Pro-Russian demonstrators burn books, storm buildings In eastern Ukraine

[pjohns]

From Reuters:

Pro-Russian demonstrators in eastern Ukraine smashed their way into public buildings and burned Ukrainian-language books on Sunday in further protests following two deadly clashes in the region last week.

Protests, some several thousand strong, spread to Russian-speaking southern districts as Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, under the control of the Russian military for two weeks, voted in a referendum on joining Russia. ...

In Kharkiv, Reuters Television footage showed pro-Russian activists scaling an iron gate, smashing a van and breaking into the offices of a Ukrainian cultural center. Two policemen stood nearby, examining the van.

The footage then showed young men seizing Ukrainian-language books, including a volume devoted to the 1932-1933 man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine, which killed from 7-10 million people.

"Do you see what they print here?" one activist said to another.

Here is the link:  Pro-Russian demonstrators burn books, storm buildings in eastern Ukraine | Reuters

[kevindavis007]

Now the takeover of Ukraine begins...

[Oceander]

Now the takeover of Ukraine begins...

yup

[Fishrrman]

In some ways, what is happening in the Ukraine now -- which we see as an "occupation" and "annexation" of the eastern part of the country by Russia -- is actually more of a return to what existed prior to the twentieth century, particularly what happened in 1954.

See this Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_the_Crimea

[Oceander]

In some ways, what is happening in the Ukraine now -- which we see as an "occupation" and "annexation" of the eastern part of the country by Russia -- is actually more of a return to what existed prior to the twentieth century, particularly what happened in 1954.

See this Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_the_Crimea

fair enough, but there are right ways and wrong ways to do things, and the past ought to stay the past.  After all, if Native Americans rose up and started lopping off pieces of the United States and annexing them to a growing Native American "nation" that would in many respects be returning things to the way they were prior to the arrival of the Europeans.  Or what about Mexico forcefully lopping off and annexing parts of Texas, New Mexico, California, etc?  Those states were originally all part of Mexico and were wrested away from Mexican control through force, so Mexico would just be returning things to the way they were prior to the annexation of those areas by the US.

[EC]

Flick it the other way. What if the Philippines decided they wanted to be the 51st state of the USA? Would that be permissible? Or if Canada decided to hold a referendum on joining the USA?

[PzLdr]

In the words of Sonny Buono, "The Beat Goes On". And in the White House, we get Paul Simon: "The Sounds of Silence". 

[Fishrrman]

Also of interest in the news lately (as seen on Drudge) are articles about the Scottish drive for secession from Great Britain, and a possible new drive for independence for Quebec...

Not to mention North Colorado, North California, etc...

[EC]

Also of interest in the news lately (as seen on Drudge) are articles about the Scottish drive for secession from Great Britain, and a possible new drive for independence for Quebec...

Not to mention North Colorado, North California, etc...

Quebec still talking about that? They really should crap or get off the pot, they have been saying that as long as I have been alive.

Scotland - I am looking forward to them leaving the Union. It guarantees no extreme left (Labour) government for at least a generation, we can deport the tramps from London and reclaim some of the green spaces, and it'll cut our taxes significantly.

[pjohns]

Also of interest in the news lately (as seen on Drudge) are articles about the Scottish drive for secession from Great Britain, and a possible new drive for independence for Quebec...

Not to mention North Colorado, North California, etc...

I am aware of a few counties (three, I think) in Colorado that have made some noises about secession.  However, I was unaware of something similar going on, at present, in northern California.

In late 1941, a portion of northern California and a portion of southern Oregon appeared to be poised to secede, and form the new state of "Jefferson."  However, what with Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, this movement was quickly forgotten.

Is something similar underway now?