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writing for godot

Trade Battles Revisited

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Written by Jaron Pearlman   
Saturday, 19 April 2014 09:47
As it has always been, war and revolution are scarcely addressed to the public in honest terms. Governments serve to paint a picture of an ultimate good and evil in these situations, totally ignoring the obvious (yet intricate) nature of why such conflicts arise. What is covered by mainstream media is little more than distraction- coupled with biased propaganda to glorify the actions of some nations while demonizing others.
At the center of these military standoffs, wars, and revolutions are economic interests- the real determining factors of most worldwide strife.

Recently the Ukraine has been in the midst of a violent and quickly snowballing revolution. As with all political upheavals there are many factions working toward (seemingly) different goals, the repercussions of which are much farther reaching than what will be reported in western media.
What has been seen in the Ukraine the last few months of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 has been astonishing, as protesters have turned Kiev (Ukraine’s capitol) into a post apocalyptic scene full of Molotov cocktails, blackened buildings, masked rioters, and widespread unrest.

The origin of such widespread revolting is based out of a ‘choice’ the Ukrainian government and many Ukrainian citizens disagree upon. This choice was essentially between assimilating with the European Union or the (Russian) Customs Union.

To give some background, both of these institutions are based on trade blocs, free trade agreements, removal of internal tariffs (import/export taxes), and universal external tariffs for outside countries.
In other words, the Ukraine was preparing to choose between alignment with the western economy and the Russian/Belarusian/Kazakhstani economy.

This leaves three immediate questions:

First, why did this situation create such turmoil?
In the southern Ukraine there is a peninsula called Crimea. Crimea is an independent republic existing within the laws established by the Ukraine and jutting out into the Black Sea (which has direct passage to the Mediterranean Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean).
It was given to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by the USSR, and ports are still leased by modern day Russia for navy stationing in Sevastopol.
Most notably Crimea and the Ukraine are desired as economic allies because of their geography (though a large amount of grain/produce are exports). As a Black Sea port, Crimea provides naval trade to and from Istanbul (another widely coveted trade destination), Europe, the Mediterranean, the Fertile Crescent, North Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Red and Arabian Seas.
The landmass of the Ukraine is also in a desirable place, as it facilitates ground exchange of valuable resources (oil, gas, minerals, ect.) from Asia/India and Russia to the EU. This makes the Ukraine and Crimea indispensable to international markets.

For Russia, maintaining control of their naval lease in Crimea is particularly important. One of the great drawbacks of Russia’s geography is the inability to develop naval power like many nations to the south. A warm water port is needed to maintain a proper navy, and the seas bordering Russia are prone to freezing…frequently.

There is also an elephant in the room regarding the implications of Ukrainian control and the Middle East.

During the 1850s a familiar ruse was fanning a flame for a familiar war. At the time the (Muslim) Ottoman Empire was in control of much of the Middle East and Fertile Crescent; meaning it was in possession of highly valued trade routes to the Far East/India, as well as a resource rich Western Asia. Britain and France of course wished to be on good terms with the Ottoman, as did Russia.
The rising concern of the time was that the Ottoman was being preferential to the Catholic French and British, while snubbing the Eastern Orthodox Russians. In response Russia began a campaign to assist insurgent Muslim groups against the Ottoman- using Crimea as an important strategic landmark.
In response to the potential for Russian hegemony in the Middle East, the British and French allied with the Ottoman eventually pushing insurgent/Russian forces back. They did this by sailing directly to Crimea and taking the peninsula hostage; effectively discouraging the Russian Tsar from continuing conquest. Crimea was returned to Russia on the contingency that no military navy would be built on the Black Sea (this obviously changed in the next century).

Keeping good relations (or puppet governments) in the Middle East is of high priority to both the East and West and Crimea provides a very prudent ‘watchtower’ to the neighboring waters/nations.
The current transparent agenda of the West involves punching straight through Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to connect Saudi, European, Suez, and cross-Atlantic trade routes to Indian/Far Eastern assets. A well-developed Russo-Crimean navy/alliance is a very notable and historically proven threat, that could potentially block western hegemony.

That being said, where did the revolution come from?
The Ukrainian government decided to work with Russia rather than the EU, with the hopes of an unlikely ability to be part of both Unions in the future. It seems the idea was to further solidify Russian/Ukrainian alliance while working towards some sort of EU integration as well.
This decision was counter to the preference of many Ukrainian citizens who wished to increase relations with the EU, hoping for a stronger economy and the prospect of more western trading. The citizenry and government clashed over which economy to align with as the world’s attention turned toward Kiev.
Acting President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, was driven from the country by the rioting. Meanwhile, Crimea (in a state of emergency) removed their previous Prime Minister and hastily elected Sergei Askyonov, a controversial ethnic Russian who is considered illegitimate by ex-President Yanukovych as well as Russia.

As more tempers flared many different reasons for revolution became vocalized. Suddenly the Ukrainian government was at odds with Russia, saying military advancements in Crimea would be an act of war. Crimean officials were making it clear that they wished Crimea to be totally independent of the Ukraine, and Russia approved military action to help ‘stabilize’ the region (re assert economic acquisition/secure Russian assets).

As for the west, the protesting of the citizens was more than welcomed. In fact it was exacerbated. When the Ukraine announced it would not be pursuing relations with the EU (and potentially NATO), that prompted the juggernauts of the West to move into action.

The United States and United Kingdom were quick to scold and threaten Russia for any potential military action in the Ukraine (even though not long ago they were considering formal/unpopular intervention in Syrian affairs). What really made the coup were various Western-backed renegades turning the peoples’ protest into a violent revolution.
The major players contributing to building a zealous army of revolutionaries included the CIA, MI6, MOSSAD, US Department of Affairs and NATO (who surely wishes to acquire the Ukraine), among others.
This in turn attracted a host of unsavory characters who had many different reasons for wishing utter chaos on the Ukraine and Kiev. Some were fueled by dreams of a free Ukraine and Crimea and others by notions of neo-Nazism rising out of the ashes. Some fought for a Russia-sympathetic Kiev, while others continued wishing for EU integration.
No doubt some just became involved in exchange for monetary compensation from some very dirty wallets. Ironically a ‘pro-semitic’ West and oddly silent Israel seem to have no problem if some of these mercenaries/insurgents have neo-nazi ideologies (which is disturbingly common in the US-backed Svoboda party that currently is in control of west Ukraine).

There was no hope for a real Ukrainian revolution due to the lack of solidarity and peace. Western meddling/destabilization had left the country poised to either go to war with Russia (its largest creditor), lose Crimea to independence or Russia, or be forced into a formal puppet-controlled economy.

This leaves the final question… what is the best thing for the people?
The Ukraine is (like many countries in the crossfire) stuck in a very dark position. Ultimately if this is all about economies, markets, and control, one has to consider…what kind of control?

Globalization has widened private trade opportunities while giving birth to viral neoliberal reforms in trade. Neoliberal economic policies are best associated with trade agreements like NAFTA, the WTO, GAFTA and the TPP… all of which have troubling effects on those countries involved.
The central problem with neoliberal economics, is they empower multinational interests that have no attachment to preserving national economies, resources, currencies, or qualities of life.

For example, when China entered the WTO under the Clinton Administration it put into motion the death of American manufacturing and industrial work. As trade restrictions were lifted the bamboo curtain fell, and formerly American careers were cheaper to facilitate in China for countless companies.
The reasons being less restrictions on pollution and lower acceptable worker conditions.

Not dealing with regulations made labor and industry cheaper overseas, and with no penalty. The quality control of products made in this fashion is also overlooked, allowing multinational companies to cut corners with costs/safety, and then export the dangerous/sub-standard merchandise overseas. The end result is massive corporate profits at the expense of consumer jobs and health as well as the degradation of the production economy’s intrinsic worth.

Limiting tariffs also hurts economic independence of all countries, by making domestic products unappealing to buy. By not applying taxes to foreign goods, there is no competitive pricing for domestically made products- and thus no guarantee of a functional internal economy. Its a gradual suicide of real national production.
Fixing external tariffs for all applicable trade agreement countries inhibits fiscal freedom for many nations and discourages globalization for the greater good, instead favoring globalization for monopoly. When a nation can choose its tariffs it has the opportunity to act more responsibly with its finances, products, and trade partners.

By creating trade agreements, governments seek to satisfy their financiers, and for the USA and Western economy this involves a long list of some very corrupt multinationals.
The Ukraine was on an invisible timeline to show where its loyalties lie. Neither the EU or the Common Market would ever give true Ukrainian independence. So in effect the country was simply choosing an economic master.

So what to do? How can the Ukraine (or any other nation) free itself from this scourge, especially when any formal reports are fraught with biases and half truths?
What is obvious is that meddling in foreign affairs comes from ALL sides of a conflict. ‘Holier than thou’ posturing about breaking international law is only used to benefit one side or the other.
Surely there must be a way for nations around the world to be independent while being integrated into a global economy… but how can we find this divine balance with constant and INTENTIONAL destabilization of any real movement towards international solidarity?

The first step is addressing these wars and revolutions for what they are: The results of economic warfare with no regard for human rights, the countries being controlled, or fabricated tales of protectionism that governments hide behind. Ukraine’s future is unclear, but rest assured…none of this was an accident.
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