Oh the irony! After nearly 23 years of speaking up for Ukraine, the Kyiv Post could be silenced by legislation that seeks to boost Ukrainian identity.
The new language bill that parliament passed at first reading on Oct. 4 seemed at first glance to be a positive development.
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While I understand the case presented I am left wondering why the two billionaires (maybe just multimillionaires) who owned, sold, and purchased the KP did not see this coming. It was inevitable.
Frankly the KP needs to do so so that the average person in Ukraine can read what the English speaking world thinks. It can only help. Catering to just English speakers is not the way to go.
If you want to use the excuse you do not have the revenue to do so then the question arises as to why your new owner has spent so much money and time on Syria (where he used to live) while ignoring the obvious in Kyiv (where he now lives).
Perhaps the KP should look at this as the silver lining in the stormy clouds. When handed lemons the KP can make some lemonade 🙂
Well, I don't such exemption can be made for non-Russian languages, only because we are not fighting English-speaking country. We can not discriminate Russian language, we can only promote our own, which we are doing by speaking, writing, reading and finally legislating use of Ukrainian.
From another hand, no legislation will ever be perfect. I personally never insisted to write Kyiv instead of Kiev, like no one insists to write Lisboa instead of Lisbon. But majority of apologists of that law actually insists to have Kyiv instead of Kiev, so I have to agree with them. However, generally the law is good and benevolent: I live in a city where only 7% speaks Ukrainian and we often discriminated at least by denying services in Ukrainian. Right now I can not only looking for better service, but also reclaim that service provider breaks the law, which is much stronger position.
And I strongly disagree about your statements regarding progressive Russian-speaking patriot. I was a Russian speaker and I needed 5 month and $200 to master Ukrainian. Yes, it is that simple for Russian speakers! So if one cannot master Ukrainian and use it on certain occasions says because it is against one's identity, how can one be a progressive or patriot? What should I expect next? May be paying taxes or obey the law is also not comfortable? After all if I am good person and driver why can't I drive 80kmph in a city? History knows many good people who were racists, antisemites, Nazis, communists, xenophobes. Nowadays in the modern society you cannot be either of them and claim that you are good. As well as you cannot live in a country and don't speak national language, whether you in Ukraine where all can speak Russian or in Israel/Norway/Netherlands where all speak English.
This is insane