Moment of Truth

Baltimore, USA,  Dec 8, 2015

Back in the homeland, I've been pondering what to say about what I found in Ukraine to be very disturbing - the failure of the government to deal with corruption. 

Corruption is Ukraine's biggest problem with the other big problem, Russia, now a lesser one. At least currently with Russia's attention now focused in the Middle East together, one hopes,  with Russia's possibly realizing that its activities in Ukraine have not been to its benefit.

Ukraine's “Maidan” (Independence Square) revolution was an extraordinary demonstration of a people's resolve to achieve freedom and independence from corruption and foreign domination. The other night I watched “Winter on Fire” the highly acclaimed documentary where film makers risked their lives to produce a riveting account of this important historical event.

The movie is on Netflix where you can watch it for free with a 30 day trial.  I urge you to do so. Here's the trailer.

The Maidan revolution led to elections in which one of Ukraine's oligarchs became the new President of Ukraine. His name is Petro Poroshenko. I believe the reason he gained the voters' support for a first ballot victory was twofold. First - he had sided with the demonstrators against the corrupt government and Second - as a very rich man he could not be bought and could, therefore, be expected to do “the right thing”.

What an opportunity! To be a great hero to his country. Perhaps as great, or even greater than Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's greatest hero, a painter and poet whose statue I saw in every city I visited in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that President Poroshenk has the ambition to seize the unique opportunity that has been handed to him.

No one I talked to in my recent visit to Ukraine nor anything I have read indicates to me that he has demonstrated