While the world's been preoccupied with desperately trying to discredit the Crimean referendum, another coastal European region was also voting on independence. Between 16 and 21 March, citizens of the Italian region of Veneto, which surrounds the historic city of Venice, voted in a plebiscite on whether to break from Rome and once again become an independent state. While non-binding, pro-independence leaders, including the region's President, stated before the referendum that if Venetians indicated support for independence, they would take steps to move forward with implementing it, regardless of Rome's response.
Well, the results are in, and 89% of ballots cast favored independence. That's quite a wide margin: almost as wide as Crimea's. Clearly the voting was rigged, right? Clearly people were being forced to vote at gunpoint, right? Right, guys? No, alas, Venetian independence doesn't threaten Western hegemony over Europe, and so no one gives a shit. CBC, Canada's national broadcaster, has not made a single mention of Venice's referendum in the past weeks. While I'm not one to watch the filth that American cable likes to call news, a quick search of CNN's website also returned no relevant results. Al Jazeera had one very small report on the vote, but has not even bothered to report the results.
The takeaway: the only reason most Westerners even know there was a referendum in Crimea is because their governments and news media sought to discredit it to demonize the actions of Russia. If there wasn't such a big push to make Americans afraid their country's no longer the global superpower it thought it was, I doubt Crimea'd get so much as a ticker-tape mention.
but mvp, the u.s. government has to distract/remind the american people that there are big bad nations out there like russia who are so much worse than the u.s. to justify their own illegal actions... like spying on their own citizens for instance.
Or it could be because another country invaded Crimea before the election and refused to allow international observers in, took over foreign military bases, and brutally beat dissenters. That might have something to do with it. Also, you even mentioned that Al Jazeera hardly mentioned it; clearly it's not "Hurr American media isn't paying attention", but it's something that doesn't warrant the attention of international news agencies. Did you know Transnistria voted to be annexed by Russia this week and hasn't been permitted into Russia yet? Did you know there's an active secession movement in Oregon? Did you know Siskiyou County voted to form a new state out of California last year?
Congratulations, you can read the news. /claps for you being able to read one word after another. Here's your ribbon for reading the news.
You're trying too hard to defend Russia. When they/their Crimean strongmen stop beating journalists, evicting Tatars, and assaulting pro Ukrainians with bricks, sometime after they stop taking over Ukrainian navy vessels at gunpoint and/or shooting Ukrainian soldiers to death, you might have a point. Until then, stop with the AMERIKKKA IS EVIL!!! crap. I'm just about as far-left as they come, and I tend to be extremely critical of the US government. However, Crimea isn't an example of America being in the wrong. It's legitimately the entire world (except Syria and North Korea) saying that Russia should respect Ukraine's boundaries and allow for fair elections
Evicting the tatars eh, you must be in a time machine because that was Stalin's thing.... seventy years ago. Keep blaming modern russia for that injustice though. By that logic you probably still think descendants of the japanese imperialist army are raping nanking as we speak.
Yes, the crimeans who voted for independence are so repressed by the Russians that instead of fighting the russian occupying army they are fighting alongside them against the Ukrainians. But they want to be part of ukraine right? oh... wait...
Actually you should look at nations like Argentina, who has been designated by the u.s. as a "Major Non-NATO Ally" for two decades, who is siding with russia too. But keep believing it's just Syria and North Korea buddy.
Edited by Rogal 'trouble' Dorn, 23 March 2014 - 04:21 AM.
