{"id":2168,"date":"2014-03-06T16:40:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-07T00:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/?p=2168"},"modified":"2014-03-06T17:42:04","modified_gmt":"2014-03-07T01:42:04","slug":"this-may-seem-like-heresy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/2014\/03\/06\/this-may-seem-like-heresy\/","title":{"rendered":"this may seem like heresy"},"content":{"rendered":"
But why are we concerned about Crimea?<\/p>\n
I get that it\u2019s Russia, and by default we should be anti-Russky. I get that it\u2019s Putin and he gives us all the creeps. I get that guns are involved and that means, you know, IT CAN\u2019T BE RIGHT!<\/p>\n
But here are some facts: Crimea, a strategic location, has been fought over for centuries. It was under Russian control from before the Crimean War (1853-1856) until 1954. In 1954, Nikita Kruschev, a Ukrainian, handed it over to the Ukraine when it was all a part of the USSR. After the breakup of the USSR, the region remained part of the Ukraine but in a sort of quasi-separate state, having its own parliament, etc.<\/p>\n
The population is majority Russian. The Russians in Crimea have been calling for reunion with Russia for some time.<\/p>\n
I realize that Russia makes everyone nervous and we think that expansion into the Crimea could mean aggression and expansion by Russia into other regions. That wouldn\u2019t be good.<\/p>\n
But\u2026 what are we going to do about it? If the West went to war with Russia over this move, it would mean World War III, literally. That just isn\u2019t going to happen.<\/p>\n
Yeah, we can adopt \u201ceconomic sanctions\u201d \u2026 but Europe is heavily dependent on Russian oil and other trade. I doubt that spigot will get turned off.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is that we may not like Putin or his moves, but he is in a strong position here. I think regardless of Western opinion, if Putin wants Crimea, he will get Crimea. End of story.<\/p>\n
And I\u2019m not entirely sure that a case can\u2019t be made that Russia should <\/em>have Crimea.<\/p>\n Just my opinion \u2013 I am offering to pool my ignorance with the rest of the world on this!<\/p>\n A few links and quotes that bolster my points above:<\/p>\n From Wikipedia<\/a>: According to 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Crimea was 2,033,700.[78] The ethnic makeup comprised the following self-reported groups: Russians: 58.32%; Ukrainians: 24.32%; Crimean Tatars: 12.1%; Belarusians: 1.44%; Tatars: 0.54%; Armenians: 0.43%; Jews: 0.22%, Greeks: 0.15% and others.<\/em><\/p>\n