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niedziela, sierpnia 14, 2005

EU Apathy and Russiaphobia

EU Apathy and Russiaphobia


Jaded for free
by Jordan Seidel

The collective yawn from the EU regarding the recent Polish-Russian mutual beatings, overshadows the Russiaphobia in Poland. The utter invisibility of the story on the major networks (e.g. I haven't seen any news about this on CNN or BBC lately) again raises questions about how much unity exists in Europe.


Imagine the scene if a group of young skinheads in Berlin beat three children of Russian diplomats? And then if two German diplomats, and one prominent journalist were beaten in Moscow? We would see nothing else on major news networks and the EU chambers in Brussels would be mushrooming with panels and fact finding teams to both ease tensions and raise awareness of the negative effects of ignorance and ill-will. We would also see Britain and France weighing in on the issue -- and Poland too would have something to say no doubt.


But alas, this seems to be a backyard dispute between neighbors. What exactly is the EU community for if not to act as mediator and support for its members? In case someone forgot, Poland is an EU member now and should be given the same attention and regard as any other member. It was just this year that the EU was vigorously involved in the so-called Ukraine Orange Revolution and also had some things to say to Russia about it. What happened now that an actual EU member is wrangling with Russia? This isn't Iran or Iraq, it's an issue happening right in EU territory at one of its most important borders.


The media is to blame as it has seemingly shaped the issue in such a way that the actual beatings have taken on the appearance of a local brawl -- such headlines like 'gang war' - conjure images of anarchy and simple minded retribution. The Wild East all over again. But where is the sherrif?


**Editor's note: Another blog on this issue ---> Post Title "More trouble in the east"

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# posted by ~JS @ 14.8.05

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