Sham-tastic Anniversary

While today is Π-day, in just two days, we will be "celebrating" the anniversary of that sham-wow event--the Crimea referendum.  Pretty much everyone, except for those with ties to Russia, saw the referendum as the sham it clearly was.  I wrote a piece that called it the way everyone saw it.  In the aftermath, the EU, the European Parliament, the Group of 7, the UN Security Council (vetoed by Russia, abstained by China), the UN General Assembly, NATO and the Venice Commission condemned it.  Even Russia's relatively stalwart friend Belarus indicated it was not thrilled.

The best way to evaluate the referendum?  By looking at those who supported it. 

• Afghanistan, with its own irredentist aspirations, and still led by a Karzai seeking to piss all over the West.
• Argentina, which saw the Crimea through the Malvinas ... although one could see it the reverse as well.  Oops.
• India opposed unilateral measures against Russia, which makes no sense since the world was anything but unilateral in its opposition.
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Venezuela
• The various semi-states that Russia has helped to create at the expense of its neighbors.

Yeah, great company.
So, let's just go to the videotape:


On the bright side, thanks to Vladimir Putin's putsch, Bill and I got the chance to write a new introduction for the new paperback version of For Kin or Country.

Perhaps Putin has disappeared because he is preparing a big party to celebrate the referendum.