Ukraine Thread

[Gilrandir]

For a given value of "Democratic and Free" which is to say "still very corrupt" but then corruption and graft is common to all post-Communist states, probably because that was the only way to better yourself, given that Communism doesn't reward you for working harder than anyone else.

It would be more accurate to say that corruption WAS common to the said states. Now some of them (e.g. Baltic ones or central European ones) have made a great progress and could boast of a low level of it.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

It would be more accurate to say that corruption WAS common to the said states. Now some of them (e.g. Baltic ones or central European ones) have made a great progress and could boast of a low level of it.

Again, given value of "low level", compared to the UK, Germany or Scandinavia they still have high corruption. You're basically right though, things there are getting better.

[Brenus]

"And the borderline between nazis, nationalists and patriots is arbitrary" It is what you think and it explains a lot... Thanks.
Again you are mixing-up things and notions: Nazism and Nationalism are Ideologies based on political agenda, as Communism, Socialism or Anarchism.
Patriotism is an attitude towards a country.
So, no, patriots defending their countries is nothing in common with aggressive "genocidors", rapists, looters, slavers and racists Nazi lunatics. Nationalist are few degree under Nazi, but can have similar tendency to kill as in Franco Spain. However, their hate is more about classes than races. They will still shoot to unionists and throw them from helicopters if needed.
I doesn't means that Nazi and Fascist won't defend their country from attack they provoked by their behaviour mind you, so they can abusively claimed to be patriots.

"Yet these countries are democratic and free, aren't they?" Not if you are Gypsy or Serb. Hungarian, err, not that much either, for Croatia. I can tell for others as I never put a foot there, and to be fair, not that much interested.