With the continued presence of armed masked Russian troops
in Crimea, and the resultant condemnation from the West, Russia claimed these military types are not soldiers, but rather,
they are revelers attending an ethnic Crimean carnival where everyone dresses
up in military uniforms, carries guns, and wears masks. It is purportedly a
rich cultural tradition going back hundreds of years, or at least a few
minutes, or however long ago they thought up this ruse. I mean, it’s a rich
traditional festival, all just fun and games, and this is how people in Crimea
enjoy themselves: wearing masks and pushing around unarmed people, especially
women, little kids, old men from international rights groups, and wimpy reporters
and documentarians. And if you don’t appreciate the cultural expression of the
local ethnic population of other countries, then you’re just culturally
insensitive. (<Wouldn’t it be funny if Russia tried to use political
correctness against our political correctness-obsessed news and government? Wow, I wonder how they
would react, because if they dismissed the complaint as illegitimate, they would look like
hypocrites when they make politically correct/cultural insensitivity accusations against their critics. And they try that stuff with their critics a lot.)
