LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (02/02/03)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Myron Kuropas entitled to his views

Dear Editor:

I found Dr. Myron Kuropas' tongue in-cheek New Year's resolutions a bit amusing - especially his resolution not to offend anybody. Since he asked for additional suggestions, here is my advise, given publicly and with a straight face. Telling the truth should not be offensive to anybody. And that is what he has been doing for so many years on the pages of The Ukrainian Weekly - calling a spade a spade.

One could or should take his political beliefs, views and opinions expressed on the pages of The Ukrainian Weekly with a grain of salt, but he is entitled to them - as is everybody else. Whether those political opinions belong on the pages of The Ukrainian Weekly is a matter for the editorial board to decide. I trust Dr. Kuropas will not shy away from controversy.

Ihor Lysyj
Austin, Texas

Kuropas does not The Weekly make

Dear Editor:

Despite Dr. Myron Kuropas' often-hard-to-stomach paranoid right-wing rhetoric, he does not The Ukrainian Weekly make. Thus, I enclose my subscription renewal and a modest donation to The Ukrainian Weekly Press Fund.

Best wishes for 2003.

Khrystos Rodyvsia!

Ihor Tomkiw
Toronto

Potemkin villages abound in Kyiv

Dear Editor:

A few Potemkin villages, targeted at the foreign or criminally rich, and built to the benefit of the kickback extracting ruling class, should not deceive us about Kyiv's and Ukraine's true state of affairs. In fact, except for a handful of freewheeling expense-account foreigners and a concentration of local politicians "biznesmeny," whose lifestyle clearly exceeds their legal income, to the average, honest Ukrainian Kyiv remains a dismal place to live; and a glimpse at the excesses of the unethically monied few is of little comfort to them.

Yes, the metro runs well and is cheap, and, yes, visible street crime is relatively minor (it's fully eclipsed by well-concealed white-collar crime - these are the few favorable leftovers from the old regime - but recent achievements have really contributed little to the living standard of the average citizen. Away from the center and a few favored regions, roads and buildings are crumbling, few jobs that will cover the cost of living are available, and few meaningful opportunities can be anticipated by the unconnected young.

A short walk from the center you see pensioners selling whatever possessions they still have in an attempt to survive, farmers spending all day selling whatever they can to scrape together a few hryvnia, countless overqualified individuals manning ramshackle kiosks trying to earn a few bucks.

Grandiose monuments and projects most likely add generously if discreetly to the pockets of the ruling elite (who somehow can never explain how they developed their "biznesses" or begat their wealth on a salary of $100 to $200 a month, but add little to the local economy and only mislead foreigners superficially breezing through. Meanwhile, productive foreign investment (which could create real jobs and economic growth) remains insignificant without the proper kickbacks to the ruling authorities, pensioners are paid minimally if at all in the hopes of putting them out of their misery as soon as possible, and of course allegiance to all things Russian remains prevalent. And let's not forget that beyond Kyiv and a few favored (pro-regime) cities - in effect subsidizing Kyiv - only minimal pensions or government funds flow out to regions which have also paid the taxes, to assure Kyiv remains the artificial showcase and the ruling elite, sucking up money from the rest of the country.

True, central Kyiv can appear superficially flashy and well-heeled compared to Warsaw, Budapest and even Prague, and has become quite livable for monied Westerners and "beeznessmen" milking their favorite racket. But while those capitals' streets are sadly lacking the $80,000 Mercedeses and $40-a-head restaurants that clutter up Kyiv, those countries are building industry and a middle class for the future, and creating bona fide economic growth, not just pandering to the ruling elite and putting on a show.

Those diasporites sitting around in the United States or breezing through their annual week or two in Ukraine can be optimistic and celebrate Kyiv's seeming achievements. Those of us truly in touch with Ukrainian reality unfortunately cannot succumb to these illusions, even if Kyiv life for us personally has become a bit more upbeat. Because if you look at the overall real situation for the average Kyivite, let alone the average Ukrainian - what exactly is there to celebrate?

George Lomnycky
Venice, Fla.

Activists condemn anti-Semitic gazette

Dear Editor:

I read the article in the December 17-24, 2002, issue of the Kyiv-based newspaper Stolichniye Novosti by Serhii Kovtunenko ("Yesli v kranie niet vody"), which referred to the Lviv newspaper Idealist, which had already been banned by the authorities, but nonetheless released a new publication called "The Jewish Occupation of Ukraine."

The publication calls for the physical destruction of many leading activists of Ukraine because the newspaper recognizes them as Jews. This newspaper of "yellow journalism" brings infamy around the world to Ukraine.

The Society for Ukrainian-Jewish Relations condemns the activity and writings of the newspaper Idealist and calls for an end to such inflamatory anti-Semitic propaganda emanating from the glorious city of Lviv.

Anti-Semitism is spread in Ukraine, and especially in Halychyna, (western Ukraine), by Russian "special services" with the goal of defaming Ukraine in the eyes of the democratic West.

Eugene Stakhiv
Waldwick, N.J.

The letter writer is president of the Society for Ukrainian-Jewish Relations.

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