Though the Obama Administration has insisted no one was going to recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea, it’s been impossible not to notice, and some small but meaningful changes are taking place.
The Associated Press has announced a change to all datelines for stories coming out of the Crimea, replacing the country identifier from Ukraine to Crimea for cities on the peninsula.
Even once annexation is final, the AP won’t replace Crimea with Russia, however, because it doesn’t share a land border with the rest of Russia. The AP will treat it similarly to other exclaves and islands: e.g. cities on Sicily are listed as Sicily instead of Italy.
National Geographic is also weighing in, with its new maps listing Crimea as a “disputed” territory, and officials for the group saying that once Russia’s parliament votes to officially annex Crimea, the maps will change again to reflect a Russian border change.
National Geographic insists it portrays the world as it is, and not as someone else wants it to be, and its map policies is to show de facto borders as opposed to any given nation’s official position.
The US State Department, by contrast, insists it doesn’t intend to ever change its maps, and will continue to show Crimea as part of the Ukraine, even though it isn’t.
Does that mean that AP won't recognize Alaska and Hawaii as parts of America because they do not share land borders with the rest of the United States?
One of the trademarks of the new breed of the USG: when they don't get their way, they either throw hissy fits or they bomb the antagonists back to the stone age. Both being childish options. Really something the American people can be proud of around the world. I no longer attempt to defend them when asked by friends from other countries when I travel overseas…like the crazy uncle no one wants to talk about.
A refusal to accept reality, a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact, is called a delusion. Apparently the US State Department under John Kerry's leadership now qualifies.
Those neocons in The US are all consumed by their own poison, if you tell a lie often enough, the lie will appear to be the truth, and they, together with quite a few gullible US pions, are the ones who are falling for the lies. They really believe that they can create a new reality simply by ignoring the facts on the ground.
"The US State Department, by contrast, insists it doesn’t intend to ever change its maps, and will continue to show Crimea as part of the Ukraine, even though it isn’t." Soon all their maps will be irrelevent and all their "info" a conglomeration of fiction. Its no wonder that when we hear them speak, we think we are hearing hypocrisy and lies, but in fact they may possibly actually believe what they are saying. Sounds like they are mind controlled with their minds partitioned into multiple disconnected chambers. It is not possible for sane people to be so hypocritical and dogmatic at the same time. They are either psychopaths or mind controlled. Either way, they do not belong in any position of authority and something has to be done about it.