A letter from the Ukraine

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From: RSSOP [RETIRED SENIOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS OFFICER]

Sent:    03-Mar-14

Subj:  Ukraine - A good, private letter on the situation

This  is not at STRATFOR report but a letter from a retired US Army colonel who is working in   Ukraine.  Most informative.

One of my Ukrainian colleagues  asked me if I was informing my friends back home about the situation here. I  admitted that I've only talked to my wife much about it and he accepted  that. I got to thinking and decided that I've been  delinquent.

I came here in 2005 on a contract to help build a professional corps of NCOs for the Ukrainian Army. It was a dismal failure. The military budget couldn't support building the kind of  NCO corps the US Army has. Ukraine just doesn't have the budget for the personnel and training changes that are necessary . also, ss a result of many years of European and Soviet style military doctrine, the junior leaders are officers. NCOs are just technicians. That's worked for them for a couple centuries. The current mid grade officers recognized that this wasn't the most efficient way of leadership, but they just can't convince the civilians to put enough in the budget to professionalize the force.  Conscription stopped this year, but they are a long way from developing a small, professional army.

 I left Ukraine and went back to Iraq, then Germany, then Afghanistan. I came back to Ukraine when I got the opportunity to work at one of the  few diamonds in the rough that I'd seen in Ukraine on my earlier contract. I'm now a NATO procedures instructor at the Ukrainian Land Forces Academy, their version of West Point.  

 During my last 3 years here now, I've met and worked with several Ukrainian mid-grade (major through colonel) and junior grade (lieutenant and captain) officers.  Plus a few hundred cadets. I've made friends, a couple enemies, and a lot of good colleagues.  I've met local civilians and have eaten in some fantastic cafes. I enjoy living in Lviv, here in western Ukraine. It has a history that goes back a couple thousand years and is rich in a culture that even Soviet occupation for 50 years could not destroy.

 Ukrainians are almost as much of a mixed culture as is the USA. There are leftists, rightists, centerists, and a few idiots. There is a small but vocal group that bears resemblance to the Nazi Party in Germany in 1939. There are human rights activists, well educated professionals, business entrepreneurs, and criminals. Just like  home. What amazed me, however, was  the level of corruption.  I expected it, after having worked in former socialist countries before, and have seen what happens when you toss out the communists.  

 The only groups ready to replace  the com munists ... the only groups with an formal/semi-formal  hierarchy, organization, chains of command, resource procurement procedures, etc... the only groups immediately available... are the crooks and criminal  organizations.   What usually happens is the crooks make their way into government positions, both elected and appointed, and just raise the level of their operations to a national level. The people usually get tired of it, and either vote them out, or kick their asses out. Once they do, the only groups ready to move back in and take charge are.... the old communists! They'll have a new name, but old styles. So the folks kick them out and the damned crooks come back in... usually with less power.

 Ukraine has gone through these cycles. There is no civil service system here . When a new political party takes charge, everyone who works for the government expects to lose their job. Teachers, civil works technicians, cops, secretaries, postal workers, etc. If they don't offer a bribe to their new politically appointed boss, they will lose their paycheck.

 Cops are a special thing . No city cops, no state cops, just the national police. and they get paid MUCH less than minimum wage. A cop does not chase criminals, he chases his boss's political opponents . A traffic cop does not enforce traffic laws, he fights to get assigned to a check point on a good street so he can stop new cars and extort money from the driver (obviously well off...   he's driving a new car) using some trumped up charge. I've been stopped many  times. They want me to blow into a fake breathalyzer so they can charge me  with DUI. I was stopped once and they asked for my ID and drivers license. I unbuckled my seat belt to get to my wallet. The cop looked at my license and then wanted to charge me with not wearing my seatbelt. Normal Ukrainians  normally pay the cop somewhere between $12 to $20 to get on their way. I show my US passport and start dialing the embassy on my cell phone. They usually let me go.

 Businesses are extorted by officers attempting to enforce unwritten city codes. Driving schools don't teach kids to drive, the kids can buy a license for $50 and walk out the same day  they enrolled in the course. everything is like that.

 When I got here I was just flat amazed how deep the corruption was . My translator asked me how I would handle such a situation back in south Texas. I told him we had enforceable laws, much more accountability of officials ... and as a last resort, the .45 on my hip and  the AR-15 in my bedroom gun cabinet. He sighed.... said we have none of that. We can't make changes.

 Well folks. Ukrainians stood up on their hind legs these last few months, and they fought back against the crooks... and they won! More than one hundred of them died doing it. It'll take the new folks in government to change what they had. It's hard changing a nation, a culture of corruption, a business environment that doesn't know how to enforce contract law. But they want to give it a chance.

 And now, Vladimir Putin has decided that he can't  allow the new Ukraines to succeed. Because if they do, Russians might  decide to get rid of the criminals who are the Russian Mafia, and the people  like Putin who are trying to rebuild ... not the Soviet Union ... but the old Russian Empire . There are good geo-political reasons for him to desire that., but it comes at the cost of Ukrainian freedoms to chose.  

 The US will not, maybe cannot jump in here  and oppose the Russians militarily (the US has zero tanks left in Germany , folks). The Germans, Brits, French, etc don't have the forces to do it either. Nor the political will. So a NATO military option is out of the  question. The Ukrainian military is too small, too under-resourced, and too  tied to old Soviet style doctrine to go it alone .  

 So, what is left?

 That will be up to President  Obama, the British Prime Minister, Ban-Ki-Moon at the UN, and, believe it or not, the people and prime minister of Turkey. The Poles might go up against  the Russians. They've done it before. Polish military history is pretty brave. They've been outclassed and outmatched, but no one can ever accuse  them of cowardice. If the Russians try to take western Ukraine, the Poles might surprise everyone.

 I support what the Ukrainians are trying to do. I can't do much about it, except teach my cadets. Because of  the semi-official position I work in, I can't do much more. If it gets too dangerous out here in western Ukraine, I’ll have to go home. If it gets too politically strenuous for the US, the State Department might order us to go home. I'm not impressed with John Kerry whining that Putin doesn't respond to our super-civilized new world society. He is "stunned" that Mr Putin acted in the same old way that Russians have always reacted. By force. By making your enemies fear you. By  taking action, not talking. I'm amazed that anyone with a clue really thinks  that this 21st century is going to be much different than the 19th century. History shows us otherwise. Every Damned Time.

 So, I've made my conscience easier by writing this. The old Ukrainian colleague who asked if I had written my friends is a retired colonel.  A full professor.   And he is itching to put his uniform back on and go defend Ukraine against the Russians.  Against a force a hundred times bigger.   He has a beautiful, thirteen year  old daughter.  Who wants to be a ballerina.  And he wants her to  have the opportunity to do it in a free, law-abiding, free-enterprise nation.  And he's willing to go up against the Russian Bear to do it.  

 I just wanted you to  know.

 

Why are we allowing failure to consume America

From the very beginning this Presidency has been headed for failure.  Whether it's being brought down on purpose or just through sheer incompetence is for each of us to decide.  Either way we have to bring control back to the people if we are to survive.   Our debt crisis is just a tickle in the throat compared to what's ahead.  The loss of stature among our allies and the lack of fear among our adversaries has created a deep fracture in our domestic politics.  The scandals that have gone unanswered along with the bullying of business through un-necessary regulation by Federal agencies will eventually bring us a much deeper recession then previously seen in this country.  It is important to understand that without complete trust in our government the people of America will never come together as one again.  It's time for the politics to be set aside and the peoples voices be heard.  Our representatives seem to be blind and deaf to the destruction of our Constitution and are watching it be shredded without a whimper of protest.      

Those who have decided to partake of the free government cheese will never again feel the thrill of achievement until they shed the shackles of dependency that comes with Big Brothers help.  When you have a population that is uneducated in the true story of the United States and the suffering that went into the building of America it is hard for them to understand what is happening to our country and why it is so bad.  We need change and we need it now, if our Legislature is too engrossed in their personal wealth accumulation to stand up to the administrations power grab it's time for the people to start campaigning and demanding this weakling Senate, Congress and Judicial bodies to step aside.  The people are the power but only with knowledge can they accomplish anything significant.   

A commonsense understanding of America

This article was submitted by an anonymous author;

 

   

     In a crowded society such as ours, unwanted -- often loathsome -- insects or animals present themselves in such growing numbers they cause serious damage and/or disease. If left unchecked  for even a short period, they pose a serious problem. If they are allowed to exist unconstrained for long, they will become a chronic nuisance that will require severe – even lethal – measures to drive out or destroy. If this action is not undertaken, the result will surely be irreparable damage or incurable disease. Today, easily the most dangerous single group of pests in our history are “Washington Bureaucrats.”

     A large segment of our society is too young to have experienced an America where our elected leaders were not only referred to as "public servants," but actually served the public. NO LONGER!  There are no longer true Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians or Independents in Washington ... just millionaires. Granted, most don't initially arrive in Washington as greed-ridden tycoons; many actually arrive there with average wealth, stars in their eyes, and altruism in their hearts. Unfortunately, that doesn't last long...

     There is a Washington orientation class awaiting the newly elected at every dinner party, every luncheon, every "power breakfast."  While there is rank  in the nation's capitol, no one wears chevrons or a patch on his or her sleeve. Essential to the new arrivals, "caste" positions must be determined quickly, lest they step on the toes of the long-established political superiors.  There are powerful players in this, the most amoral "game" in our country. 

     The D.C. rule is  simple.  Their maxim is: "Money and Power." Their goal is to shape the system to fit their requirements. Their mantra is: "Screw the Little Guy!" But what a game! If they follow their self-imposed Washington rules, the  rewards are beyond human belief. And once a member of this select group, it's nearly impossible to fail. If one or two err -- through being caught in a lie or in the ever more popular sexual scandal, their fellows will quickly pick them up and set them straight, alibi for them, and immediately use the political subterfuge they have honed to perfection. If there is no credible defense, constant denial by our nation's leaders will make it fade away -- no matter the time it takes.  After all, a successful money-machine requires careful care and supervision.

     Make no mistake, the denizens of Washington are a "Superbowl class" team, regardless of ridiculous labels such as "party affiliation" or any feeling of responsibility toward their electorate.  Power and personal wealth are virtually their sole pursuits. What was once a group of highly respected government officials has become a pack of elite and self-supervised predators with the unwitting private citizen their prey.

     Today, Washington D.C. is overrun by a political infestation: a professional ruling-class led by governing "masterminds." They have become detached, even isolated, from the states and communities from whence they came, in conflict with those who elected them,  and only return to their genesis to make hollow, unkeepable promises to ensure  their naive followers will reelect them. But Washington quickly becomes their true home, the town where their allegiance lies. Why? Simple: more money flows through Washington D.C. in a twenty-four hour period than the entire rest of the nation sees in months. The evolution is nearly immediate. When first arriving in D.C. a conforming member of the team soon finds that, if he holds out his hands in a certain way, varying amounts of those mainly-unaccounted-for trillions of taxpayer dollars will stick to his or her own fingers.

     Infighting in D.C. is largely forbidden. Oh sure, there are disagreements often caused by the hubris that exists with the long-serving "Beltway Bullies" who, through having held public office for far too many years, truly come to believe they are omnipotent and godly. But care is taken to avoid serious confrontations that might ruffle the feathers of their Golden Goose.  The inevitable interparty squabbling is even beneficial for it masks many of the perverse activities they must employ in the pursuit of their goals. In wartime, such diversion is called a stratagem. In commerce it's called artifice. In government it's called "politics as usual" (for more detail, you might want to Google some of our recent presidential speeches).

     Like a professional sports-team where millions of dollars are available to players, competition for political player-positions is vicious. But the benefits in landing a job in Washington are indescribably worthwhile. Virtually no one going to Washington remains a non-millionaire for long. The actual work requirement is laughable. Perks are unparalleled. Every expense imaginable is paid by a spendthrift government.  Successfully investing in the stock market is made easy for the very people who are writing and voting on the forthcoming laws of the land. In Washington no one ever gets fired. In the case of caught in a possibly-impeachable offense, one need only pick up the phone and call the White House or the Attorney General's office. If they can't fix the problem immediately, they'll "look into it." Methuselah wouldn't live long enough to see the outcome of that overused political maneuver.

     Unlike professional sports-players, bureaucrats need only win the first public election. There is no test of qualification. There is no mental or physical requirement -- as evidenced by the comedians, stage actors, sports figures, and rock-stars who waltz through elections thanks to the groupie segment of the electorate. The main prerequisite is a deep pocket or a wealthy backer.

     Unfortunately, today the need for truck-loads of money restricts the political field to the ultra-wealthy and/or opens the field to anyone who can find a deep-pocketed backer. It is near-criminal that such a process obligates -- actually coerces -- a political victor to play puppet to an unscrupulous benefactor.   Huge sums of money have replaced the need for any intelligence whatsoever when selecting today's Washington elite. That's a harsh indictment but can be easily proven by current events. Luckily for today's ruling elite, the average American voter is too busy to probe too deeply into the morality, lives or backgrounds of their nation's potential leaders. In truth, the American voter just doesn't seem to give a damn about the future of his homeland or his progeny.

     Finally, a lack of Congressional term-limits invites a long-lived ruling class populated by professional politicians. As a professional football team seeks new, strong young players, our voters should shun the perpetuation of "Old Turks" and instead seek bright, hardworking  replacements on a regular basis. The Founders spent more time discussing this looming problem than on any other single issue, yet they were unable to foresee just how dangerous to the twenty-first century Republic the problem really would be. We now have a nation burdened with career lawmakers who have served far too many years. One quick example: we currently have a retiring Representative who has held his seat for 58 years, 74 days. Where in the private sector could an 87 year old man fully contribute to any organization for such a length of time? The list of Congressmen with their ages and time in office would look more at home on the wall of an old-folks-home.

     Career politicians in our Congress didn't become a serious problem until the second half of the 20th Century. By then the members had passed laws enabling them to give themselves unlimited salary increases. Underhanded methods of doing so -- for example, making annual raises automatic unless they voted not to accept them -- shielded their actions from the voting public. Prior to their lawful misdeeds, members of Congress didn't make outlandish wages (note I didn't say "earn") and being a member of the Washington Gang wasn't all that great. During the last fifty years of the 1800s,  turnover in Congress averaged 50.2 . Just over half voluntarily returned to their non-government jobs each year. Beginning in the second half of the 1900s, that all changed. Members methodically usurped the authority of the public, sweetening their remuneration and perks until today you couldn't get a member of Congress out of his cushy job with a shoehorn! Imagine waking up every morning as a perpetual lottery winner.

    Our Framers strongly considered a restriction on time served in Congress in the Articles of Confederation. In Article V they stated, "...no person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years..." Several of the delegates were also opposed to paying salaries to legislators and executive officers of the federal government. Alas, term limits and the no-pay question didn't make it into the Constitution. The Framers were obviously aware of the pitfalls of not rotating positions and offering jobs for life, but couldn't have foreseen the depth of the thievery, cronyism, graft and downright corruption that has turned Washington D.C. into an unassailable statist cesspool.

     We have a group of bureaucrats in Washington who dis-enjoy one of the lowest approval ratings in our history. Tell me why we consider them totally worthless yet WE keep putting them back in office?  Kinda' prompts one to wonder who the chumps really are that should be getting the low ratings ...

     Every election a lot of well-meaning freshmen go to Washington as Jack Armstrongs and in just a few months turn into Ebenezer Scrooges.  Can it be Washington itself? There must be something so dreadful lurking there that it can change tyro bureaucrats into greedy thieves almost overnight.   I can't find anything in the Constitution about having to keep our bureaucrats stationed in Washington D.C.  Not even in the United States.  

     Sometime shortly after November of this year there will be a bus leaving Washington for parts unknown.  Let's be sure a lot of 'em are on it.