Cultural Solidarity (updated 16sep14)

George Rebane

As we await this week’s vote for Scotland’s independence, my thoughts again turn to culture and its role in shaping a people and structuring a society.  Reviewing some of these notions with you at this time might even pique some discussion.  The basic idea here is that what a society can/will or cannot/will not do is constrained and guided by its culture.  Today Scotland is not alone in the desire for its culturally cohesive population to have a country where Scots can work and live according to their own laws and traditions, and according to their own values and mores, speaking their own language.  This is an ancient desire shared by all people around the world who have grown up in strong culture-defined communities.  Such life has given rise to powerful sentiments expressed in art and literature, and sentiments that have also led to revolutions, wars, and migrations.

Today, perhaps more than ever before, we see such movements of people wanting to relearn their heritage and band together with those like-minded to see if they too could improve their lot by mutually embracing their roots and working together in closer harmony.  The Scots are not alone.  Since the Treaty of Versailles (end of WW1), and again since the Cold War ended, we have seen dozens of culturally cohesive peoples gather together to work toward their ultimate mono-cultural independence.  Here the Scots are joined by the Catalans, Basques, Flemish, Kurds, Shias, Sunnis, …, and cohorts of USSR transplanted Russian speakers living in Russia’s ‘near abroad’.

From the opposite perspective, one of the lures of collectivism (especially in its Marxist-Leninist form) was the gathering of all peoples into one peaceful and productive global society to create an undifferentiated amalgam of humanity.  This would be achieved by the shedding of multitudes of discriminating and chafing cultures, and in their place adopting one common social contract that would be dictated by the over-arching state and imposed equally on all.  But again it has turned out that this is not how the realworld works.

It is obvious to all but the ideologically blindered that the form and function of multi-culturalism as promoted by progressives is grossly in error, and a stifling of all societies that have attempted to implement it.  Penning in different cultures on the same land mass, and then keeping them ‘peacefully’ in line by the government gun has satisfied no one.  Instead such autocratic cum tyrannical governance has exacerbated the cultural and ethnic divisions in these forcefully amalgamated populations.  As Chancellor Angela Merkel said, after years of Germany’s heroic attempts to assimilate its recently imported ethnicities from Eastern Europe, the Mideast, and Africa, “Multi-kulti does not work.”

The progressives counter such strong feelings as being misogynous, racist, generally evil, and somehow hearkening back to the dark ages.  But that argument turns out to be an intellectually bankrupt ruse.  Today, small culturally cohesive countries and similarly composed jurisdictions within sovereign nation-states have no problem living in harmony with their immediate neighbors and the world’s community of nations.  The guiding principle seems to be that everyone can experience, enjoy, and do business with people of other cultures without having to abandon the proximity and comforts of their own culture nor allowing it to be deconstructed by uncontrolled influx of other cultures.

Multi-culture’s problems arise when a state must use voluminous, uniformly applied, always amended and ever expanded codes of conduct that in one way or another violate the sensibilities of everyone in their jurisdiction.  The result of such policies is soon apparent and easy to understand – the dominant population segment starts making ever more dysfunctional rules to limit behaviors (freedoms) of others in the vain hope that somehow they will finally compile that magic rule book under which all live happily with minimum strife (and minimum policing).  But long before such a blessed future arrives, all measures of economic productivity and quality of life to inform public policy will have been abandoned for ideological purity.  The result is that the sub-dominant (minority) cultures and ethnicities will sink into a permanent under-class of citizens.  And this is doubly so when the state touts and adopts the more encompassing forms of democracy in which the malleable masses can vote on everything permitted by their then ‘stabilizing’ state.  (A visible example of that is the rump population of conservatives in California whose voices no longer count in Sacramento.)

Sociologists tell us that the solution to this sorry state of affairs is in the formation of smaller culturally less diverse jurisdictions.  In such lands – Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Baltics, Ireland, … - the only disturbances to social amiability come from foreign ethnic minorities who don’t share the resident traditional culture.  And sadly, due to the current pervasive pandemic of pandered progressive pabulum, many of these formerly harmonious cultural enclaves have invited their own multi-cultural maladies in the quest to be hailed in the modern manner as sensitive, ‘non-discriminating’, and inclusive peoples, while in the practice never seeing what awaits them.  Norway and Sweden are now in the early stages of showing such pathologic symptoms with their Muslim imports each demanding, you guessed it, their own insular enclaves wherein their laws and customs are supreme (more here).  Across the Baltic, the Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians are also being subjected to the ravages of Russians who remained behind when the USSR collapsed.  These people wanted to stay within more enlightened societies yet have refused to learn their hosts’ languages or adopt their customs.  These have become the ‘little Russias’ which Putin, in the manner of Ukraine, will agitate before launching new aggressions to reinstate the past glories of Greater Russia.  To those who will but listen, Dr Merkel’s words are echoing across the world.

In the US, somewhere during the Great Society years we gave up on the notion of maintaining America’s dominant European culture, the one that founded and built the country, and which had become the de facto American culture celebrated from main street to the silver screen.  Until mid-20th century it was this American culture that we immigrants were ushered into when we got off the boats and attended our citizenship classes.  This is no more.

In the United States today all cultures are taught to be of equal worth and invited to maintain their cohesive enclaves save for those (Asians, blacks, and whites) who had embraced the American culture which rapidly became the racially inclusive mainstream during the post-war years.  But in the late 1960s massive class warfare movements were launched by the Left which structured our society into recognized classes of ‘minorities’ that were expected to be more or less permanently in opposition to those (again of all races) who still embraced the Europe-derived American culture.

This cleaving into classes has impacted many aspects of America’s life in the 21st century.  One with the most significant portents is the growth of systemic unemployment (much discussed here), especially among the generation of working age young people.  Alternative paths into the work force (e.g. through trades apprenticeships) are both popular and effective in countries with cultures that instill an early work ethic and respect for learning from the older and established experts in a field.  Germany is one such country, and uses such apprenticeship programs to develop their workforce for non-academic trades such as in manufacturing.  But German companies that manufacture in the US have concluded that implementing such programs here doesn’t work because of the cultural differences in our youth.  In the meanwhile, millions of jobs go unfilled in America (more here and here).  There is much more to be said about this, but here we’ll come back to it later.

I admit that such a brief look at the impact of culture in today’s world is necessarily incomplete. Nevertheless it attempts to summarize and establish the thrust and direction of social change that we have witnessed over the last half century and highlights how and why we have fragmented into cultural minorities with the formerly dominant culture being under constant attack in progressive legislatures, progressive government schools, and the progressive media.

[15sep14 update]  Stratfor has published an excellent (free) article analyzing the various pros and cons of Scottish independence - 'Scotland Approaches Its Hour Upon the Stage'.

[16sep14 update]  Strafor's George Friedman contributes this thoughtful and important essay germain to our broader consideration of cultural solidarity.  In it he says -

Nationalism, the remembrance and love of history and culture, is not a trivial thing. It has driven Europe and even the world for more than two centuries in ever-increasing waves. The upcoming Scottish election, whichever way it goes, demonstrates the enormous power of the desire for national self-determination. If it can corrode the British union, it can corrode anything.

You can read the whole piece here - http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/origins-and-implications-scottish-referendum

Comments

[Todd Juvinall]

Very good article George. I too have watched as we have allowed PCness to overtake common sense. The adage of "birds of a feather stick together" is so true. Think of all the stress relief people could experience if they were not forced to be together if they chose not to be. I recall the "school busing" of American kids and the damage it did to a whole generation of munckins. An out of control SCOTUS trying to force a round peg into a square hole has damaged the "American" ideal. What happens is a "State of Jefferson", a Kurdistan and a Bosnia of Kosovo. Much blood spilled to be with like minded people. I think it is a human need, just like food or water or shelter. The experiment has failed here in America to force everyone to get along and live side by side. The race hustlers have seen to that.

[George Rebane]

To further underline the thesis of this post on the strength of cultural solidarity, please direct your attention to the video in the 14sep14 update of 'The Silence of the Lambs'.
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2014/08/silence-of-the-lambs.html

[Walt]

Seems the Scott's are tired of sending their moneys to England. The fight is about taxation at the corp. level from what I gather. There is also talk of
corp. headed back to London if this goes through. It's a real mess.

George,, Just who may be the real loser if this happens to go through?

[George Rebane]

Walt 628pm - Sending their money to England may just be the tip of iceberg for the Scots. The real point of their getting this independence movement finally to the ballot box level is self-determination - the feeling that a Scot has where he and people like him determine their own fate. Should independence pass, what happens afterward is anyone's guess. My guess is that they will adjust and prosper; the Scots are a tough and resilient people, besides being smart.

I hope they decide to go through with it, and be an inspiration to all other such people who want to work and live within the confines of their very own culture. I saw what the Estonians did again when they regained independence in 1992 - the first item of business was to turn down the kind offer of foreign aid from the US because they didn't want to become beholden to or dependent on a foreign tit. It worked out in spades for them, and I believe the Scots will do just as well (or even better since they will be cheek by jowl with the remaining UK.

[Al]

Curious George, It is humbling Godsmack to revel in your family legacy works. Yer far kin will know who you were.

You are here now, and for the future. Please 'bind' the collection for them.

Seems like western culture must be removed.

[George Rebane]

AI 807pm - "humbling Godsmack", "revel in your family legacy works", "bind the collection", 'western culture must be removed" ??!! Boy do you have me at a disadvantage. Could you please say that again in another way. Many thanks.

[Al]

You communicate well. You are leaving a legacy that should be preserved for your family's history.

In plain language, why is it that only Europe and the USA 'shall' be multicultural? Russia, Japan and China ain't going for it.

[Walt]

multiculturalism was pushed on the U.S.ofA. by LIBS Al, " Let them be who they are from where they came from." LIBS pushed to do away with assimilation into our way of life. LIBS have destroyed "culture" with their all inclusive but separate idealism. It was "them" who killed of our "hill" culture ( mining, logging, cattle, etc.) and replaced it with their "city" life style.

A crude example, but accurate.

[Walt]

Let me add a little to what the LIBS have pushed. "newcomers" really don't need to speak English.( that's a big one) Right now, the LIBS think they can live by a separate law system ( sharia for example) Our schools must remove American symbolism because it might offend someone from a different culture. No more pledging allegiance that we all grew up with. even our stars and strips is considered offensive. We might piss of a Muslim.

[George Rebane]

Al 838pm - Thanks for the clarification. In many ways this blog is part of my legacy to my family. In addition to the autobiographical sketches in the 'My Story' section, my progeny will have a fairly detailed snapshot of what the old fart believed and thought about the issues and happenings of his day. Please recall RR's tagline, I really do believe this is the last great century of Man and try to argue that point here in the 'Singularity' section.

You ask an excellent question about the narrow imposition of multi-culturality. So much progress has been made in mono cultures, cultures that could focus their energies on trade or technology while avoiding self-generated whirlwinds that so unsettle and deplete societies. Mono cultures (e.g. in yesteryear Europe and America) had no problems with cross cultural intercourse in trade and ideas, readily taking the best that worked for them from other lands.

Things have quickly gone to hell as in the 20th century multiple cultures started contending instead of assimilating within the same jurisdictions of governance. As I mention in my piece, this MO is part of the toxic desiderata of modern collectivism. There is no reason why the EU cannot return to a collection of mono-cultural member states. Equally there is no reason why America cannot become a confederation of mono-cultural states. Such a social order would be much more stable in that social evolution would then proceed intra-culturally, and not from a pell mell contention of cultures each seeking their best place in the sun by denying it to the other. In the end multi-culturalism has always demanded that the minority cultures are sacrificed.

Today we have become so multi-culturally dysfunctional as a nation-state that America can no longer adopt and teach a common set of national interests. And this to such an extent that our very survival is now threatened by the absence of working policies - domestic and foreign - policies which are necessarily stuck in the craw of a polarized Congress. Even though we still use the same words (lexicon), their culture-dependent meanings are so different that communication has become all but impossible. The comment streams of RR are a microcosmic witness to this.

[Al]

Shy decoremed elegantly-suited polite oh-well go-along not-my-department silent-compartmentalized politicians like McClintock and Lamalfa are a problem herein. Stop it!

[Bill Tozer]

Meanwhile on the domestic news yesterday, 3 firefighters were fired for......displaying American flag stickers on their lockers. Could be deemed offensive. Somebody might walk in the firefighters' locker room and glance at those American flag decals and spend the rest of their lives in therapy. Only in America.

Birds of a feather flock together as previously pointed out. Heck, middle class people hang out with the same and even the homeless hang out with other homeless. When Armenians immigrated to the US they all went to the same place, Glendale, CA. They wanted to be amidst their own culture. Now Glendale has the largest Armenian population on the planet outside of Armenia. Poles in Chicago, Irish in Boston, etc, etc. Each neighborhood in LA is defined by birds of a feather flock together.

The vote in Scotland is just a vote. No details have been worked out yet about their monetary system, the Central Bank, the inherited debt owed as part of the United Kingdom. Even the British owned Royal Bank of Scotland said it will pull it headquarters out of Scotland, along with just about every British LTD as a threat in the vote passes for independence. But, that should not deter the vote. When voting for independence, lack of a monetary system or a rocky start should not be a consideration.
As Dr. Rebane pointed out, the Scots are an intelligent hard working thrifty people. They are so tight with a British sterling they squeak when they walk, albeit the Scots do speak funny English. But they are definitely a courageous people and innovative as well as very resourceful. For example, their men wear kilts because the sheep can hear a zipper half a kilometer away. The Highlands are in their blood.

[Joe Koyote]

Granted that many of the violent problems in the world today are the direct result of governmental entities like England, France, Russia, the soviet union, etc. forcing cultures together that have been warring for centuries and keeping the peace with a heavy club. As the governing agencies dissolve the cultural wars start up again. The US is, I think, a different story. Unlike other places on the planet where warring indigenous cultures were forced to live together, the indigenous people of America were pretty much wiped out and subjugated to the point of extinction. All of the cultures who came to America did so of their own volition. No one forced them to live together, they chose to come here where they seemed to have picked and chosen which of their old cultural remnants to keep and which ones to discard and which others to pick up from other cultures. In nature is appears as if hybrids are stronger and have a more diverse gene pool than isolated animals so why wouldn't the same apply to humans?

Throughout history cultures have assimilated other cultures and/or cultural aspects, mostly for the better. Cultural isolation is what leads to ISIS. They don't ever realize that there are other ways to live. Mono-culturalism is what creates these monstrosities. Isolation is what allows perverted ideas to grow and spread. Culture is a learned set of behaviors and isolation allows negative behaviors (and positive) to be perpetuated and celebrated without question. The planet is engaged in all sorts of cultural wars because one person's terrorist is another person's hero. Further isolation is not the solution as it allows people to put their heads in the sand and claim they are the true heroes and their enemies are the true terrorists. In short mono-culturalism is divisive and has lead to most all the world wars and conflicts humanity has experienced and to expound it as the solution to our problems is reckless and short sighted. To champion mono-culturalism is to give your stamp of approval to Burkas, forced teen marriages, public beheadings, and a whole host of atrocities that are being carried out today in the name of culture.

[George Rebane]

JoeK 952am - Great comment and good contribution to the discussion.

You arguments are on the mark until you get into the notion of "cultural isolation", and then you go off the rails. Mono-culturalism in any given jurisdiction of government leads neither to cultural isolation nor its stasis. And that truth is yet stronger in today's inter-connected world than ever before. Enlightened cultures have lived and continue to live in cohesive communities, but they don't do so with your "isolation" blinders on, nor are they restricted from enjoying broad and deep intercourse with other cultures in other jurisdictions. The only difference is that in mono-cultural societies it is the people of that culture who decide what the direction and rate of the cultural evolution will be, not the heavy hand of a multi-cultural government attempting to keep the peace through imposition of greater strictures (witness the erosion of freedoms in our country within the onslaught of socialism).

Your view is understandable and your arguments are classical (as I point out in my piece) given your ideological perspective. In an enlightened mono-cultural society the reach of government can be limited and amiable as illustrated by the countries practicing it today. And yes, cultures are very diverse, some can be rapacious and stifling as you imply of classical Islam.

But it is both simplistic and naïve to attribute the atrocities of Islam to all mono-cultural societies in the face of a deluge of existential counter-evidence. Nevertheless, you have successfully identified another tenet that strongly polarizes the collective and classical liberal wings of American thought. Thanks again for the comment.

[fish]

All of the cultures who came to America England did so of their own volition. No one forced them to live together, they chose to come here where they seemed to have picked and chosen which of their old cultural remnants to keep and which ones to discard and which others to pick up from other cultures. In nature is appears as if hybrids are stronger and have a more diverse gene pool than isolated animals so why wouldn't the same apply to humans?

Coming to your "vibrant" community soon .......a brand new selection of cultural norms to accompany so many of the charming "old world" customs!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2756140/Rotherham-child-abuse-victim-confronts-alleged-abuser-street-SHE-arrested-van-load-police.html

[Bill Tozer]

good point Mr. Koyote. The citizens of France long for the days of Napoleon to return so they can go out and conquer the world and plunder nations and bring home the sweet cream of the crop.
But then again, I heard a rumor that their new Muslim immigrants have isolated themselves in Islamic ghettos and even the Paris police dare not venture there at night and the Muslims reject France's laws and have their own penal code. Don't think France is doing a very good job of becoming a hybrid, nor does it appear from here that it has made The Motherland stronger, but I could be missing some underlying silver lining or a sun ray of glorious days ahead.

One tiny point of clarification. You mentioned forced teen marriages. I strongly and respectfully disagree. You are off by a few years.
The prophet himself at 54 years of age married a nine year old child. Thus the Islamic age of consent is 9 years old. This is not some far fetched out of the mainstream notion practiced in backward Stone Age countries or a misinterpretation of the Holy Koran. All followers of Muhammad are not only strongly encouraged to follow his teachings, but are required to DO what the prophet did. Even the Ayatollah Khomeini married a ten year old when he was a young man of 28 years .

Sex with 9 year olds is a big no-no in the Western World. Those bleeding heart humanitarians among us that have traveled to the Muslin world to teach young 3rd grade girls to read are shocked to find most of the class is already married, lol. Hybrid? Go ahead and knock yourself out. Isolation? Go ahead and get all warm and fuzzy and become best buds with a rattlesnake. Stick the snake under your shirt and show Mr. Snake the sight and sounds of Nevada City on a Saturday night.

[fish]

Sex with 9 year olds is a big no-no in the Western World.

Well that's not entirely accurate William.....a fair percentage of those in British entertainment have no problem with 9 as age of consent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile#Allegations_of_sexual_abuse

Of course I don't believe that they ever threatened any of the victims in the name of anti-racism when Jimmys kinks were finally made public....

Remember the firstiest of the the commandments in the proggie catechism.... if someone sports a hue just a hair darker than white..... they're practically Jesus!

[Brad C.]

Here is a link to Scottish independence, for, and against.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-from-oil-and-the-economy-to-the-pound-and-the-queen-the-hot-topics-driving-the-referendum-debate-9732415.html

Regarding enclaves, we already have that at the state level, county level, city level, and neighborhood and gated community, and even club (golf, gun, yacht, Lions, Masons, church, KKK, etc.) enclave levels. Each level could be considered a type of enclave where more controls and refinements can be made at each level allowing the citizens/members more and more homogeneity .

We should strive to be a secular society. The term "non-secular" should include religious/spiritual beliefs and customs associated with those beliefs and should be confined to the home, or your club. I would prefer only to have one common language so we can communicate with each other. I heard that maybe 35-60% of our words are French in origin, so it can be a pidgin soup language for variety. If you want to wear a jiffy pop hat over your dreads, or a burka, or a cowboy hat out in public -fine.

Regarding removing American Flags from locker rooms - that ranks up there as some of the more idiotic, over-controlling crap I have heard recently. I guess, if that's the case, we should just remove all the American Flags everywhere - what a hoot!

[Bill Tozer]

Ok, Fish, that is not fair. You cannot count someone working for the BBC as an example of our culture or any culture for that matter. Next time use a real human being without a broken thinker or who not mentally incapacitated such as any number of BBC employees/stars.
Oh, back here in the Multicultural States of America, we do have our share of pedophiles no doubt. And they are from all races, origins, and religions. Just like the UN Peacekeepers in Africa raping women and children with wanton abandon. But as a rule of thumb in this Hemisphere, sex with pre-teens is not tolerated nor legal. Not even barely legal.

In fairness I will pick on a good ole boy white Anglo Saxon male. How about Jimmy Swaggert. Preaching the word and trolling for hookers at night, claiming God was speaking to him. We all fall short of living up to our ideals and do Bozo no nos, but he made the news. I submit the following question for your consideration: If God was really talking to Jimmy, don't you think would have said "Jimmy, don't pick up that prostitute . There is a police car in your rear view mirror." At least the street walker of ill repute was of legal age. Must be a cultural thang.

[George Rebane]

BradC 110am - How would all those overlapping "enclaves" work, since in that hierarchy an individual could/would be a member of many such enclaves. Recall that the common attribute of all these mono-cultural independence movements is the creation of a single jurisdiction that shares a culture and also the associated governance with its uniformly applying laws. The social system you outline needs a little work to flesh it out - most certainly it could not be attained under any existing constitution.

PS. I failed to mention that this post now has its 15sep14 update.

[fish]

Posted by: Bill Tozer | 15 September 2014 at 11:16 AM

Don't know. Were I the almighty I might let Jimmy get popped with a hooker just for yuks! But then I'm a vengeful god!

[Bill Tozer]

Just reread Dr. Rebane's post, this time slowly. He sure packed a lot into a short essay. Much to digest.
Diversity in and of itself seems to be the higher authority our central planners worship. Darn that document that says something about gobberment keeping its claws out of free association and freedom of assembly and freedom to move about freely in this country. And darn that thing called innate human nature that does not wish to label diversity in and of itself as the final solution to humanity's ills.

[Walt]

If you move from one place to another, the old saying goes, " when in Rome,,,,"
( do you know the rest?) Well, that sure has changed. " When you go to Rome,, piss and moan and demand they change to where YOU came from."

Then there are those that move in next to and airport, then bitch about the noise. A city slicker leaves the concrete jungle, moves to the country side, and buys a home next to a horse ranch, then demands the horses get sent to the dog food factory because he doesn't like the smell. Instead he should go ask for the free fertilizer.
If you don't care for the way things are done, don't mover there.

[George Rebane]

Walt 845pm - Excellent exhortation for all reformers. If I may paraphrase, with attribution of course - 'If you don't like the way things are done there, don't go there.'

[fish]

Looks like Scotland has voted to remain on the dole for a bit longer!

[Brad C.]

Vladimir Putin's speech -

On August 04, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president,
addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech
about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

"In Russia, live like Russians. Any minority, from anywhere,
if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, it
should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws.
If they prefer Sharia Law, and live the life of Muslim's
then we advise them to go to those places where that's the
state law.

"Russia does not need Muslim minorities. Minorities need
Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or
try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how
loud they yell 'discrimination'. We will not tolerate
disrespect of our Russian culture. We better learn from the
suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are
to survive as a nation. The Muslims are taking over those
countries and they will not take over Russia.The Russian
customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of
culture or the primitive ways of Sharia Law and Muslims.

"When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new
laws, it should have in mind the Russian national interest
first, observing that the Muslims Minorities Are Not
Russians."

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a five minute
standing ovation.

[George Rebane]

BradC 1236pm - Saw this go around the emails and thought of posting it several times. My bad that I didn't do it with this piece on cultural cohesion. Thanks for correcting this oversight.

[Gregory]

"Looks like Scotland has voted to remain on the dole for a bit longer!" -fish

No fish, the independence movement was for an even deeper welfare state financed by North Sea oil whose wealth the new Scotland would keep for itself and distribute to the unwashed masses.

FREEDOM?

I suspect Keach would have voted for independence and a check had he been Scottish enough to be given a vote and a check. Money for nothing, congrats to the Scots for rejecting it. Maybe an actual vote for freedom for the Scots will eventually be taken, but not this decade.

[Brad C.]

Yes, it finally made its way into my inbox. This seemed like a good place to store it.

[George Rebane]

BradC 226pm - Yes, but we must ever keep in mind that Putin expects that nationalistic dictum to only apply to Mother Russia. According to Putin no other country is allowed to apply that dictum against an ethnic Russian minority living in their midst, especially if the country is in Russia's 'near abroad'. Ukraine has already felt Putin's heel on their neck, and the Baltics with significant Russian minorities are quivering in fear of their NATO big brothers abandoning them (recalling how Britain and France did the same in 1939).