December 30, 2004

[1865 - Rudyard Kipling, Nobel Laureate in Literature, born in Bombay, India]

[1959 - Commissioning of first ballistic missile submarine, USS George Washington]

Ukraine Refrain

How about them Ukrainians! Less than a decade and a half ago they were part of the late, not so lamented Soviet Union that posed a grave threat to free and democratic nations like ours. Today the reform candidate was certified the winner of the presidential election runoff by a two million vote margin, and the Ukrainian Supreme Court rejected a merit less challenge by his Kremlin-sponsored incumbent opponent. Where did the Ukrainian national pride come from that caused the peaceful mass demonstrations by ordinary citizens who took to the streets and produced this result? From whence arose this independent judiciary? How did we manage to keep our heavy foreign policy hands off this process instead of initiating some form of clumsy intervention that would have derailed this stunning victory for freedom over fraud and repression? How about them Ukrainians!

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