Forum | Minsk by Sharkey

Forum index | Previous Thread | Next thread

Minsk 17:50 - Aug 30 with 722 views

Somebody asked about Twitter on here a day or two ago, and I've always been a non-Twitterer. But now I find that the only way I can see what is happening in Minsk (and Brest) it to type 'Belarus' into Twitter and watch the snatches of video. The stasi drag individuals out of the crowd and shove them into vans, and there's a good chance these people will never be seen again, or be found hanging from a tree after a 'suicide', - but still protestors step forward to argue with the police. I am in awe of this level of courage, which I strongly doubt I'd have.

Tanks are heading towards central Minsk right now. Meanwhile, Putin has offered to send in forces to help out the dictator. I don't know if anyone here in TWTD has any expertise in this area, but I just wonder if there is any hope that the Belarusian army is patriotic enough to resent the threat of this incursion, and will choose country over Lukashenko, and turn against the police.

Minsk on 18:17 - Aug 30 with 678 views

WeWereZombies

I was on holiday in Tunisia when the Jasmine Revolution occurred and it was certainly a learning experience. Don't assume that every protester thrown into a van will end up swinging from a tree, the Tunisian Army were tacitly on the side of protesters (although the police were not and I have my bad hearing to thank for not being aware of a fatal shot that left a protester dead.) So it might be that the Stasi drag protesters away for the effect of being seen to do their job and then release them. Or maybe not, different situation.

One thing I will say about Tunisia is that France ballsed up royally by offering support to Ben Ali early on and the European Union (which I am a big supporter of) never did anything like enough, whilst the moral support that Hilary Clinton gave as US Secretary of State was probably invaluable. That being said, two years later Tunisia was the biggest recruiting ground for Islamic militants (mainly due to crippling unemployment and withering economic conditions, again the European Union could have done so much more to help) whilst the Arab Spring had rolled on to Syria creating one of the bloodiest proxy wars yet.

Obviously any military intervention by the West would be carnage but there could at least be greater representation for a rerun of the election, mind you one of the Western powers have got their own dodgy election to fix coming up so don't hold your breath.

Poll:

How will we get fourteen points from the last five games ?

Minsk on 18:41 - Aug 30 with 652 views

Sharkey

Minsk on 18:17 - Aug 30 by WeWereZombies

Thanks for your long response.

I must say, I know quite a lot Belarusians, and they all consider that the 'riot police' are to a man (and to a woman) brainwashed sadists who will happily beat up and torture their own families. It's a mystery to many exactly who these people are, because there is no ethnic division in the country which a dictator might exploit, except that they tend to be recruited from the countryside rather than the cities. As I understand it, the army are basically just conscripts, and often very young.

Minsk on 14:34 - Aug 31 with 516 views

Mach_foreignBlue

I grew up in my native Poland in 80's which as you know is a Belarus' neighbour and I saw a little bit of what we are seeing in Belarus today.

Poland after the the 2nd world war was under the Soviets occupation between 1945 and 1989. The country was plainly a Soviet's bitch. Deep, stinky communism and as a little kid in early 80's I saw a lot on the streets in my area. I was brought up in Gdynia, a seaside city and part of the Gdansk area. Gdansk is the place where Solidarity political party was created. Plenty of demonstrations, friction and tussles on the streets between army/police and people. The country was on the verge of another war as Soviet's tanks were on the borders and ready to invade the country to help out the communist government. It could have easily been like that but for the intervention of former US president Ronald Reagan.

I particularly remember the history books from 80's that would tell us that Soviets Red Army had been Poland's allies during the Second World War. Sounds so insane today but that is what I had to learn where in facts Soviets were worse towards Poles than Germans.

Belarus today show some similarities. The repressions and torturing people in the prisons. Their dictator Lukashenka is a fervent red Soviet psychopath and a big fan of the old system. When you want to bring back the old times you can easily travel to Belarus as the country remind you about that in many places. Plenty of Soviet flags, Vladimir Lenin monuments in the cities, the names of their streets like Karl Marx's Street or Soviet Street. Belarus today is far more Soviet than Russia.

Lukashenka reminds of Nicolae Ceausescu the (in)famous Romanian tyrant with his secret police, who became famous for their brutal methods of operation and effectiveness.

Forum index | Previous Thread | Next thread