The fact that there are six identifiable levels of force does not mean that it is policy to use them on protestors. I mean, you could say that this link means that it is policy to shoot people who double park, or who take pictures of police.[quote=“time, post:255, topic:24467”]
Yes. You make claims. The claims are refuted. You lower the bar(move the goal posts).
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OK. Refute the claim that the US objects when other nations use lethal force to deal with protestors.
Refute the claim that the US doesn’t use lethal force on protestors (something you still haven’t done, and which a link describing six different levels of force doesn’t do, either).
So the police had totally vacated the Maidan after Feb 20? Really? Then why the heck did you post a RT video from the 23rd as some sort of evidence for why the police would use lethal force? And why would the police use lethal force if they were leaving?[quote=“time, post:255, topic:24467”]
The Ukraine police were not armed for several months and during the early attempts to roust out the protesters, so no, I don’t suppose the Ukraine protesters assumed they could be shot by unarmed(firearms) police. In contrast, the police that rousted the OWS protesters were armed at minute one. Don’t let the little details get in the way.
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Hmm. So these protestors didn’t get the idea when they finally did break out firearms? In contrast, the police officer who gives me a jaywalking ticket also caries a gun. I don’t expect him to shoot me. Nor do I expect to be shot at OWS just because police there also have guns.
I see. When it comes to rogue officers and isolated incidences of violence by police that prompt investigations, lawsuits, and apologies, you have no problem saying this reflects the official position and policy in the US. And earlier you suggested that because there were two or three other Americans participating in this thread that my thought on the US must be illegitimate and uninformed. But when we have mass protests, you change tunes and say that the protestors only reflect a small percentage of the population, even though they represent at least as much of the country as commenters in this thread represent the US or rogue officers represent US security forces.
Regardless of what you think, however, the fact remains that Yanukovich and his pro-Russia government were deeply unpopular in the country.
So far as I can tell you’ve picked your side, too. Protestors willing to risk death, and who continue to protest after hundreds of their compatriots have been shot by the police, tell us nothing about what anyone thinks in Ukraine because they are only a small percent of the population. I’m sure everyone else loves Yanukovich and Russia, because they give much better protection to protestors, human rights, democracy, and civil liberties than the US does. It’s a wonder you haven’t applied for citizenship there.
