Hello, Prof. Marples,
Regarding your Journal piece, which I read in the latest Action Ukraine Report, I would not exactly agree that “order”, selected from the list “order, democracy, freedom, or liberalism”, is necessarily indicative of a desire for authoritarian rule. Given the historically perverted as well as recent negative connotations of demokratiia, and the relative unfamiliarity of Ukrainians with the social implications of the other two concepts, poriadok is a perfectly reasonable desire. The most successful slogan during the Orange Revolution was bandytam – tiurmu! That is what Ukrainians really want: the order that results from enforcement of the rule of law—which is in fact the hallmark of Western-style and Western-leaning democracy.
Z povahoiu,
Ksenia Maryniak
Production Editor
Northern Hunter-Gatherers Research Series (CCI Press)
Baikal Archaeology Project, Dept. of Anthropology
Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton
Fully agree with Ksenia’s comment! However, interestingly enough, the last slogan “Bandytam – tiurmy!” still remains to be seen in action!
Many supporters of the Orange Revolution were totally disillusioned with Yushchenko’s inability to persecute criminal elements, which were deeply embedded in Ukrainian government structures…
Vlodko Boychuk
Ukrainian Bilingual Teacher
Jean Vaneir Catholic School
Sherwood Park, Alberta
What Ukrainians really want nobody knows because in reality nobody showed to Ukrainians what is the choice. Majority of Ukrainians are still behind the Iron Curtain with no English lng knowledge, cross-translated through Russian agencies news, etc. Mr. president Yushchenko is a sweet personality. but bad communicator and very conservative. Even his bodies can’t show up what is real choice, what is EU or North America. So, don’t ask What Ukrainians Want before giving the choice of answer to average Ukrainian.