I propose a new word to describe the territories Russia is carving up in its neighbours lands - in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and soon elsewhere. Separatist territories gives the little green men, thugs, bandits and misled romantics that carved them out a respectability they dont deserve. Frozen conflicts is both misleading - these conflicts are anything but frozen, since they are the dynamic tools of Russian foreign policy - and insulting, since it takes two to have a conflict, and in every case the areas have been destablisized by an external agressor. None of these will do. Let us instead call them what they really are: Greenmanistans, the countries created by Little Green Men. Greenmanistans are all the areas of the former Soviet Union where Russia has used its tools of assymetric warfare. Greenmanistans can be peaceful, like Crimea, be carved out by a short war, like South Ossetia, or become a horrible mess, like the Donbass. They are all those areas where reality has been upended, international law has been voided of any meaning, and doublespeak has become the main tool of conversation. Thanks to Maxim Edwards for suggesting the term.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 08:29:52 +0000
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