Yanukovych touts beauty of undressed Ukrainian women

[ML]

 

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is going to attract foreign investors to his country with the help of beautiful Ukrainian women.

Yanukovych delivered a speech during a Friday lunchtime session at the annual International Economic Forum in Davos, focusing on the Switch On Ukraine PR-campaign, which promotes the upcoming Euro 2012 football tournament, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland.

"In order to 'Switch On Ukraine' it is enough to look at it with your own eyes when chestnuts start blooming in Kiev and Ukrainian women start undressing. To see this beauty is amazing," the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper quoted Yanukovych as saying.

The lunch's host, Reuters journalist Chrystia Freeland, was not overly impressed by Yanukovych's sexist comments.

"Political correctness has yet to reach Ukraine," said Freeland, who is of Ukrainian descent. "But nevertheless it was nice to learn about the beauty of Ukrainian women."


http://en.rian.ru/world/20110128/162355873.html

[Muzh]

Not only the man is a gangaster but also a moron.

Edit: I can't wait for FEMEN to go after him, ironically proving his point.  Hmm, maybe his not such a moron.

FEMEN = the only organization in Ukraine with cojones enough to go after Yanukonvict.

[ECOCKS]

You can dress the gorilla up but you still have to be careful when he goes out in public.....

[erudite]

I spent two weeks in Kharkiv in late November and early December.  Then I spent another two weeks there in late December and early January. The billboards with that SOB Yanukovych's picture wishing everyone a "Happy New Year" were literally everywhere.  They were just all over the place.

It reminded me of lessons from the history books I have read so many times, that the leader of a country wants to create a "personality cult" about him within the common people. He does this by constantly touting his greatness, empathy, public exposure, etc.  Stalin's picture was everywhere in Russia during his time as was Lenin's, so I guess this guy has some of the same designs to hold onto his power and office.

Every time I got into a taxi with my fiance and the driver found out I was American, they always talked politics and to a man they said "President of Ukraine is Mafia" with emphasis.  All I did was smile and nod in agreement.

I am still trying to find out he got elected because in three trips to Kharkiv since he was elected, it seems no one likes him or voted for him.

[dbneeley]

Before the vote for President, I thought my wife's response as to why she was voting for Yanukovych was illuminating.

She said that when he was running Donetsk, there was more actual progress for the people here than in any comparable period before or since. She believed that all Ukrainian politicians were crooks; therefore, she said, it made more sense to vote for a crook who actually got things done for the lives of the people than one who did not...and Tymoshenko was no prize in any way. I do know that her public persona stinks--extremely condescending, for one thing.

Unfortunately, Yushenko had lost the confidence of the public after they had had such high hopes during the Orange Revolution--although how much of that was because of the people he had to work with may be another matter.

David

[Shadow]

Sex sells....


As for politics in Ukraine, whenever something goes out on TV it reminds of a bad movie more than people trying to do their best for the country. That goes for all sides involved, which leaves little hope for the future.

[Kuna]

Before the vote for President, I thought my wife's response as to why she was voting for Yanukovych was illuminating.

She said that when he was running Donetsk, there was more actual progress for the people here than in any comparable period before or since. She believed that all Ukrainian politicians were crooks; therefore, she said, it made more sense to vote for a crook who actually got things done for the lives of the people than one who did not...and Tymoshenko was no prize in any way. I do know that her public persona stinks--extremely condescending, for one thing.

Unfortunately, Yushenko had lost the confidence of the public after they had had such high hopes during the Orange Revolution--although how much of that was because of the people he had to work with may be another matter.

David

This was my wife's line of thinkingtoo...  Even though they're all crooks why not put one in who will do something good for the country?

I spent two weeks in Kharkiv in late November and early December.  Then I spent another two weeks there in late December and early January. The billboards with that SOB Yanukovych's picture wishing everyone a "Happy New Year" were literally everywhere.  They were just all over the place.

It reminded me of lessons from the history books I have read so many times, that the leader of a country wants to create a "personality cult" about him within the common people. He does this by constantly touting his greatness, empathy, public exposure, etc.  Stalin's picture was everywhere in Russia during his time as was Lenin's, so I guess this guy has some of the same designs to hold onto his power and office.

Every time I got into a taxi with my fiance and the driver found out I was American, they always talked politics and to a man they said "President of Ukraine is Mafia" with emphasis.  All I did was smile and nod in agreement.

I am still trying to find out he got elected because in three trips to Kharkiv since he was elected, it seems no one likes him or voted for him.

If you'd travelled while Yushenko was in power you'd see the same billboards with a different face... Lots of Tymoshenko  ones too.
 
Never been to Kharkov but the a big majority of our friends in Dnepropetrovsk voted for him and based that decision on two things:

1.  The same reasoning David gave above, and;

2. The divisive nature of Yushenko trying to divide the undeniable cultural and historical links with Russia.

It was sickening to see the destructive things Yushenko was saying and doing to the relationship with Russia throughout his presidency and then with weeks to go to the election he turned in to a puppy dog with a few trips to Moscow to try to spin a story about his good relationship with the Russian leaders.

Ukraine needs new leadership and new ideas. Hopefully the younger candidates coming though won't have strong links to any of the old political factions.

[Gator]

"...when chestnuts start blooming in Kiev and Ukrainian women start undressing..."

Something lost in translation.  As translated, it does sound like a UW disrobing in front of him.  Yet, he probably is remarking about the first warm days of spring when chestnut trees lining the main streets display a brilliant bloom, and long legged UW walk under the blooming trees without heavy coats.  I found it a remarkable sight indeed, and I am not a sexist.

[Kuna]

It's ironic that anyone here would criticise him for apparently being sexist when the overwhelming attitude of members here is heavily weighted towards the objectification of Ukrainian women.

You only have to go back through the threads here to look at the view counts on photos of women compared to the view counts of photos of beautiful architecture and scenery.

A few months ago Yanukovych was being criticised for stopping girls/women wearing short skirts at work in the public service.

[ML]

They know how to get their points across.

[Aloe]

If ukraine is not a brothel, then what the hell are they doing standing there with their tits out ?

[Jumper]

Aloe-
trying by extreme measures to bring publicity to a given topic..?

while it might be effective at times,
in this case , the man was talking about women undressing (of course he meant more revealing summer clothes), and them then doing so, seems particularly ironic. but that group seems to relish irony anyway?


I feel they do most of their causes more harm than good..
and that seems to be the feeling most Ukrainians  have about that groups antics.

ultimately the more they do so, the less and less press they will get..
to the point of being a hari krishna in an airport.
when it is  common or routine for them, it lacks the real impact they wish to make.

[Muzh]

If ukraine is not a brothel, then what the hell are they doing standing there with their tits out ?

Their tatas are their weapon. These ladies are by no means loose nor fragile. I've seen them get on men's faces and set them up straight. The unfortunate fact in Ukraine is that the only way you can get you message against this administration is by shock treatment. And short of setting up a bomb, tatas will do.

[Muzh]

Aloe-
trying by extreme measures to bring publicity to a given topic..?

while it might be effective at times,
in this case , the man was talking about women undressing (of course he meant more revealing summer clothes), and them then doing so, seems particularly ironic. but that group seems to relish irony anyway?


I feel they do most of their causes more harm than good..
and that seems to be the feeling most Ukrainians  have about that groups antics.

ultimately the more they do so, the less and less press they will get..
to the point of being a hari krishna in an airport.
when it is  common or routine for them, it lacks the real impact they wish to make.

AJ, let's say that I issue a dissenting vote.

[Jumper]

Well they have done so many times ,it might have had shock value initially?
at least to me it has none at all now ,and it will  have less and less in the future.

Have them try it at  a nudist colony,,or many euro beaches,, big yawns all around.
The same to a lesser extent will eventually happen  when if it's routine to see them in front of some kiev
 official building with signs.

so then they will remove their bottoms??
even  that would become not so shocking in time..
(i think they may have in the past anyway?)


i'm actually surprised they have the shock value and press that they seem to have in Ukraine,
in St louis missouri, i could see that..

As a person seeing a half naked woman protesting a political leader who made a sexist comment about women wearing *less* in the spring..
i just find them as silly, as the leaders comments.

[GoodOlBoy]

........what the hell are they doing standing there with their tits out ?

Sun tanning?? :noidea:

GOB

[Faux Pas]

Their tatas are their weapon. These ladies are by no means loose nor fragile. I've seen them get on men's faces and set them up straight. The unfortunate fact in Ukraine is that the only way you can get you message against this administration is by shock treatment. And short of setting up a bomb, tatas will do.

Where does one volunteer his face? 

[ECOCKS]

Where does one volunteer his face? 

ROFLMAO

[vwrw]

I feel they do most of their causes more harm than good..

I absolutely agree with you AJ.

As a person seeing a half naked woman protesting a political leader who made a sexist comment about women wearing *less* in the spring..
i just find them as silly, as the leaders comments.

I find the leader's words were silly in a funny way, whereas the activists' reactions seem silly in a stupid way.

[erudite]

The blonde in the pink pants could convince me of almost anything for a few hours at least.  At least I guess she is a "blonde", we really don't know do we? 

[GoodOlBoy]

Two Words:

GOT MILK??? :evil:

GOB

[Gator]

I find the leader's words were silly in a funny way, whereas the activists' reactions seem silly in a stupid way.

Accurate contrast of the two. 

[Muzh]

You the man!