Make Ukraine the new China

Here's an idea: make Ukraine the new China.

Don't let it be the furthest outpost of the 'West' in Eastern Europe, make it it's own thing. They've got the manpower: the trained IT people and GIS and industrial engineers and what not. They've got the natural resources. They've got the industry: see steel and defense industry and all of that. They've got the will. So why not?

Encourage construction of complex supply chains right in there. Closer to China, a much friendlier ally, plus let the peoples of the Caucasus and Russia and the Sourthern regions see what it means to be an American friend, what it means to be an open, democratic society, how it feeds to wealth. Take away the power from wealthy billionaires and autocrats: promise them a smaller portion of a much larger pie rather than very large portions of small pies they have.

They don't have the manpower? Oh that's great, for everybody's purposes. Let all the poor people from the ex-Soviet states come in, work their way up and see what becoming America's friend does to you. Let the rich Russians and the poor Russians come in and work for you too, share the wealth, grow fast, grow quick, grow together!

If that's not enough? Bring in people from all the countries Gulf countries are getting their modern slaves at, and show those people how modern countries treat their workers: with respect and dignity, and not as disposable trash whose life is insignificant. And let all those people, from the Middle East, from Caususus, from Russia and former Soviets see what freedom and democracy mean, what respect for women's rights, LGBT rights and minority rights does to a mf'er.

What better way to counter China than to have a western-style liberal democratic country growing at a rapid state. Give them hope. Hope is the counter to cynicism. China and Russia deal in cynicism and nihilism. You deal with hope and growth. You'll always win!