Crimean status referendum: March 16, 2014

[Zanas]

It went 99.08% in Germany, 99.75% in Austria. I guess it won't be so high here, nearly everybody worldwide has stopped getting such results, they know it doesn't look too good. They'll arrange for 7 to 15% to vote no.

We have to ask ourselves one question though. Even if the referendum was democratic and every voter voted, wouldn't the result also be a Yes majority ? It appears something like 55-60% of Crimean citizens are "ethnic Russians", whatever that means. So why would they vote no ?

Not saying this mascarade has any legitimacy, mind you.

edit : Just found contradictory figures : some 71% of Crimean residents in 2011 said Ukraine was their motherland. Make what you want of that.

[Zanas]

"International law" is only for weak states with little or no power on the world stage. The talk of what is "legal" or "illegal," both in the case of Kosovo and Crimea, is silly, asinine even.

This statement is not utterly and entirely untrue and moronic.

[Zanas]

Actually, a few things. The representatives of the Tatar community that the Western media always hear do not represent the entirety of said community. From the figures, I'm guessing a not negligible number of them actually voted in favor of joining Russia. I'm pretty sure virtually none self-identifying Ukrainian bothered to vote, and that accounts for the abstention.

Then, why would people vote for joining Russia ? Well, mainly two things : average income/pensions are thrice what they are in Ukraine, and it's pretty sure Putin will do some generous gestures in the first few months to welcome back the old brothers. Plus, as it was gonna be the end of it anyway, better avoid a civil war and get done with it. I'm really not sure the Tatars' or even the Ukrainians' situation will be considerably worse now than then. Granted, a number of them will probably move back to Ukraine, but I don't think they will be outright deported.

So it's not really surprising actually. Plus it's a huge failure of Western foreign policy. And I would like to state that I'm not particularly happy with it, nor upset. It's Kosovo or, better, Hawaii, all over again. At least it should be much harder for the Party of Russi... Regions to win a national in Ukraine now.