and raised his forearm. I could only guess at what he > > was trying to say. > > > > Where were all the police? Wasn't this supposed to be a vicious police > > state? The demonstrators had defied their permit and marched loudly > > through the center of the city, diverting traffic and causing a > > disturbance. Yet the entire time I saw only two police officers who > > disappeared after a few minutes. Maybe this bold, dwindling crowd of > > fighters - about a third of which was made up of children - had simply > > frightened the police back into their lairs. In any case, the masked > > skinhead hooligans (the future "Otpor" of Belarus) were clearly spoiling > > for a fight, so it seemed strange that the psychopathic tyrant wasn't > > going to give them one. > > > > THE OSCE DOG-AND-PONY SHOW > > > > Our Group was among a small handful of Westerners to actually observe > > the poll. The usual Western election-monitoring organizations would not > > be observing because - in their infinite wisdom - they already knew the > > election would be unfair. Instead, the OSCE, Council of Europe, and > > European Parliament each sent a representative from their "parliamentary > > assemblies" (groups of parliamentarians from the member states), making > > up a "Troika" - or triumvirate. The day after the election, the Troika > > would present its official report of what it hadn't observed. > > > > Up to then, I had observed three instances of "national" votes in the > > ex-USSR: parliamentary elections in Armenia and Georgia in May and > > October 1999, and a national referendum in Ukraine in April 2000. It may > > not be saying much that the election in Belarus was head and shoulders > > above these other plebiscites, but it was. The polling stations were > > peaceful and clean and the usual intimidating figures weren't hanging > > around all over the place. And the government didn't try to claim that > > almost the entire population had turned out to vote, as in the Ukrainian > > referendum where you could practically hear the wind whistling through > > the voting booths. But the snooty Troika organizations didn't need to > > see for themselves. They already knew the election was no good. > > > > Amid the hooting and hollering of the audience of observers at the > > Troika press conference, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Adrian > > Severin - hands gesticulating outward in wimpy karate-chop motion during > > his Latin-accented speech - told the audience: "BE-LA-RUS needs Europe, > > and Europe needs BE-LA-RUS." Severin had of course attended the > > boycotters' demonstration, at which the splendid demonstrators had > > carried a big European Union flag at the front of the procession. > > Severin was sorry so many in the audience were unhappy about the > > Troika's conclusions, but said they would "have to live with it." > > > > Interestingly, Severin had been a minister in the government of Ion > > Iliescu of Romania in 1990, and had publicly thanked Romanian miners for > > agreeing to come into Bucharest - at the government's invitation - to > > put down a peaceful demonstration using picks and shovels. Several of > > the demonstrators were killed in the incident. What were they > > demonstrating for? AN ELECTION BOYCOTT! Here was a man eminently > > qualified to decide on the level of democracy and the rule of law in > > Belarus! > > > > And then there was Hans Georg Wieck, the silver-haired German who headed > > up the OSCE's "Advisory and Monitoring Group" in Minsk. Not long after > > the election, Lukashenka publicly stated that he wanted the OSCE mission > > out of Belarus and accused Wieck of being a "German spy." Western press > > agencies used this as evidence that Lukashenka was a paranoid Stalinist > > but - oddly - Reuters, AP, and the others failed to mention that Wieck > > had been chief of the German Secret Services (Bundesnachrichtendient). > > Again, the West could be truly proud that such a distinguished figure > > was pronouncing judgment on Belarus's progress in the area of democracy > > and the rule of law. When a Gaullist member of the European Parliament > > stood up to accuse the Troika of lies and of having prepared its report > > several days before the election, Mr. Wieck showed his true colors. > > "SILENCE!" he screamed. "Vee vill only accept kvestions from > > churnalists!" > > > > ANOTHER "REVOLUTION"? > > > > A few days after the election, Lukashenka apologized to the inhabitants > > of Minsk for the disturbance of October 14th, promising it wouldn't > > happen again. He gave a televised press conference and answered several > > questions, but was most emphatic about one thing: what had happened in > > Serbia on October 5th would not happen in Belarus. > > > > This was probably a safe bet, even with Western agents trying to stir up > > trouble under his nose. Belarus is an ethnically homogenous country with > > no armed conflicts on its territory, and it's a lot closer to Russia > > than Yugoslavia both geographically and ethnically. More than any other > > ex-Soviet republic, Belarus resembles a Russian province. US efforts to > > foment a something like the Belgrade "Revolution" of October 2000 would > > probably be in vain. But that doesn't mean Lukashenka can rest easy. > > > > First of all, Russian President Putin has been halfhearted in his > > commitments to Lukashenka. He may appreciate Lukashenka's constant > > attempts to consolidate the Russia-Belarus Union, but would probably > > rather have one of his own cronies in Minsk instead of Lukashenka, who > > is very likely more popular among ordinary Russians than Putin himself. > > > > The West, meanwhile, is probably attempting to purchase officials within > > the Belorussian security services. America can't lead by example, it > > seems, so we have to do it by skullduggery. Since the US has only one > > way to obtain loyalty any more - by dangling dollars in the faces of > > foreign politicians - Washington will try to put plenty of American > > money in the "right" hands in preparation for "cutting the head off" the > > Belorussian political system and proceeding with "reform." Reform means > > "privatizing" Belorussian industry - essentially shutting down > > enterprises so they can't compete. Once we've turned the country into an > > economic sinkhole, the popular will - and therefore any political > > challenge - will be neutralized, because the mass of ordinary people > > will have been brought to its knees. Once we have a "modernizing elite" > > on our payroll with plenty of experience in crushing dissent, broken > > spirits will stay broken while we sing about the triumph of democracy. > > It's a tried and tested formula that's worked for us everywhere else in > > the ex-USSR. > > > > It will be interesting to see how Lukashenka fares in the face of > > Western attacks in coming months. The persecution is sure to intensify > > under Bush, whose National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice - in an > > attempt to look authoritative, decisive and statesmanlike - has already > > adopted a Brzezinski-like stance with regard to Russia. Frankly, I'm not > > convinced that Rice has a good grasp of world affairs, but you can bet > > the likes of Adrian Severin and other Europhiles will be. Their salaries > > depend on it. > > > > AN AMERICAN LEFT OUT IN THE COLD > > > > As I was leaving Belarus, the new envoy of the Hegemon - US Ambassador > > Michael Kozak - arrived. I watched as he and his wife waltzed into the > > airport terminal to meet the Embassy's welcoming committee. Lee Harvey > > was there, as well as a slightly manly female US Army officer. Everybody > > pumped each other up. What heroes - so brave to be in Belarus to advance > > democracy, privatization, and reform. > > > > For some reason, at the time of this writing, Lukashenka still hasn't > > found time to accept Kozak's diplomatic credentials. Maybe it has to do > > with the greaser Kozak heavily criticizing Belarus before he'd even > > arrived, describing it as "worse than Cuba." Very diplomatic. Anyway, > > Bush will almost certainly keep the Clinton appointee (who worked for > > Bush's father in Panama) in order to give "continuity" to American > > policy in Belarus. After all, George W. Bush - our Leader - is a > > "uniter, not a divider." > > > > The next test for Lukashenka will come in the presidential election > > later this year. Interestingly, His Excellency Kozak threw a party at > > the US Embassy in Minsk on November 8th, 2000, to celebrate America's > > great democratic electoral achievements. Part of his speech went like > > this: > > > > As we have told the authorities of Belarus, if elections are conducted > > in accord with . universal principles as defined more precisely by the > > Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe this past spring .and > > if the resulting government continues to respect the rights of minority > > parties thereafter .we will deal with the resulting government as the > > legitimately elected representatives of the Belorussian people. This is > > the way to end the impasse that has existed for the last few years, and > > the way to bring Belarus into the democratic mainstream of the rest of > > Europe. I hope that next year we will be together again to watch the > > results of another free and democratic election - the election of the > > President of Belarus. > > > > Of course, when he said "another free and democratic election," he was a > > priori pronouncing the US presidential election a model of electoral > > procedure to be emulated throughout the world. And what a model it > > turned out to be! We sure know how to lecture other countries, but don't > > you dare criticize how we run our own show. I know I can't speak for > > other Americans, but give me a choice between Minsk on polling day and > > Palm Beach, Florida during a Jesse Jackson rally, and this citizen of > > the Republic will be in Belarus quicker than you can say "Alexander > > Lukashenka." > > > > So, with that, all that's left for this writer to say is: "Hang in > > there, Lukashenka - and watch your back." > > > > > |
