Sir, – In recent times we have witnessed the ousting of two democratically elected presidents. The Egyptian president Morsi was deposed in an army coup which, strangely, was not regarded elsewhere as a coup. Pro-Morsi demonstrators suffered about 800 casualties at the hands of the police and army. Little outside sympathy was shown towards the massacred and their families.
The Ukrainian president Yanukovich was deposed as an outcome of anti-Yanukovich demonstrators. Approximately 80 demonstrators were killed by the police. In this case, great publicity and sympathy has been shown towards the dead and their families. Neither of the presidents would seem to be very attractive individuals. In the case of Morsi, his policies were certainly of an Islamist nature. Yanukovich was an oligarch with a sickeningly opulent lifestyle. But his jailed political nemesis Yulia Tymoshenko was equally oligarchic with a lavish lifestyle.
However, if people elect unsavoury individuals in democratic elections then they should be free to dispose of them in subsequent elections.
Finally the US has now warned Russia not to intervene militarily. This is almost amusingly ironic given the long list of American military interventions since 1945 whenever there has been a perception of American political, economic or strategic interests being at stake. In a parallel to that of Russia and its neighbour Ukraine, one would not bet on American non-intervention. – Yours, etc,
ALBERT COLLINS,
Bishopscourt Road, Cork.