<i>The Day</i>: an island of truth and free thinking

Just yesterday, going through James Mace’s archives and looking for something that hasn’t been yet published in The Day newspaper I suddenly saw a separate piece of paper. It fell right into my hands. I read it and thought to myself that these few lines will be the best gift for the employees and the readers of our favorite newspaper. It will be a kind of a unique and beautiful conclusion to celebration of the newspaper’s 15th anniversary. 

After six years of my stay in Ukraine I can’t help but notice that life here goes by other laws than in America or Western Europe. I can’t help but notice the changes and understand that not all of them are for the better. My task as a teacher of American political science, among other things, is not to prove the excellence of US system, because it is far from being perfect. But we must acknowledge that it is quite a successful system at the present time, despite all the pluses and minuses.

I am a historian. I am always attracted to where the winds of history blow. Strong and powerful wind of history is blowing over Ukraine today. Many things are being settled here: not only the future of a newly-created country. Future of Europe. And maybe, I am sure that, the future of the whole human community. It is all not only about opening new markets or new political division. New orientation. It is about the fact that top spiritual highs of Ukraine have to open to the world. This will be, at least, partial compensation to talented and hard-working nation for the pained ways it had to go along through the centuries. I dream about it, I hope for it. Simply as an honest man and a political scientist, I have to take a closer look at the political and social structure, formation of which I’ve been witnessing. I should also take a closer look at the system.

Unfortunately, it is simply degrading here. We can see the signs of this degradation daily. I know that it is necessary to carefully look at how the local standards differ from the standards abroad. Ukrainian reality should be judged by the standards of the civilized Western world. After all, fair or not, this kind of world is dominant on our planet. If people of newly independent country want to live with dignity in this world, they must adapt to the successful experiments of human life. Many people can blame me for being too critical to what has been happening in Ukraine. Criticism can be destructive and constructive. I joined The Day team not because this newspaper tends to criticize for the sake of criticism, but because we share the hope that Ukrainian people deserve a better life and can do better today.

I respect The Day for civil courage to tell the truth, no matter how bitter it would be, for analytical thinking, for highlighting the problems of science, culture, fully oriented at readers’ opinion, for attention to lives of both academicians and ordinary people, politicians and peasants, for being a small but brave island of truth and free thinking in critical and crucial time for Ukrai-nian people.