TOW #26: Russia Can't Decide if Ukranian Jews are Victims or Villains By: Alina Polyakova

Reading Goals: Understand the main purpose of the article (this one is quite complex)

Writing goals: Practice writing about a topic that I may not know a lot about, but while sounding convincing and finding examples in a seemingly rhetoric-free article

  Civil unrest in Ukraine this year has been multi-dimensional and convoluted. Russia has invaded a peaceful country and attempted to take back what was once their territory. Russian troops have taken over the Crimean peninsula, and this action has shocked the world, and split many opinions about the matter. Possibly one of the most confusing issue within the topic of Ukraine may be the difference of those citizens who support Russia and those who oppose Russia, and want a free Ukraine. The most recent accusation from those who support Russia is that the Jewish leaders of the Ukrainian opposition are the enemy, and in some way, supporting Nazism. Alina Polyakova, a journalist for the New Republic aims to tackle and report on this complex topic by utilizing concise statement.

  Polyavoka uses concise conclusions and statements in order to clearly come across to the audience. Throughout the article, she first explains the complexities of an issue, and then, at the end of her explanation, she offers a concise conclusion, such as, "the protesters are Nazis, the interim government contains Nazis, and before long they will come for the Jews," and "the term neatly captures two deep fears of Putin's regime. The first is Jewish oligarchs have too much power...The second fear is of successful democratic movements". With these two statements, Polyavoka is able to summarize both of the main points in her article. Who the people were, what they were doing, and why. 

   Thus, Alina Polyakova is able to achieve her purpose, to tackle and inform about the complex topic of the Ukranian and Russian statements about Jews, through concise statements which clearly outline her conclusions. These concise statements allow her reader to comprehend and the article has more impact on the reader as they go on about their lives. And because the reader now understands this topic, they may go on to use this information in a casual dinner conversation, write a report, understand any new news even more,  or even, to help the Ukrainian Jews. 

(zhidobandera, the derogetory term Russian-supporting Ukrainians use about democratic Ukranian Jews, with a menorah depicted with Nazi colors, showing just how complex the countries' dynamics are presently)