Category: Commentary, Critique, and Response

http://disq.us/8sjytpLeopold • a day ago

Ukraine has become synonymous with corruption. But what has been overlooked are the extraordinary difficulties and circumstances that have caused and reinforced corruption over the 25 years of its independence. What has also been overlooked are the remarkable dual revolutions in which ordinary Ukrainians participated – by the millions – to free themselves from corrupt bureaucracies and oligarchs.

Unlike its East European neighbors who enjoyed western mentoring and investments almost from the very first days of their independence, and EU membership within a decade thereafter, Ukraine had very little support in that regard. Its pro-Russian and pro Soviet east and south weighed like an albatross around its neck. Its patience with, and tolerance for, the full bloody lot of ex-Soviet officials and bureaucrats (many of whom did not even identify strongly with Ukraine) simply left these earlier blood-suckers in place to exploit the lawless post-Soviet environment. Its huge legacy burden of entitlements, pensions, Chornobyl, massively wasteful energy systems, etc. were hurdles that very few nations had to endure. Yet, Ukraine endured and even took on Russia while laying the foundations for a lawful and civil society.

When we look across to Greece or Italy or Spain we find countries that have had every opportunity to develop good governance and sound economies…..instead they are wracked with corruption and crushing debt. We can look across to Latin America where almost every country is an economic basket case (except Pinochet’s Chile) and riddled with oligarchs, corruption, and social injustice. We can look towards such states as California and Illinois or cities such as Detroit and New York that are subsisting on subsidies and are so deeply soaked in corruption that it is hard to even decide on where to start cleaning up.

There never is any justification for corruption and abuse. And I am not excusing Ukraine. But everything has to be considered in context, and there are very few countries whose people have stood for months in freezing cold and suffered deadly battles with their own security forces to ensure a better and more just society for themselves and their children. There are very few countries that have started the long and difficult process of cleaning out their stables (and have made great strides in the course of the year) while fighting a war against a superpower.

The U.S. is doing the right thing in recognizing that Ukraine has already “fundamentally transformed” itself and is on the path to national greatness. It would do well for other Ukrainians to lend a hand to Ukrainians (as Canada and Poland have consistently done) because its friendship and good will may mean a great deal more to their future than Russia’s cheap baubles and bangles.