Unpaid Russian workers, like these protestors, are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the government and Putin

There is indeed a lack of trust. However, that lack of trust is a direct consequence of Russian aggression, not Western miscommunication. Approaching Russia with suspicion and mistrust — as many Eastern European nations do — is the only sane reaction, given that Russia has invaded a neighbor, annexed part of its territory, and tried to divide the rest of the country while threatening half a dozen other countries in Europe, all based on a “blood and soil” ideology.

http://warontherocks.com/2016/02/germany-and-russia-berlins-deadly-self-delusions/

http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/02/20/89334/

Fascists And Evil Americans: Ukrainian Separatists Launch Magazine For Kids

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-separatists-magazine-kids-fascists-propaganda/27560436.html

http://www.rferl.org/content/mexico-crimea-vessel-ukraine/27560620.html

Moment when the bomb exploded in #Ankara. Targeted killing of military personnel. 18 dead and 45 wounded. #Turkey pic.twitter.com/cW81merBrY

— Onlinemagazin (@OnlineMagazin) February 17, 2016

My strong suspicion is that Russia will apply as much pressure as possible around Israel, and then give everything back in exchange for a free hand in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the Arab League summit participants that Russia will continue contributing to the attainment of Palestine’s independence.

http://the-informer.net/index.php/news-article/70-russia-to-help-palestine-become-independent-state-putin

TOLERANCE AND TIPPING POINTS

(Addressing a left-leaning friend who remains generously tolerant of our conflicting view — Thank you.)

I think we agree that there are huge advantages to getting people of different groups to cooperate.

We probably also agree that there’s a tipping point where the advantage of tolerance gives way to the liability of bad behavior. Beyond this tipping point, universalism is exploited and trust erodes.

The social conventions which westerners take for granted are not cheap. The good behavior that creates these social norms is payed for with opportunity costs. (People forgo the opportunities of behaving badly to create a cooperative society.)

Eventually, erosion of trust exacerbates the prisoners dilemma of civilized society — “why should I keep paying the opportunity cost of good behavior when everybody else is parasitic upon our social norms, benefiting without contributing?”

I think we probably agree on my description above but have two differences:

1) I’m probably more sensitive to where this tipping point is. This may be at least partly genetic. (Did you know that people who call themselves conservative rate higher levels of disgust when shown of rotten meat? See Jonathan Haidt for more such biologicizing of political beliefs.)

2) I cannot help recognize a pattern when I imagine the globe and ask: Which societies expect out-group individuals to be treated as in-group? Can you see the pattern?

Hypothetical question: If my society is open to them, but their society is closed to me, how should I react? You may think the answer is obvious to me — but it actually isn’t. I recognize the advantage of being able to incorporate talent from other cultures. At some level, non-mutual tolerance may still be an advantage.

Rumor – #Ukraine PM Yatzeniuk saved himself from impeachment vote by paying MPs $1M each for negative vote. Ukraine needs to hurt these MPs.

Yatsenyuk’s Stay of Execution: Yesterday Parliament failed in its attempt to dismiss Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Out of 226 required votes, Parliament mustered only 194 deputies in favor of firing the Premier. However Parliament did gather 247 votes to declare the work of the government as unsatisfactory. In effect, the Prime Minister has a received the equivalent of a political “stay of execution”. What does all this mean and what are the implications?

1. The announced resignation of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin appears to have placated Parliament for the moment and bought Yatsenyuk more time. At long last, President Poroshenko called for the resignation of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin (along with Yatsenyuk’s). The controversial Prosecutor had become a focal point of frustration with Ukrainians who viewed Shokin as the key person preventing the prosecution of Yanukovych era officials, and as an impediment to fighting corruption. The President’s statement followed by the public announcement of Shokin’s resignation, appeared to appease Parliamentarians seeking a sacrifice of a high ranking official since Shokin is the only Cabinet Member less popular than Yatsenyuk.

http://www.brianmefford.net/ukraine-update-217-yatsenyuks-stay-of-execution/

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has asked Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin to resign “in order to restore trust in the government.”

HUGE!

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-poroshenko-yatsenyuk-shokhin-resign/27555646.html

Retweeted Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine):

Putin is betting on Russian tolerance for hardship: disposable gloves are washed/reused in a Russian maternity ward

Great article by a foreign Azov volunteer about the inefficiency and incompetence of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers:

http://sofrep.com/47483/the-russian-paper-tiger-a-foreign-volunteer-in-the-ukrainian-armys-view-of-russian-troops/

“I think Ukraine’s a wonderful place. I’ve been there and I think it’s great. But Germany and all these countries should be doing something. Why is it always us? What do we have to do with Ukraine? …”

http://ukrainianweek.com/Society/154179