The Bear reawakens, and hungrily eyes Eastern Europe:
EVEN as Jonas Kronkaitis, now retired as Lithuania's top general, admires the transformation of this once drab Soviet city into a proud member of the New Europe, a worry eats at him: Russian power is rapidly returning to the Baltics, only this time the weapons are oil and money, not tanks.
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What we are afraid of is the very huge money that comes from Russia that can be used to corrupt our officials," Kronkaitis said in an interview. "And I'm talking about very large money. Money can then be used to control our government. Then Lithuania, in a very subtle way, over many years perhaps, becomes dominated and loses its independence."
"Over many years" may be an understatement, Baltic nationalists say. In 2004, Lithuania's president was impeached for alleged connections to Russia's secret service and big business. [emphasis added]
It all seems part of a strategy by President Vladimir Putin to revive Russian power in much of Eastern Europe.
For the Balts, any move that angers Russia runs huge risks. Last month, for example, the Estonian state prosecutor charged four ethnic Russians with organizing riots in April to protest the government's move of a statue of a Soviet soldier from the capital to a suburb as the anniversary of victory in World War II neared. The Russian-language press had egged on the protesters.
"There is reason to believe that financial support and advice to organize mass disorders was also received from the Russian Federation," the prosecutor said. After the riots, hackers briefly paralyzed Estonia's government and banks, and Estonia said the cyberattacks were traced to Kremlin addresses.
Meanwhile, the Dragon reawakens, and eyes Taiwan. And how eager are Taiwanese businessmen to surrender! Taiwan's China Post heartily approves in its editorial, Robert Tsao has a point:
Robert Tsao, the honorary chairman of United Microelectronics Corp., the world's second-largest wafer foundry, has some refreshing ideas about breaking the current impasse in Taiwan-China relations.
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In a 3,000-word article, Tsao...rules out independence referendums for Taiwan... Whenvever Beijing feels ready, [Tsao proposes that] it can ask Taiwan to hold a referendum on unification that is enshined in the DPP charter. If Taiwan's people vote against it, then unification must wait and a new vote should be scheduled for ten years later. [emphasis added throughout]
Wow. I'm just trying to imagine a Frenchman suggesting Berlin should have the right to determine the subject and timing of French referenda. Or an American arguing that Mexico should have that right. Inconceivable, really. Inconceivable, because Frenchmen or Americans view their country's sovereignty as something of VALUE; and something of value isn't something to be given away on the cheap.
What Tsao's proposal lacks is reciprocity. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, isn't it, Mr. Tsao? You believe a foreign government should be able to call unification referendums in Taiwan? Very well - but as a necessary condition, Taiwan must have the reciprocal right to call Taiwanese independence referendums in China. And to test China's good faith, Taiwan would be well advised to call that referendum immediately. And ten years later. And ten years after that.
Sure, it'd get voted down again and again, but that wouldn't matter. As I argued in Why Referendums are a Good Thing, the experience of free and fair elections alone might do the Chinese people a world of good.
It goes without saying however, that ANY unfree or unfair electoral conduct on the part of the Chinese would IMMEDIATELY nullify the entire ridiculous arrangement.
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Postscript: Alternatively, it might be useful for Taipei to demand Beijing hold a Chinese democratization referendum. Now there's a pie-in-the-sky "refreshing" idea on how to break the current impasse in Taiwan-China relations!
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