Dear Alexey,
I deeply resonate with what you’re saying. If yours is indeed the position of Novorussia’s fighters and activists, largely shared by the people, if indeed you stand united behind it, then I will be cheering you on and speaking out in your defense. If you stumble and make mistakes, even terrible ones, I will be sharing your pain and rooting for you to survive, pick yourselves up and get back into the struggle.
However I am writing as an American activist, about patience and responsibility. Revolutionary patience, and revolutionary responsibility.
A revolutionary outlook transforms the color of everything. There is revolutionary anger and revolutionary love, revolutionary principles and revolutionary clarity. There is another vital distinction which those newly caught up in a revolutionary process may not yet know, understand or even see the need for: revolutionary patience.
Revolutionary patience. It has to do with knowing and living in the love of the people, believing in the power of an organized people, knowing that growth and change take time and organization takes work, knowing that processes unfold organically, and trusting that the arrow of history is on our side. Trusting that things are changing beneath a seemingly calm surface and when enough pieces are in place they will burst forth. Being ready to strike hard when the moment is right, but hold back and wait when it’s not. The patience to refuse a gambit, and the humility to play for the team, not to be the star.
Please allow me to share some thoughts on the outcomes of two revolutionary situations from my childhood – Korea and Vietnam – that played out very differently for the countries involved and had very different consequences for the world as well. And the part that revolutionary patience and responsibility – or lack thereof – played in those dramas.
The situation in Ukraine reminds me of Korea in 1950. A people’s government, with roots in the struggle for independence from Japan and protected from the US occupation by the Soviet Red Army, faced off against a brutal puppet government made up of former Japanese collaborators, rich landowners and industrialists and American-trained thugs, propped up by American arms and advisors. A government that ruled by intimidation and death squads, not unlike the one you face in Kiev, at a time of huge flux in world affairs.
On paper South Korea (ROK) had an overwhelming military advantage over the Democratic People’s Republic (DPRK), and they threatened loudly and often to reunite Korea by the sword. The leaders of the DPRK well understood that the ROK’s conscript army had no will to fight, but a small US force in Korea served as a tripwire, which made it the Soviet Union’s business too.
The record shows that Stalin tried hard to talk Kim Il Sung, the DPRK leader and hero of the resistance to Japan, out of a military solution, despite each day’s provocations, each day’s bitter harvest of murdered leaders and activists in the South. Kim is reported to have requested Stalin’s go-ahead some thirty times, with increasing urgency, before the Soviet leadership gave in, or perhaps just resigned themselves to being unable to stop him.
As predicted, the ROK army crumpled and fled in panic before the DPRK troops, who drove the remnants and the American force before them the length of the peninsula and almost into the sea. It was a complete rout – and a complete surprise to the Americans.
The larger result was a historic disaster for Korea. A full scale American invasion and massive bombing campaign utterly leveled North Korea and killed a huge proportion of its population. The DPRK armed forces were nearly wiped out and the DPRK only survived because the Chinese Red Army was provoked into intervening. The seemingly-doomed ROK was restored and lives on to this day under American occupation. 60 years later the DPRK remains under active threat of renewed war and destruction, impoverished by the costs of perpetual mobilization for war.
Geopolitically also, the war was an historic disaster, providing the pretext and narrative for the Cold War, for destroying the anti-imperialist and communist-led workers movements in the US and gravely weakening them in many other countries, for founding NATO, isolating the Socialist Bloc countries and setting in motion preparations for an assault on Russia and China using nuclear weapons – a war that the record shows very nearly happened.
If the leadership of the DPRK had trusted Stalin’s advice, and – bitter and horrifying as the cost might be – patiently supported the struggle of their countrymen in the South without trying to finish it with a military blow, the Cold War might have been much harder to launch and the Korean people might have been spared the much worse nightmare that ensued.
By contrast, the much more patient strategy of North Vietnam, while unable to prevent a war in the South that saw several hundred thousand activists, leaders and former resistance fighters murdered, followed by a devastating American War that killed millions, was able to avert the kind of total destruction visited on North Korea – and “in the fullness of time” they won! Vietnam is one country now, and at peace. But the victory of the people’s forces and liberation struggle in Vietnam was also a world-historic win over the Empire, one whose consequences helped shape what is possible today, nearly 40 years later.
This afternoon, I came upon a man, old before his time, begging for money on an American street corner. He told of being unable to live on his disability pension, and of being denied his veterans benefits because while serving in Vietnam he had been dishonorably discharged. When I asked him what for, he said it was because he tried to shoot his officer, a gung-ho young lieutenant who had gotten two of his buddies killed. He seemed still ashamed or regretful, 40 years later, about having missed.
Troops killing their officers, in the heat of battle or by a platoon agreeing on tossing a fragmentation grenade into their tent (known as “fragging”), was a huge and widespread problem for the US Army in Vietnam. Troops were often incapacitated or uncontrollable due to massive drug use. Refusal to obey orders to attack grew increasingly common. Huge numbers of servicemen’s riots and demonstrations took place inside Vietnam and “Stateside”.
The more patient Vietnamese strategy, though it took over 20 years to final victory, thus dealt a global strategic defeat to the US-led Empire. To this day our Masters of War don’t dare try to raise and field another conscript army, and can only field such armed forces as they can afford to pay cash money for. Which is why, unless they can persuade the American people that their homes are in mortal danger from Russia and ISIS, the collapse of the dollar will be the Empire’s death blow.
Coming back to the present, consider the need for Putin’s Russia to win in it’s challenge to the Empire, the race to collapse the Empire through building a global “de-dollarization alliance” before the Empire can gather the strength to launch a world war. A strategy which leans heavily on the battle of ideas and counts on the support and strivings of billions of people across the world, but also on exploiting and harnessing divisions and conflicts between and within ruling classes. If you see yourself as part of and responsible for the success of that global strategy, this poses a painful choice between taking your opportunities or declining them. As I’m certain it did for Putin in March and April. Decisions and actions taken over the next few weeks, months and years will profoundly shape the range of possible outcomes for the planet, and Ukraine is at the epicenter. There is a huge opportunities in the power vacuum, as the Junta’s forces collapse, for the millions who long to break the hold of the kleptocrats and banksters and unleash a deeply necessary revolution, but of course the Ukraine struggle is, by design, also a potential flashpoint of global disaster.
There is no strong analogy with events and moments in the past that could dictate the right moves for today. But revolutionary patience is a way of being, not a strategy. It is what lets us refuse gambits and protects us from being ruled by our egos. It gives us freedom to be responsible for the larger consequences of what we do.
Trusting the people of Ukraine, continuing to organize and teach at what ever cost and risk, waiting for the time when the unity and force of millions can overwhelm any intervention, may get a better result for Ukraine, Russia and the world. Or maybe the time is now. Revolutionary patience gives us the freedom to look at that question objectively, balancing the promise of grasping “a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large,” against the danger of “the common ruin of the contending classes.”
Please forgive my arrogance in addressing you like this. I write from my heart, from my own very different experiences and without expectations.
Yours in struggle,
C
I feel appalled by this article!
First of all, I think Mozgovoy knows much better than any of us the situation on the ground. He clearly said that they had the initiative and the momentum. Second, look at the map, the task at hand is to liberate the Lugansk and Donetsk republics from nazis – not yet about marching toward Kiev.
Right now the situation is such that the nazis clearly don’t respect the ceasefire, and they have carte blanche by the US-EU-nazis. NAF is losing position, and if NAF starts defending itself then nazis will say that NAF broke the ceasefire and they will be called the aggressor.
Doesn’t the author understand that the revolution in Ukraine is NOW!? If Novorussia doesn’t succeed now then it will be too late and many more people will have to die before Ukraine gets a second chance. The nazi junta has full support by US/EU to violently repress any uprising in the future.
Well wrought article. Proper mix of calm thought and passion for Liberty in this letter.
Best of all, it gives a context for the militia leadership that is sixty years of world history, depicts universal yearning for local control by all people and offers support in behalf of billions of people who join in the same yearning to be free from the Hegemon.
For Putin, it never been Novorussia. It has been the Greater Good.
Best regards,
Mohamed.
@EVERYBODY WHO THINKS THE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT IS A BETRAYAL:
Can’t we have disagreements over how to achieve the common goal? Why this constantly hostile attitude towards those who do not share your analysis of the ceasefire agreement? Do you know why I posted Mozgovoi’s letter even though I *completely* disagree with him? Because I assume that 1) he wants the same thing as I do 2) that he is honest and 3) that he might be right. But why is it that those who agree with him cannot return us (those who do not) the same benefit of the doubt, the same courtesy? Can we not disagree on methods/tactics without assuming that the other person is a troll, an idiot, an ignoramus or a traitor?
Frankly, I am absolutely appalled and deeply disappointed by the tone of those who disagree with those who, like myself, do not believe that this ceasefire agreement is some kind of “Grand Betrayal”. To those of you who believe that it is a major mistake or betrayal I want to say this:
I let you post your comments here and I even posted articles in support of your (Mozgovoi’s/Strelkov’s) position, but I am deeply saddened by your hostile attitude towards those who dare to disagree with your certitudes.
Please remember the words of Augustine of Hippo (who sure had many controversial and even, many would say, mistaken views): In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas which I freely would translate as “unity in the essential, freedom in the debatable, love in everything”.
Kind regards,
The Saker
Time certainly does work against Ukraine. Ukies continue borrowing money to keep their completely bankrupt country going, but soon just the interest payments alone will consume all of the new borrowings.
So waiting looks like a a viable strategy.
Time works against the West in general as well. “Anglo-Saxons” are dying out all over the world, in all Five Eyes countries. This day next year there will be 600 000 less native Europeans alive than there is today. The decline will be accelerating with each passing year. Rapidly aging, neither the EU nor the US will have spare change to support their new, flat out broke Ukie dependency. Germany will be impoverished soon by a cascade of massive future bailouts within the EU. It already said that it won’t raise its military budget as NATO wanted.
From Russia’s POV, all of these developments are a plus. Time works to its advantage. It can afford to wait.
But 20 years???
I don’t think so… Not even a fraction of that.
All Vietnamese resistance would be dead after one Russian winter.
And Ukrainian “jungle” consists of few spaced out crooked trees, offering no protection.
I expect Novorossia’s victory in less than a year.
Mozgovoy is clearly “Power comes out of the muzzle of a gun” kind of guy, and he likes the war. It’s his time. He’ll have the opportunity to adjust later (or maybe he won’t be able to, and die earlier than necessary), but right now Novorossia needs tough, uncompromizing soldiers, so let him do what he wants to do.
“There is a huge opportunities in the power vacuum, as the Junta’s forces collapse…”
What kind of nonsense is this? Stop the fight and wait for “the opportunities in the power vacuum”?
This is unreadable.
Dear Saker,
Thank God for your sanity and sense.
I completely agree with you. People need to calm down. The DPR/LPR have won a decisive military victory and have been saved. Yes the junta will of course abuse the ceasefire but the crisis is over and from now on it is on the strategic defensive.
As an American, I’m on the side of Mozgovoy and Strelkov all the way. However long it takes – Nazis must die – I’m doing everything I can on my end, thanks to Novorussia for being on the vanguard of world revolution, for fighting on behalf of all free people.
C,
This is just simply beautiful. It shines with the wisdom of experience and love. I hope Mosgovoi sees it; all of us here are certainly the better for having read it.
Thank you, most sincerely.
Saker,
Amen. Agreeing to disagree is a skill long since lost among those who’ve swallowed the divisive propaganda here and still think it’s food for thought.
Many struggles fails due to naivity and traitors.
There is a kinda disgusting red line of fishy biz in novorossian political sphere of russian 6th coloumnists.
It reaks of smell of traitors.
But offcourse they _could_ end up doing the right thing.
But its extremly dangerous to not raise voice to something that looks like treason to the novorossian cause.
And much worse, this is in the end about the Russian survival in the long run.
The ukraine kiev gov coup was never about ukraine. It was always about usa attempt to destabilize russia and try to more power against russia and world domination.
As a “dying out” “Anglo-Saxon” I can affirm what Crossvader said. Over 40 years ago, while in the states, both my brother and myself decided not to reproduce. The events of the 1960s had convinced us correctly that we were no longer a free people, that the democracy was a farce. We were ruled via hostile aliens (Brzezinski, Kissinger) doing the bidding of even more mysterious hidden dark powers. We realized that the “happy days” of the “Anglo-Saxon” middle class were behind us and did not wish to bring children up to be slaves. Now officially, more whites die than are born each year in the US. Probably true in all of the 5 eyes nations. There are monsters ruling these lands, but Anglo-Saxons (save the few who are bought and paid for minions) have little part in it other than our resignation and submission.
Excellent letter!
Time is working in favor of the resistance, everywhere; meanwhile civilians should go back to their houses, life should go on, Putin’s plans with China and BRIC countries fortified, military preparedness ready. The year ahead, starting with the referendum in Scotland is full of events, elections in Britain, in Canada and in US. I do not know if you know, but we do have two more moon eclipse in 2015 and big changes are in the air. Let’s see what God is telling us, patiently.
Saker finially find another way to try to convence Moscow had not betray NAF.
The may you try, the more disgusting your product are.
Have you heard every culture, every geo-location, and time, and politics dictates different response?
Putin made a blunder, he can correct it soon, or let it smother, and become a uncontrollable infection, and all those uncomfortable prediction Dugin and others stated will come true in a blink of eye. If you doubt, you can look at how fast everything happen in Ukraine.
I feel sorry for Russians, who even have desire to justify its leader’s error or betrayal of brotherly people.
I feel sorry and afraid for you at same time.
Hear, hear!
Not much to argue with here.
Since moving to the region and spending a lot of time and a heap of formal study I have picked up on some cultural differences. In the West we think with a very short time horizon. Here, quite a lot longer, if not quite up there with the Chinese. That single difference can be confounding to outsiders. It can also seem contradictory when considering behaviour in respect of queues and other forms of short term, enforced waiting.
This writer, one way or another gets it.
For his part, Mozgovoi is also being rational and sensible, but he has the fighter’s perspective of wanting, needing to press home an advantage on the field. How can one argue that he is wrong? From his perspective he is spot on correct.
The problem is though that the issues of Novorossiya and Russia wil be, in the end, solved with talking.
What is war other than a way to convince the other guy to talk? We should respect Mozgovoi and his ilk and find the way to ensure that his role is ended as quickly as possible.
Excellent post regardless of which side you take .I
would also mention Brezinski’s Afghan trap seems remarkably similar .
Dear Saker;
Augustine sounds great, but what does that mean? What does that mean to soldier on the front line, friends and relatives of countless victims, wounded and disabled civilians, or even to us, innocent bystanders who really have no more than emotional links to current mayhem. But even that link is strong enough to know that there can not be unity without truth. Where it is, I do not know yet, and neither do you (though I do suspect).
And going back to Augustine, with due respect, freedom is not debatable. But that, like everything else, is choice for free person to make.
It is stressful to see people who all want the best for Novorossia turning against each other in anger.
Calm, thoughtful solidarity is needed.
Let cool heads prevail, and let’s watch developments and see what this fake ceasefire really means.
This is a good piece, and I agree with C in a general way.
Firstly, it is obvious that the US is trying to provoke a larger war, and to evade that provocation would be wise.
But there is a specific reason that the US wants war now, and that is because as a declining empire it has run out of economic and financial options. Through greed and mismanagement, the American economy is sinking into ruin, and this can not be reversed or even slowed without sacrifice from the American oligarchs who control the US government. But such sacrifice is the opposite of what they will ever do. Thus the fate of the US is sealed.
Part of that fate is war. War as a distraction, war as the final gamble–a throw of the dice.
The nature of the war is what is at stake. That nature is not sealed. Just as time does not favor the US, time does favor the opponents of empire who can persist while maintaining the better part of their position and ground. Thus the need to move slowly and cautiously.
Conversely, the US will look for, and find, a provocation that has to be answered. Indeed by overthrowing the (corrupt but) legally elected government of the Ukraine last spring the US thought they had found such a provocation, but was surprised when the Russians responded both indirectly and effectively, rather than accepting the open war the US had offered. This evasion was excellent and correct implementation of strategy.
This is mainly obvious in retrospect: At the time most people could not see how it could be managed, and were too willing to take the American war-bait.
We are now in a new situation that again is not obvious: The Novorossiyans need to consolidate their recent gains, even as the US tries to roll back those gains. This is a matter of on-the-ground tactics.
The larger context is important but unstable. American propaganda is effective at home, but less so abroad. The US cannot afford to be isolated in its new war, and heroic measures are being taken to drag Europe along. This is the heart of the current difficulties. It is very important not to allow US propaganda any footholds–any supporting facts. Putin knows this, and it is one of the reasons he is always excruciatingly correct.
I would love to be proven wrong, but it looks like Europe is to be destroyed. European governments cannot see their way to correct action, and country by country seem fated to break irrevocably with the people they govern. The result will be economic and political chaos. This will benefit the US in the short run, which why is it is being done. In the long run, not so much, but that is how imperial collapse goes–burning the future to feed the present. The result will be horrible, which is why it is correct strategy to hold the window open for correct action from the European governments as long as possible. And, given that even Finland is complaining about the new US directives, hope is not dead–not yet.
Of course the hoped for contingency is not the likely one, so anticipation of darker outcomes is also needful.
–Gaianne
the pug,
Yes. Especially your last sentence, I think. It’s interesting though, bc people in the middle of all that can pretty much be expected to squabble more intensely about how to achieve their common goals. But we’re out here on the periphery looking at all of it without half the deeper context or detailed knowledge; wouldn’t you think we’d be able to view things through a more dispassionate lens and weigh all the different opinions without having to jump all over something that’s not 100% in agreement with our opinion of what everybody else should be doing?
I think it speaks to a pretty big failure on our part: how do you learn anything if you’re so hermetically-sealed against not just opinion but facts that call your thinking into question?
First, thanks for presenting various sides of arguments. That is not so common these days.
One of the biggest concerns I had about the ceasefire was exactly this: supporters will turn on one another. There is this talk that it will provoke infighting in Kiev, and that seems to have happened. But don’t forget that the price is infighting within the supporters of Novorossiya.
Of course we all want Novorossiya to win, just as the various groups in Kiev want Kiev to win. But the rebel leadership and the Kremlin were naive if they didn’t calculate a lot of dissatisfaction over this. A few articles about how “we need all of the Ukraine” are unlikely to change anyone’s mind.
This whole struggle in the Ukraine has led to a huge psychological experiment, with people reading what they can out of Putin and the Russian establishment. Some see greatness in Putin, and others see a guy trying to straddle the impossible contradictions of Russian oligarchical and geostrategic interests.
Someone could write a book on this projection of our hopes and fears in this case.
Thank you Saker and others for your words of appreciation.
123abc, you wrote: “Doesn’t the author understand that the revolution in Ukraine is NOW!?”
What lies behind your cry of urgency? Do you see revolutions as happening at a particular moment that you can never go back to? Do you really see Putin as yanking away your one best chance to see a revolution?
Or could this be just your fear talking?
Revolutions are processes that occur over time, profound transformations in the way a people organizes its affairs, relationships and thinking, punctuated with moments in which the change becomes formalized and visible.
We are getting many signs and indications that there is a revolutionary process underway in Ukraine. There is no reason to believe it will just stop. It could be drowned in blood, but the ability of the Junta and Nazis to do that is weakening and the people (the mothers anyway) are organizing and losing their fear.
Should the army of Novorussia come to the rescue, Russia be damned, and crush the Junta? Is the matter so urgent that a military attack is needed before it’s too late? History has examples of such moments lost forever, but at least as many where an effort to push the pace of a revolution by military force ended badly.
The first instance of this I learned of, from reading the novel Arundel as a child, was the story of the revolutionary army of New England, led by Benedict Arnold, crossing the Maine wilderness in the dead of winter in 1775 to liberate Quebec. The attempt failed because the Quebecois were not ready. Not because they weren’t deeply angry at the English, but because it wasn’t *their* revolution. It wasn’t their creation, their process.
I’ve been studying on that ever since.
My advice: save your anger for the Nazis and kleptocrats and their imperialist masters. There will be plenty to do and plenty of struggles, and there will be time for it all. You will be needed, and the people of Ukraine are not going to knuckle under or go away.
One love
Chris
Gaianne,
Whew. You made a lot of sense everywhere but that last paragraph Was. A. Chiller. It feels all but inexorable, doesn’t it. And yet how much would it take, really, to change that before it’s too late? Our war propaganda here is horrible and we’re truly hopeless, I fear, but I’d like to think the European public can still be reached, if nothing else by the effects of the food embargo, the Mistral follies, etc. Maybe Marine Le Pen will make a move? Maybe they’ll fall like dominoes after just one move by one state? (And maybe I’m just grasping at straws?) But it doesn’t have to be anything huge to turn this all around; something quite small can snowball and get the job done just as well.
And I’m convinced it won’t be military stuff that ends this, at least not in Ukraine — unless it ends everything. I’m more inclined to say we’ll just bumpety-bump along causing havoc everywhere until we just run out of steam. Then, to the relief of everyone everywhere else on the planet, we’ll just turn on ourselves…
I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t know the political intricacies of the wars in Vietnam and Korea. I’m certainly not familiar with the revolutionary philosophies. That said, this letter made me cringe. My impression of it was like listening to some dopey college student yapping on about things in the ideasphere that have fuck all to do with real life. The only revolutionary writings I’ve ever read are those of the Founders of the United States and they lack all of that pompous wanking. Anyway… This must be the second or third time I’ve seen the DPRK mentioned here, Saker. What am I missing? In what way does Novorossiya REMOTELY resemble the DPRK? Do you or “C” know something I don’t, like North Korea is really a free and wonderful land and all the stuff I’ve ever read about PRISON CAMPS, torture and forced abortion are just propaganda? If not, why in the fuck would North Korea EVER be mentioned in a conversation about the what’s going on in Novorossiya? What’s next, extolling the virtues of Pol Pot or Mao? FFS! Any comparisons to such brutal regimes are an insult.
Chris,
I said nothing about fear, anger or Putin, so please don’t twist my words and please don’t psychoanalyze me. Such ad hominem attacks only weaken your position, you should focus on logic and facts instead.
The first issue is that this is not yet even at the stage of revolution. The population of Donbass has already voted for independence. Their land is occupied. The task at hand is to liberate this land. There is no plans for an attack on Kiev. Are you telling them to ignore the documented will of the people and surrender? The enemy is still at the gates of Donetsk and Lugansk! What revolutionary patience can one possibly talk about in such a configuration?
Second, yes, it will be much harder to remove the nazi junta later. It has support of the US-EU-nazis, it won’t tolerate organized dissent. The mother’s protests mean little in the big picture. The nazi junta will learn to repress all dissent much more effectively than the right sector thugs were ever capable of.
Third, the comparison to things like Korea is completely misplaced! Novorussia has absolutely nothing to do with Korea. If you must draw comparisons, why don’t you instead focus on the successful revolutions? It is NOW that the junta is at its weakest.
Personally I pray to God that the ceasefire is the correct decision even though I DO NOT understand why it is supposed to be the correct decision. So if you must defend the ceasefire then please do so by logic and facts that actually pertain to the situation in Novorussia. Everyone can see that the logic and facts that you have contributed have nothing to do with Novorussia.
I’m torn between seeing how a ceasefire could help to solidify gains in the short term.And how it can be used to give an enemy time to recover and grow stronger.In this case I think we need to know more of what Russia’s intentions are.Do they really want a victorious viable Novorossii.Or are they looking for just a way to return it to Ukrainian rule with the minimum shame for themselves.If the first,then the ceasefire is a good thing.If the second,then for Novorossii its a disaster.I see right now that the junta is moving much equipment and more fresh troops to the north and west of the front lines.And strengthening their defenses at Mariupol.Why,if they plan on making a negotiated settlement would they be doing that.It appears more likely they are preparing a great offensive to crush the life out of Novorossii once and for all.Can our side beat that offensive if it comes.I hope so,but don’t know.And as for a negotiated settlement.What are we talking about there.It looks like the junta only talks of the same “surrender” plan as before.They say no Federalization,let alone Autonomy.They say language rights for Russian in the area.But they are forbidding Russian classes in the occupied Slavyansk area right now.So can we even believe them there.And the area they say they “might” give a de-centralization to,what does it include.All Donetsk and Luhansk or just the areas we hold today.I think they mean the latter.And so what does that mean for Mariupol,which is a surrounded area in a sea of liberated territory.Like Saker said,both for and against the ceasefire are for Novorossii.But they see its needs differently.I think the side on the ground there is the more realistic ones.They see exactly what is happening daily.The attacks,murders,etc.I want the junta to collapse on its own.And I’d like NATO,the EU,and US to see the folly of their ways.But I don’t see that happening.What I do see,is an attack coming soon.And if our side isn’t ready and united to defeat it and push forward.We won’t have a side anymore to worry about.
“and I even posted articles in support of your (Mozgovoi’s/Strelkov’s) position, but I am deeply saddened by your hostile attitude towards those who dare to disagree with your certitudes.”
Hmmm why do you take peoples comment about Zakh,Surkov,Kyrginan and the rest of those oligarchs beeing traitors… As meaning that you or other who dont share this view as beeing traitors?
Are you part of these oligarchs who almost obviously tried to betray novorossia?
If not, then do not stand in front and taking the blame, for something you personally did not do.
(People are not calling you/other who dont share same views as traitors).
People are calling the political sphere with Zakh, Kurgynan, etc for beeing traitors.
Offcourse many may believe that people who do not see whats so blatantly pushed into everyones eyes, as either blind or naive.
Thats peoples people personal opinions. But i see litle off people “attacking” people with diffrent views.
People are pissed off what many recognizes as betrayal in the political sphere, not at everyone else.
@Saker:
I strongly endorse your point of view because I feel that in a political/economic/psy-op/false flag/military quagmire like Ukraine the solution of “we need nothing but hack’n slash right now” most likely is is a very dangerous oversimplification (unclear problems are f. ex. overextension of the small Novorussian army, insufficient population support inside Novorussia, even less population support outside of it etc). And I don’t agree with the comments that start from the assumption that /their solution/ is the only possible one and that everybody who thinks otherwise must either be stupid or a traitor.
Interesting attempt at analogy, but the primary difference is that North Korea and North Vietnamese leaders, and their compatriots in the south of both countries, had a social revolutionary program that was socialist (or communist). This involved the expropriation of the large landowners and capitalists, unity with others struggling against imperialism around the world, a land reform-redistribution program, etc.
What is the social program of the Novorussian leadership? Will the rule of the oligarchs end? Even more, who will rule in Novorussia? Will it be capitalist-based parties of East Ukrainians? Or will the working class take power on their own?
I see no indication the latter is involved.
The reason the Vietnamese suffered, struggled, and in the end won, and that the North Koreas fought the might of the US/UN war machine and their massive slaughter, was that there was something more than mere nationalism at stake. The average worker or peasant KNEW that they were fighting for their own betterment. (One could say the same, by the way, about the Chinese Civil War.)
The workers of Novorussia would reach out to their brothers and sisters in Ukraine to unite with them against their oppressors in Kiev and Moscow. But that is not the political program of the Novorussian leadership, so far as I can see.
Insofar as this struggle is limited to basic defensive nationalist, or even antifascist aims, the fight will be subsumed by the larger capitalist and imperialist forces that seek to manipulate the actors for their own benefit.
Because of the failure to include the issue of the social and economic program in this “revolution,” the “American activists” advice can not be taken in full. It is an analogy that arrives stillborn without the social revolution.