Ukraine running round my brain—
Woke up this morning in a whole lot of pain
All I want for breakfast is that old Ukraine.
Crawl for my honey & stand with a cane,
Ukraine running hurdles around my brain.
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~~~~from Black Sea ports to the Tartar plain.
Oh, mama, come here quick,
Russia’s in the Ukraine just to make me sick…
One take the east & another take the west
& we’ll see who ends up worst & best.
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running round my brain—
~~~~~~~~~from Black Sea ports to the Tartar plain
Here come Chairman K. & there goes crap,
from there himself, popped Crimea in the Ukraine’s lap.
Mouse in the cupboard, better set a trap,
change all the maps with a finger snap.
~~~~~~Here come your baby, dressed in red.
~~~~~~KGB gonna kill you dead…
Early one morning ‘bout half past 4,
KGB come breaking through my door…
You take Rasputin, I’ll take Mr. Pu–
can’t find much difference between the two
~~~~~~Ukraine running hurdles round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running dashes round my brain—
~~~~~~Ukraine running wild round my brain—
~~~~~~~~~from Black Sea ports to the Tartar plain
~~~~~~~~~~~from “Ukraine running whirlpools down my drain,” by Mucky Waters
Mucky Waters aside, there’s plenty of water muddying & muck throwing to go around. On the one hand, arguments that ignore the historical relationships ring rather hollow, & as do claims of illegitimacy based on the fact that a constitution largely in abeyance requires acquiescence of other regions for secession. In the current context, with a defacto government following the former head’s skedaddling, legitimacy itself is a slippery concept, particularly when put against the principle of self-determination in a situation so fundamentally unstable.
On the other hand, there’s no denying the hypocrisy of the Russian muscle-flexing, however relatively judo-esque in its achievement, so far avoiding most more violent tactics. However reasonably reversible Chairman K’s shift in Crimean administrative affiliation might well be, the 1994 treaty guaranteeing Ukrainian security & the integrity of its borders (in return for giving up its nukes, etc.) seems less so, particularly without negotiations. To act either unilaterally or even just in cahoots with a regional majority on the basis of that majority’s inherent right to self-determination conjures the heights of Mount Hypocrisy itself. Russians presumably feel the self-determination of Chechens is another matter, analogous to how the Chinese feel about Tibet. A vote may take place, but only when the demographics support the required outcome.
It turns out that self-determination by majority requires certain characteristics for validity. Among these are respect for the fundamental rights of minorities & for larger geo-political agreements legitimately entered. These may indeed be changed from time to time, adjusting to conditions with or without the tremors of shifting plates, but preferably on the basis of reason & negotiation, not simply on the basis of power to do so. The right of self-determination disappears when it is used as an excuse for preventing the self-determination of others, as may be considered the case with respect to the American Confederacy.
On the other hand, the Union didn’t offer most indigenous populations much of a viable self-determination option when territories were absorbed & they were in turn geo-politically restricted. Nor did the United States forego the opportunity to re-affiliate New Mexico, Arizona & California, or hold up its annexation for the result of a vote. Not that any of these, given a free referendum, would vote now to re-affiliate with Mexico, or Mexico with Spain for that matter. Empires are inherently friable & porous, particularly in administrative organization. Cultural streams are less defined & more persistent, or to reverse the metaphor, are like vegetation with deeper roots.
A modern principle of self-determination must start with a set of individual rights, which communities are bound to protect as a fundamental basis for their own legitimacy in organization & administration. An entity, whatever its claim to legitimacy, loses that legitimacy to the extent it fails to protect the rights of all its individual constituents. Where that loss becomes egregious, some larger organizational entity constituted to encourage compliance with such rights has a responsibility to weigh in, not necessarily by military means, which must involve many further calculations. Not even the Dalai Lama wants American air power to try bombing the Chinese out of Tibet, let alone the Russians out of the Crimea.
The fact is on the ground that many territories have multiple lineages in their current populations, speaking different languages, with diverse traditions, alliances, contractual relationships, affiliations, preferences, political parties & other agencies of influence, sometimes at odds with each other &/or in various forms of competition. The Russian grab-back of the Crimea, no matter how well executed & arguably justified, deserves push-back even so, though in this case not roll-back. On the other, such push-back shouldn’t just hurt everyone “to make a point.” One point may be that the Crimea is not eastern Europe circa 1968, nor Hungary in the 1950s, nor the Baltics, nor Poland.
It is far from Russian self-interest to invigorate an eastern self-defense focus in the NATO alliance, just as it is far from general interest to feel a need to. It will go on seeming too much like the work of the old bully unless they at least give the Ukranians back some of their own fleet.