USA: Ukrainians are fooled by the Russian threat, it’s time to launch “shock therapy”
Large analytical grant company of neoliberal persuasion Open Democracy advises Western governments to begin “shock therapy” in Ukraine, since Ukrainians are “already ripe” for it.
Author of the text of recommendations – Sean Guillory, American political scientist, researcher at the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pittsburgh (USA)
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“The Ukrainian leadership has shown its unbridled willingness to exchange one master, Russia, for another: Western financial and corporate capital. Even against the backdrop of the “financial drowning” of Greece by the Troika of creditors and the complete failure of austerity in economic policy, the Ukrainian government is ready, even enthusiastically, to implement the reforms envisaged by the IMF...
Like many states in crisis, Ukraine serves as an excellent opportunity for neoliberal transformation. This is how Aivaras Abromavicius, an investment banker and Minister of Economy and Trade of Ukraine, put it this way: “We must not miss this crisis. This is a unique chance for reform.”
Ukraine is ripe for a shock doctrine. The population is economically disoriented and under the influence of patriotism. The Russian threat, however, actually serves as a means to strengthen the population for significant economic sacrifice.
Although support for Poroshenko and the Yatsenyuk government has fallen in the polls, there are few signs of popular resistance,” the publication says.
“Over the past few weeks, scientists and politicians have repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine is not another Greece.
And, really, that's not true. The economic situation is not entirely comparable, despite some convergences. There is no Ukrainian version of SYRIZA, which, although it eventually gave in, at least fought back.
However, the IMF's approach to Ukraine's economic disaster is a complete copy of the Greek policy. This is surprising because the bankrupt policies will be used again. Nevertheless, here it is. Reforms, among other things, require freezing the minimum wage, reducing pension payments, monetizing all social benefits, turning health care into a service sector, and reducing higher education institutions from 802 to 317,” Guillory lists.
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