This is a perfect example of why Ron Paul would have sucked as a president. His foreign policy is freaking nuts. It’s so bad, that whenever the libertarian host is putting this Crimea referendum in context by pointing out that Russia is basically putting their boot on Ukraine’s neck prior to this referendum, questioning if we should accept a referendum under those circumstances, Ron Paul switched it back to being America making threats to put missiles in Russia’s back yard or something, saying we had no business doing that.
Watch:
Ron Paul talks about self-determination, I guess referring to this referendum. I think he really needs to read this:
HUFFPO – Sunday’s vote in Ukraine’s Crimea is being officially billed as a chance for the peninsula’s peoples to decide fairly and freely their future – but in fact there is no room on the ballot paper for voting “Nyet” to control by Russia.
The Crimean voter will have the right to choose only one of two options in the March 16 referendum which the region’s pro-Russian leadership, protected by Russian forces, announced earlier this month.
According to a format of the ballot paper, published on the parliament’s website, the first question will ask: “Are you in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?”
The second asks: “Are you in favour of restoring the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?”
At first glance, the second option seems to offer the prospects of the peninsula remaining within Ukraine.
But the 1992 national blueprint – which was adopted soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union and then quickly abolished by the young post-Soviet Ukrainian state – is far from doing that.
This foresees giving Crimea all the qualities of an independent entity within Ukraine – but with the broad right to determine its own path and choose relations with whom it wants – including Russia.
With the pro-Russian assembly already saying it wants to return Crimea to Russia, this second option only offers a slightly longer route to shifting the peninsula back under Russian control, analysts say.
The option of asking people if they wish to stick with the status quo – in which Crimea enjoys autonomy but remains part of Ukraine – is not on offer.