The whole world has been closely watching what is happening in Ukraine for several months now. You can hear different opinions about what started it all and who is to blame. Respected politicians disagreed even on the interpretation of who a radical is in general and in Ukraine in particular. Western officials have said that the pogroms and armed seizure of buildings on the Maidan are just peaceful protests by people driven to despair. At the same time, they openly supported the neo-fascists and fed all those who were dissatisfied with cookies, not forgetting once again to remind Russia that it is not good to interfere in the affairs of a sovereign state. The situation began to look even more paradoxical when rallies began in the eastern regions of the country of people who do not recognize the new government, which they rightly consider illegitimate. Western politicians immediately accused them of separatism and called them radicals. It is very difficult to understand the intricacies of political intrigues, but you can try. To do this, you need to understand what the term "radical" itself means and whether it is worth fighting people who are classified as part of this group.
Who is a radical?
In every society, whateverit may not seem perfect, there are problems. They can be solved in various ways, but the most effective way is to carry out reforms. The restructuring of any social formation, be it politics or the economy, is impossible without the participation of ordinary citizens. At the same time, each of them sees his own way out of the current situation. One group of people, usually the largest, tends to be gradual change. Another part of the population believes that it is simply impossible to carry out reforms under this socio-political system, so it must be destroyed. Such people are called radicals. Their number, as a rule, does not exceed 3% of the total number of politically active citizens.
The concept of "radical" in itself should not carry any negative meaning. Everyone has the right to express their opinion, no matter how controversial it may be. To some extent, even people with non-traditional sexual orientation belong to a radical minority. The denial of generally accepted values should not be prosecuted, unless this opinion is forcibly imposed on others.
The situation changes radically when beliefs begin to be imposed with the help of force and weapons. Dissenters in this case are beaten, intimidated and even executed. The most dangerous for society is the spread of radical sentiments concerning national chosenness. The theory based on them is very close to fascism. Those who share it usually call to clear the country of their opponents, who are blamed for all the troubles. Something similar is just observed today onUkraine.
What is Maidan and how did it all begin?
For many, the Maidan is a symbol of riots and pogroms in 2004. The television picture shown by the media then is not much different from 2014, only the new Euromaidan brand appeared. In fact, the fashionable Ukrainian word means just a place for a people's gathering. Maidan is Independence Square, located in the very center of Kyiv.
The big surprise is the situation that is developing in a European state with the full approval of Western countries. It seems that politicians have forgotten who a radical is and what you can expect from him if you put a machine gun in your hands.
The rallies for integration with Europe were quite peaceful until the moment when armed people with covered faces and under the guise of protesters began to organize provocations. Western politicians did not want to know who the radicals on the Maidan were, but they made it clear that it was impossible to use force against them. That is why the representatives of law enforcement agencies had to experience the full rage of the crowd wound up by paid provocateurs.
Responses from the Orange Revolution
Some political scientists and ordinary citizens stubbornly refuse to notice the striking similarities between the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan. But if you think about it, it is very difficult to find at least 5 differences. The slogans under which the protesters went to protest actions were used in both cases by a narrow circle of people in their own interests. Europe andThe United States, both in 2004 and 2014, limited itself to calls for stabilization of the situation and promises of financial assistance.
We should not forget about how the period of the Orange Revolution ended. The power that came then showed its complete failure, and a new head of state was elected in the elections. Yanukovych faced a very difficult task, and he could not cope with it. At the same time, the new revolutionaries sponsored from abroad, following the example of their predecessors, decided not to shelve the matter. They revised the national question in their favor. And so now it is no longer clear who the radicals in Ukraine are.
The influence of radicals on the actions of Ukrainian protesters
Some experts who share the generally accepted idea of who a radical is, say that there were few of these people on the Maidan, they were unarmed, so they could not influence the situation. Such a position cannot be taken seriously. In scientific works devoted to the psychology of the crowd, it is said that one provocateur is enough for all the protesters to start behaving aggressively. In addition, quite a few militants with machine guns, representing the Right Sector nationalist movement and the power bloc of the Svoboda party, took part in the actions.
Radicals in politics
There are radical politicians in every country. In their opinion, it is necessary to solve problems in a completely different way than it is done now. Among the supporters of such a concept are, as a rule, members of ultra-right parties,the number of which is steadily growing, especially in Europe. At the same time, they do not in any way call on citizens for an armed coup, on the contrary, they participate in elections on a general basis.
People who came to power in Ukraine today owe their position to militants. The proof of this is that many of the radical people got high positions immediately after the armed coup. A striking example is the Svoboda party, which does not have the necessary support of the people, but is widely represented in the highest echelons.
If the question of who the radicals in politics are is extremely controversial, then neo-fascist parties are officially considered "hands-shaking" around the world. Nevertheless, this does not prevent some candidates who are on the international wanted list from running for the presidency of Ukraine, dictating their will to other politicians and enjoying the support of the West. Indeed, many of the high-ranking politicians express sympathy for such people. In the European press, it is customary to call them patriots and adherents of right-wing views.
