Over Ukraine, we have lost our moral compass

A week’s holiday in the perfect seaside town of Staithes was intended to be recuperative and restful, a time to clear the mind, even if the kids were with me. But I return no less confused about the events in Ukraine and, in particular, our reaction to them.

I left for the north already in a state of confusion over our support for a mob which overthrew a democratically elected government, even if it was a crap government. This was ‘people power’, though, apparently – and that makes it all right. But now there are insurrections in the east of the country – and yet these are apparently the work of thugs and recidivists and we have enjoined the illegal Kiev government to crack down on them with great vigour. Russia is behind it all, we are told – and I don’t doubt that there are Russian agents at work. But is anyone doubting the aspirations of the people in the east of the country? And are they not more legitimate than those of the people in the west of the country, seeing that they simply resented watching a democratically elected government, which had their full support, overthrown with the encouragement and possibly assistance of the western powers?

It seems to me that we have lost our moral compass. Perhaps Clarks could manufacture some more of those shoes which used to have a compass in the heel, then we’d all know where we stand.