There is audible tension in the air. The live stream from Kievs Euromaiden (literally Euro Square) is filled with war drums, flash bang explosions and fireworks. The drumbeat of the Ukrainian revolution is not performed by rank and file of well-trained troops but by citizens tired of a corrupt leadership. There are elderly women, next to ultra-right nationalists, standing beside leftist anarchists and those in favor of European Union integration. What began peacefully as a protest for greater European Union integration escalated violently when the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, imposed laws that made it illegal to protest, to insult a federal officer, and even to wear helmets in public. These draconian laws have since been repealed (as of January 28th) after the protesters took over several government building by force, yet the protests continue despite the concessions. The people want the president’s resignation for his corruption. Serhiy Lyovochkin, Chief of Staff of the Yanukovych administration, has already resigned but the President continues to deny requests for resignation.
There is a revolution in Ukraine right now and US mainstream media is glutted with sensationalist stories about Beiber’s arrest and the East Coast ‘cold snap’. If any news about Ukraine appears it is a flashing headline that disappears as soon as it came. Is this intentional denial? Do these displays of celebrity cultism over news coverage of this revolution expose deeply rooted denial that a true democracy, such as Ukraine’s, can fail? Thousands of people have barricaded themselves with bags of snow and debris and are standing off against the widely hated ‘Berkut’ police, who are specially trained to suppress internal rebellion. These are people who are in a ‘democratic nation’ but they still must defend their futures.
In a revolution there are never two clear-cut sides. This is especially true in Ukraine. There are those who are against the President and for the President but within those groups there are diverse castes of protesters who all have varying intentions for their activism. The Russian media is painting the protesters as right wing extremists (nationalists and white power advocates) who love violence and hate unity. The European media is sympathetically portraying the protesters as people who want national autonomy and alliance with the EU. Petroleum dollars from Russia are fueling corruption (the president’s brother, who is a dentist, nearly became a billionaire in a few short years). Russia is playing up the far-right nationalist side of things because they have an economic and social interest in the region.
Ultimately, a democracy tired of corruption has risen up against draconian laws that limited people rights to organize and protest, however, the Ukrainian people, tired of Russia imposing influence on Ukrainian affairs, have been protesting since late November.
The media, especially Russian (their aim is to discredit the legitimacy of the protesters) focuses on the throwing of Molotov cocktails, bricks, and fireworks. As in any situation when mob mentality takes over fueled by passion there is violence, but attention must be paid the intentions of said violence. The way the violence is portrayed reveals the interests each nation has in the conflict. The revolution that began in Kiev is an excellent example of intentional biases that border on propaganda. This outburst of violent activism has not been portrayed in its true nature, as the hostility grows from multiple facets, and the protestors each have a diverse agenda with this movement.
It is a diverse cast of people who rebel against the oil wealth corruption that has plagued Ukraine. There is history of division that is still fresh in the minds of the older generations and this informs allegiances. But why should you, an American citizen, care? This revolution does not directly affect your paycheck or your home, but it does affect your future. US citizens cannot continue to consume their prepackaged half-truths in media that caters to their fears. Be critical of what you hear. Too often issues are caught in the crux of bipartisan bickering and sides are artificially drawn. Abuses of humanity cannot be drawn into neat, two-sided conflicts with the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’. Corruption and exploitation should not be rewarded and we, as critical thinkers at an institution of higher learning, should be globally informed because humanitarian issues are not limited to states or nations. We all know of the Occupy movement with its disorderly message and passionate mixed messages. What happened to that momentum? Wall Street continues to be a profitable pyramid scheme, war for resources continues (loosely veiled as ‘spreading democracy’), and the future is devoured to make a quick profit. What does it take for US citizens to raise up against corruption? I am not advocating violence but I ask; what would inspire citizens to raise up and forcibly create change, as the activist did in Ukraine? The glut of media we American’s consume daily is a formative source of information even if unintentionally ingested. Citizens should be aware of how their perceptions of the world are shaped by what they consume. If the mainstream media continues to spout celebrity worship and feed fear then we must inform ourselves and act as informed citizens who are not distracted by artificial lines—we are all humans after all. •
