When the nations of this world descend into geopolitical bickering I have always found it easier to understand if I treat countries as if they were people more specifically school children and the world is their playground. I do this because, its makes its that bit easier to understand and even relate too and more importantly how ludicrous most of it is! What is going on in the Ukraine right now is all about power and influence and who exactly has it over the Ukraine, on one side you have the West and on the other you have Russia. One of which in my humble opinion if far more benevolent than the other. I don't believe the regime change in the Ukraine was an EU led/funded/organised coup but rather a reaction to a belligerent President. Morten Morlands cartoon in the Times sums up Putin and Russia over the last few years in this respect rather well......
Like I said the world is a playground and the countries are its school children, each and everyone has its own identity and its own social groups etc etc etc... So way back in year one Russia and its mates and America and its mates both had a problem with Germany which culminated in a massive gang fight in the middle of the playground. After this early act of unity things quickly went sour and off they both went into their playground cliques. over the years the animosity grew but never did Russia and America fight face to face! A little scuffle here and an arm wrestle there, a punch up between their mates behind the bike shed with some supportive words and a stick to hit with maybe, but no brawling between the big boys. By year 7 though Russia had not been looking after its mates quiet as well as America and its gang started to fall out, fed up with it some of them made friends with America and even started hanging around with some of the European guys. Oh my this did upset Russia so much so it decided to change its ways, be more like America or the Europeans so the old mates would still be its friend. This worked..... even the Europeans would come and have a kick about now. Everyone thought Russia had changed, that all the playground fighting and the trouble with America was the end of the strife! But Russia just got jealous, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungry, Bulgaria, the Czech's all started hanging out with the other Europeans all the time and they started to ask Russia s other mates too..... Well this made Russia rather angry and when Georgia got invited over, well Russia just flipped its lid and went round and bloodied Georgia's nose! Russia had decided by carrot or stick certain 'friends' were going to stay friends!
Well I think that analogy has run its course! The ease of which I have related the story by means of a playground analogy I think shows how petty geopolitics is! There is no world shattering reason for Russian troops to be in the Ukraine right now threatening to take back there Playstation (Crimea) that they gave to Ukraine. Its petty pride, power projection and moreover bullying, it is no more complex or logical than the daily occurrences in any school playground.
