Posted by John on November 07, 1999 at 21:23:43:
In Reply to: For The mad Rusyn posted by Mirko on October 20, 1999 at 23:22:55:
: In case you missed my point I am not forcing Rusyns to call themselves Ukrainian, quite the opposite, I am suggesting that Ukrainians remember their historic name Rusy/Rusyny. Not being a socialist, I guess that makes me even more a Rusyn in your eyes. Politically I'm a Libertarian more than anything else. Presumably Rusyny trace their ethnic roots to the Rus state of the 9th to 12th century or so. They no doubt feel that after the Mongol onslaught their cultural center, if was pushed west, becoming the Halycko-Volyns'ke kniazivstvo, and that you are the descendants of these people. That leaves you with the problem of the ethno-genesis of us nasty Ukrainians. Since the term Ukrainian as an ethnic designation did not exist prior to, say, the 17th century, and then by the 19th it is well-established, then I guess this nation must have parachuted into Ukraine from the heavens. If, on the other hand the designation Ukrainian was being applied to and by the Rus descendants, then the miracle of the virgin birth of the "Ukrainian" nation is explained.
: I am not impressed by the political/economic stupidity in today's Ukraine any more than you, but that has nothing to do with ethnicity. That form of argument adds nothing to this discussion.
RE: The political/economic stupidity in today's Ukraine was pointed out by me, John, and not by "the mad Rusyn". My response to you:The Czarist Russia used Panslavism to build the Russian Empire that collapsed in 1917. In order to save it, V.I.Lenin substituted the Panslavism with the Communism and created a monster USSR, known as the Evil Empire. Now, you are trying to save the Evil Empire from its rubbles by shedding of the word Ukraine and substitute it with the word Rus by using a “scientific approach” of ethnic origin. Your “libertarian” thinking has a clear-cut element of racism. In addition to very different history of Rusyns as compared to Ukrainians, you assume that these people (Rusyns) in Central Europe have been lacking mental capacity to develop their own distinct culture during 1000 years when they lived together with Hungarians, Germans, Slovaks, Rumanians, Czechs. Sincerely, John.