Reactions of Friends and Relatives

[Bruno]

One last post :

take a look at http://www.russianwomenabroad.com/forum_eng/viewtopic.php?t=412

" I've been in the U.S. for 4 years. All these years I tried to hang out only with Americans rarely with Russians in order to learn English and american culture. My American friends are very nice people who don't really care where I came from. But after being here for 4 years and talking to many strangers I realized that many americans are completely biased against Russians.


For example, my american husband's father stoped talking to my Husband after my husband married me. We all assume that my husband's father just can't accept the fact that his son married a Russian girl.


My husband's stepfather tries to hide his real feelings about Russian people, but sometimes he just can't help himself. For example, he said once that he agrees with the politics of Adolf Hitler because these horrible Russian Commies(communists) deserved to be brutally killed. He said it in front of all family and me. My husband said that his stepfather was just making a joke. But I didn't think this joke was funny. I have so many relatives in Moscow. No one used to be a communist. Moreover, most Russians didn't like Stalin and his politics.


My dentist once said to me that white Northern Europeans are the only elite of the world and everybody else is just a poor pesant. I'm white too, but I was born in Moscow, europeanlike city( as it is considered now). But still for some Americans I'm just a pesant, just because I'm Russian.


A few weeks ago I had a small talk to two elderly american men on the train station. We had a nice conversation untill one of them said that they consider me the only honest Russian, because other Russians are completely corrupt. Basically these two men assume that all other Russians are corrupt I felt very upset because I know that most Russian people aren't corrupt.


A year ago I talked to one girl, a stranger. She asked where I was from. I told her that I'm Russian but prefer not to tell where I'm from. She said: "You are right that you want to hide that you are from Russia. I know that most people in San Francisco consider Russians the worst people".


I didn't even tell about all these examples above to my Russian parents. I know that they will be very humiliated and upset to know that people don't want to accept me just because I'm Russian.


Is there any way to stop such mean people from being rude to me? Is there anything I can say to the stepfather of my husband if he says something bad about Russians again??


I just feel that if I continue to be quiet while people say something upsetting to me I will never be able to let these things go. "

[Turboguy]

Just to set the record straight, that is a very interesting post, but if you read all the follow up posts she says that most everyone has been nice to her and she pulled a few isolated instantances up because she was worried she might have trouble at a job interview becuase of her accent.   Still it is a great post and I am glad it is here for us to learn from.

[300spartans]

Re Bruno's repost of one Russian woman's sorrow at US prejudice. I believe the common prejudice may be justified based on the behaviour of many Russians in the US, and has little to do with the cold war. Sorry, Ken C, but after personally living in the FSU for a long time I think many of the negative feelings against FSU people are accurate. It is not just communism; it is the attitude of the people, which predates communism. For example, the tendency to lie, cheat and steal, to discard rubbish on the beach or other public place etc. Americans know that numerous Russian men in the US are criminals. Some western men that have met FSUW in the west have found some of them to be promiscuous.

I do not live in the USA so my wife does not have the prejudice problem. Also she is Ukrainian. There is no prejudice here against Ukrainians, and perhaps just a small teensy amount against Russians. For example, a small number of young Russian women are sometimes found in our brothel industry, and locals of both sexes know this.

To the main topic. My UW is 24 years younger than me, and I agree with KenC and TigerPaws. Older women are sometimes a problem for me. They like to say - why did you go the Ukraine, or how did you two meet? This question annoys me, but not my wife. I no longer give a straight answer to this. My new answer is that I went to the FSU for adventure and met my wife by accident. The circumstances of my wife and I meeting are nobody's business but ours.

Overall, most people such as family and friends have been positive and nobody drops their jaw on seeing her or us, even though she is tall, slim and attractive. One or two were negative before she came here and they were entitled to say these things to me and they did so because they cared about me. Since she has come and we have married, not one person has said a negative thing about her to me. Although one or two people have done so with body language only.

Before we left Ukraine, some of my wife's relatives, such as her babushka, told her she should find someone younger. So the warnings and siapprovals can happen on both sides of the fence.

Yes, the local women are the problem, and the older they are the more they disapprove. My mother likes her though, and was always positive about the union. Men of all ages approve. Oh, except jb, he does not approve of older WM marrying young and beautiful FSUW.

[ronin308]

I'm not sure it's that the attitude predates communism but it definately post dates it.  This was often brought up as we were sitting waiting for our delayed LOT flight out of Warsaw between myself, an american who has several businesses near Kherson and a ukrainian woman who was returning to visit family.

The businessman and I agreed that Ukraine would be a great place to do business if it wasn't for the graft and corruption found there.  As it is they had a major ag company simply pack their bags and leave the country in frustration after being told to pay 1 million US or have their CEO jailed.  The ukrainian woman was told to empty the homemade wine or pay a "fine" at customs.  The problem is that the only ones with experience running the government are the ones who are corrupt so it's going to take a while for things to shake out.

Back on topic though, both my parents are supportive, my mother is dying to meet my fiance and most of my friends are at least understanding.  There is the normal fear of "she's just using you for the visa" but it's not enought to prejudice them against her, more like a warning for me to be careful.

[Turboguy]

[user=307]ronin308[/user] wrote:

The problem is that the only ones with experience running the government are the ones who are corrupt so it's going to take a while for things to shake out.

Are you saying when they have a little more time for things to "shake out" all the politicians will be honest like the ones we have here?   I know what you mean, I just thought that was funny.

I can't say anyone has really said much yet about what they think.  I am sure they have when I am not around, but not much to my face.   They have been reasonably supportave to my face.   I am sure till they meet her they are just guessing at a lot of things.  I am sure the age difference will create a little controversy.

[ronin308]

Turboguy yeah that's a pretty good one.  While the politicians here are for sale, we can say for sure our judges and most of our officials have a lot more integrity than the FSU.  Of course some of that is forced, if it wasn't for the cameras etc who know mayber our customs guys would look for a little extra income as well.

 

All that being said, when I know I can go to court, spend about $10k and know that I will win even if I'm in the wrong, you can't have a stable business environment and without that you're not going to get economic growth or outside investment, both of which are needed to move Ukraine from where it is today.

[Turboguy]

I agree with you Ronin.   Here unless you are in NYC or Chicago, the politicians have to at least maintain some public appearances of honesty.   It is funny some of the idiotic things they catch them doing when it all comes out in the wash.

In the FSU they have improved over the past years but you are right.  You can be a big time thief and still maintain a semblance of a functioning government.   They don't seem to have figured that out yet in that part of the world.  You are making some good points.   I think I see much more of a movement in the right way in Ukraine than I do Russia as of this point.

[mischief]

[user=150]300spartans[/user] wrote:

I believe the common prejudice may be justified based on the behaviour of many Russians in the US, and has little to do with the cold war. Sorry, Ken C, but after personally living in the FSU for a long time I think many of the negative feelings against FSU people are accurate. It is not just communism; it is the attitude of the people, which predates communism. For example, the tendency to lie, cheat and steal, to discard rubbish on the beach or other public place etc.

Can't help commenting…

 

Corruption, stealing, alcoholism etc. exist everywhere but it's a national characteristic of Russian people … is it communism to blame??  to my mind, communism just redoubled existing in the society problems..

By  1905 -1917 Tsarist Russia appeared to be in anarchy and chaos… Almost 80% of population was dragging out a miserable existence… Russian GNP amounted to only 15% of GNP of the US… more that 70% of the population was illiterate and struggling with the age-old drinking problem.

 

Bolsheviks (communists) used this situation to get the power… Part of this less than 30%-educated people (I'll call them intelligentsia or intellectuals) were killed, part fled abroad, and little part joined Bolsheviks…  So here is the country with most population illiterate (lots of them lazy peasants and drinkers), with no values, morals and religion whatsoever! What can keep them together?? Fear!!!

Nomenclature, with Stalin as a leader forced intelligentsia out from the government in the beginning of 1930, later on most of them were killed… 

It's nice to have non-educated masses - easy to rule, easy to keep in fear! But still the country needed scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers… so the government started educating people … but was making sure that the "right" ideology would be put in minds of the people… soon intellectuals became a certain respected class… and this class was able to open their eyes and see the bad sides of the system... but they were not able to speak out in public but had to discuss anti- communistic ideas in private, in their apartments etc..  here we have a "doublethink" effect! … intelligentsia serve faithfully to the communist party on their working places but  in their minds and in their kitchens they were rebelling… It's like having two lives… The communist party didn't make big deal about it because they could control them easily … there were plenty of  informers among them! In other words intelligentsia was badly corrupted by the system!

And when, finally, the communist system was destroyed by itself, people turned their expectations toward corrupted intelligentsia… So here we are with the corrupted politics who still can't figure out the right course for their countries!  And we are in the same boat we were in 1917 with no values, beliefs and moral and with the same GNP!

With regards to stealing… Stealing has been a problem among Russian people for long long time… Peter I was repeatedly complaining about this particular feature…

But Communism aggravated very badly this problem! Imagine all these peasants, some of them never even tried to work, got an access to all the stuff their landlord owned! Here you have the generation of people, who thinks, they can have everything without making an effort ... without working hard enough - all they need to do is just take a gun or use the physical strength !!! Soviet logon: "Everything belongs to people! Everything is common"... yep, common is mine! "I work in a building industry, I'm just a worker, I get access to the bricks - part of the bricks will be mine… Maybe I'll build a house or just sell them! If you are director, manager, whatever - that just mean you have access to more goodies and the more goodies will be yours! Our country won't get poor if I take something for me! " This is the way of thinking which is going from generation to generation…

Sorry - got carried away! :?


 

[Elen]

I suppose you see all wrote above like a personal opinion of sombody who hated to live in Russia rather badly ( such kind of people does exist in any country and their opinion can't be count like an obiective one)

Here you have the generation of people, who thinks, they can have everything without making an effort ... without working hard enough - all they need to do is just take a gun or use the physical strength !!! [/size][/font][/i]

What exactly generation do you speak about? those who lived in 20-30s and built industry from zero, or in 40-s who won the War - or in 50s - who rebilt country from zero once more, in - 60s - who went first into space and  broke new ground, in 70s -who built BAM and electrostations in Seberia Or what? Or you just spray your own ideology at all russian?

[Bruce]

Which brings me back to education, education, education is the back-bone of any powerful society and fundamental reform from the bottom up is what is needed.  Perhaps the ideology of the Communist times needed some modification, but the educational system was very strong during those times.  Russia must go back to some form of strong, structured education. 

 

[mischief]

Here you have the generation of people, who thinks, they can have everything without making an effort ... without working hard enough - all they need to do is just take a gun or use the physical strength !!! [/size][/font][/i]

What exactly generation do you speak about? those who lived in 20-30s and built industry from zero, or in 40-s who won the War - or in 50s - who rebilt country from zero once more, in - 60s - who went first into space and  broke new ground, in 70s -who built BAM and electrostations in Seberia Or what? Or you just spray your own ideology at all russian?
[/quote]
 

Elen, I love Russia and think it has the richest proud cultural heritage in the world...  Besides I didn't talk about all people but part of them... You can't deny all wrong things, misdeeds, and negative sides of communism though....   All I wrote it is personal objective opinion, indeed!

[Elen]

Indeed it's only your viewpoint about Russian people, and about communist years in my country as well.

[KenC]

This thread has veered off tract (so what's new?) but in an interesting direction.  I agree with the statements regarding "the educating of Russia" being a big step in the right direction.  Russians in general seem to be more well educated than us Americans, but their "undoing" (in my opinion) is their lack of good work ethic.  My in laws and wife are in awe of how hard Americans work.  Of course they also put a negative spin on that by saying we are slaves to our financial well being.  The positive view of the same would be that even though Americans may be less educated than Russians, we are a hell of a lot more productive.

KenC

[anono]

i may as well post this here...

i can see why elen and company behave the way they do. i spent time with a ukrainian woman who contradicted me on everything..i mean ...everything. she knows the usa and americans better than i do. she tells me how to eat cereal. everytime i say anything positive about her, she says "i know". everything i do is wrong, her way, the ukrainian way is always better. we went to the market. i tell her we have some item and it is the same in the usa. no it isn't, ours is better. i point out the product is made by an american company, "i know, but ours is better." everything ukrainian is better than america, ukrainians are smarter than americans.
some examples...she likes to shoot "guns". as we speak about them, i see she thinks guns are pistols and rifles are something else. i try to explain, at least where i come from, "gun" can mean a rifle or a pistol, much like "weapon". she disagrees, says "guns" are pistols, and then she makes a circle like a revolver. i tell her that is a revolver, a type of gun, just as a rifle is a type of gun. hell, they call the 16" cannons on the missouri "guns". nope, guns are pistols and rifles are something else, but not a gun.
everything i do is in error. nothing i do is as good as she can do. everything about her is superior and everything about me is ordinary or "typical".
i made a salad earlier and then she made one. she asked me if there were any larger pots and i said, i do not know. well, i hear from the kitchen. "you are a difficult and typical man". she found a larger pot. i didn't look.
she tries to open a box of chocolates. i offer my help, she says "no you will break it. i am ukrainian" as if being ukrainian somehow makes her better at opening a box of chocolates.
sometimes i can see why a lot of men here do not want a long term relationship with these women. not only are they overbearing and much much smarter (in their minds) than we are, with so many women around, why put up with this crap for much longer than it takes to get laid?
i stopped complimenting her, because it takes the fun out of it when the response is "i know". she explains that when ukrainian men do this, it is a lie and they do not mean it, they say these things for other reasons. it does not matter that i am not ukrainian and i never give an undeserved compliment.
so i can see why elen and the moscow women think everything moscow is better than everywhere and everything else. i think it comes from a very deep inferiority complex and it manifests itself as them thinking they are superior to everything else. how they come to these conclusions, having not seen much else of the rest of the world, is evidence of this inferiority complex. look at how they say the ladies are from the provinces are landfill. as mischief pointed out, being from moscow does not mean anything. had i been born there, to the parents i have, my genes would be the same and i would not be "superior" simply because i was born in moscow. i am sure the scientists, intellectuals and inventors that come from russia but where born in the provinces would laugh at this and see it for what it is, a very deep inferiority complex. many times, things that are deep inside people, manifest themselves as the opposite. look at people like jim baker, and other evangelists who preach moral superiority to others only to be caught doing things most normal people do not do. catholic priests are another example.
i know america has its problems, its stupid people, but in 250 years time, we became the most powerful nation on the planet, with a diversified group of people from every nation on the earth. our constitution and the bill of rights are the work of genius. we made an almost impossible situation work and not only did it work, it prospered. maybe it prospered because of its diversity, people from all over the world, not a few people from one country, from one large city, that think they are superior to everyone else. closed minds never accomplish anything.
it's too bad anyone acknowledges elen, fiorella and kvinna. maybe if we completely ignored them, they would go away. one thing i find interesting is there are NO AW here doing the same thing. they have left us alone. too bad we can't get the likes of people here like elen and company to do the same.
what a breath of fresh air mischief is, but of course, she will be attacked by the other RW, who hate everyone and everything, especially an RW who has something positive to say about AM.
elen and company have such an inferiority complex that all they can do is post over and over how superior they are. those people, countries and cities that do not have these inferiority complexes do not feel the need to constantly tell everyone else how superior they are. it is sort of like harley davidson motorcycles. for years, they were one of the worst motorcycles made. they were the only motorcycle company that was obsessed with saying "we are number one!" and making all the clothing and paraphernalia associated with their brand, being "number one!" the other motorcycle companies were simply making better motorcycles and did not feel the need to try and convince people of their quality, since the quality was already obvious and well known. meanwhile, HD was so busy trying to convince everyone they were number one, they did not pay any attention to quality control. they were an inferior motorcycle manufacturer and they responded much like elena and company, trying to convince everybody they are "number one".
to those of us who have seen the usa, russia, ukraine and maybe many other countries, we can see why they feel inferior and feel they have to try and convince the rest of us of something that is only true in their own minds. of course, they are blind and totally unable to see or understand this, being so far down the inferiority hole they cannot see  anything objectively.

[jb]

anono,

It pains me to hear you bad mouth the Moskovichka like this, since I'm married to one I know they aren't all from the mold you describe.

People from all the cities claim some superiority in some form to some extent, you should hear someone from St. Pete talk about Moscovites.  They call Moscow the "Big Village" because of it's diversity while they remain "pure" Russians.  Yet one of Europe's oldest and best universities is Moscow State and is world known for producing some of the best educations anywhere.

I liken this to the rivalry I've seen here at home. For example, Dallasites look down on folks from Fort Worth, i.e., it's Cowtown. Amon Carter hated Dallas so much that when he had to go to Dallas on business, he carried Ft. Worth water so he wouldn't have to drink the local Dallas stuff.  For those who don't know Texas social history, the part played by James Dean in the 1955 movie "Giant", Jett Rink, was based loosely on the character of Amon Carter. His was about the only "real" character in the movie.

Closer to home, the Ukrainian lady you talk about who was so sure everything was better and brighter in Ukraine, I have to wonder why she signed up to meet foreign men.
 There's a Catch 22 for you.

People like this are everywhere, not just in Moscow.

[Bruno]

i spent time with a ... woman who contradicted me on everything..i mean ...everything. everytime i say anything positive about her, she says "i know". everything i do is wrong, her way, ... is always better...
everything i do is in error. nothing i do is as good as she can do. everything about her is superior and everything about me is ordinary or "typical"... i stopped complimenting her, because ... she explains that when ... men do this, it is a lie and they do not mean it, they say these things for other reasons....

Anono, have you meet my first russian wife ??? :?...

And this at all level... she know better that people who work in Belgium tax administration how to fill tax paper... result, a up-taxe of hundred %...

She know better that doctor what health problem have her daughter... and she don't trust our medicament ( drugs )... so, she have used drugs send by his parents from Russia but they was over date... result, Anastassia have stay 3 week in intensive care, between the live and dead... 7500$ expense not cover by social security... and for her, it was the mistake of our doctor...

She have command in Russia some plant extract for when she was tired during his bad days... 50 euro for 100 ml... when i have read the composition, i have think that my heart go stop... 100% Urtica Doica... I am gardener and i know these plant, i have explain that it was only the great stinging nettle... that i can make for her several litter of extract for nothing... same with the help of my several botanical encyclopedie, she have never believe me... a supplement of iron was enough but again a "niet"...

When i have know my wife, his daughter Anastassia, was with a partial cerebral paralysis who don't allow her to walk normally... Russia doctor have say to her that nothing was possible... i have need six month for convince my wife to visit the university hospital... after several control, they have explain that the problem of Anastassia was due to a bad birth... and they have advice me to consult a osteopath... she was always young enough for a treatment who have put in the right place the been plate of the head who have make some pression on the brain...

Every russian women love his own children... but by thinking that all is Russia is better, they can bring the life of own child in danger... in Russia, the best doctor work in the privat where they earn more... so the public and free doctor are these who are not go enough... and they work in hospital who have not the last material... and usually, several little "apoteek" don't take care of limit date of medicament...

And the same for food, when  i was in Nikolaev, i have make shopping the first day in a supermarket... once at the appartment, i have see that almost the half of my product was over date... one liter of milk was more that one year over date ... So, i make always my shopping in little market... more fresh product... they cannot afford a big stock... the best, it is the old babouska without shop, but with fresh vegetable removed from ground the morning early, with fresh eggs or milk from the day... the evening, along the river, fisher who shell fish of the day...

Only my little 2 euro cents

[mischief]

For the truth sake, its worth to mention that population by 1917 consisted of Bolsheviks (who were educated people… but unlike intelligentsia, for whom love to common people was the basis of their views and ideas, they have rather utilitarian approach, for them people was just a device to get a power), part of intelligentsia, part of working class, most of the soldiers, because they were way to tired of all wars (they had at least discipline) and raving starving masses of peasants… so it was pretty diverse! And my statement, which Elen pointed out, referred for generation of most peasants…

And I'm really glad that Elen mentioned all the achievements Soviet people made… But it's not the communism to be thankful to but the great individuals, so enthusiastic and altruistic who worked hard to make it happen. At the same time, there were so many victims to pay for the price of SU success! (in numbers:  GNP amounted to 86% of GNP of the US)

Unfortunately the values like integrity, work ethic, human rights, and just simple truth were corrupted and twisted all these years… "double standards" still exist on the territory of FSU...  We need several generations to pass for people to go back to real values ...  to bring them in politics, education and everyday life!

My conclusion is education is important, but the spiritual values are the foundation of the economical success of any society...

[Elen]

But it's not the communism to be thankful to but the great individuals, so enthusiastic and altruistic who worked hard to make it happen. At the same time there were so many victims to pay for the price of success!

Of course enthuisasm and altruism dose mean many But you can't deny that a ruling of country does mean something as well ( at least to montaint those enthusiasm for example) . Russia faced the lack of government before 1917 as well as in later 80s and 90s  The price we pay now for having dermocrats as "leaders" is too high as well but without any success communists had.
[/i][/size][/font]

[mischief]

Of course enthuisasm and altruism dose mean many But you can't deny that a ruling of country does mean something as well ( at least to montaint those enthusiasm for example) . Russia faced the lack of government before 1917 as well as in later 80s and 90s  The price we pay now for having dermocrats as "leaders" is too high as well but without any success communists had.

To my mind, the main problem of Russia was the lack of political education, political institution... the society wasn't mature enough to survive without monarchy... That's why when intelegensia got some kinda power in 1913, they didn't know what to do with it!  They were full of right ideas they read in the books but they didn't have experience... The same happened in 1980s, intelegensia from Moscow & St' Petersburg eventually got the power, but they still don't know what to do with all this freedom and power!

 

[jb]

That's a very astute observation.

[Elen]

Yeah Russia always was famouse with its "гнилая интеллигенция" wich should be hold as far as possible from ruling the country:D

Ok I'm off for today Good night

[anono]

jb, i apologize, i should have said it was the women from moscow who post here.

i just had it out with the lady i mentioned above. i got tired of hearing everything is bad about america and americans (and i am a huge critic of america myself). i will post about it another time because i am worn out with the argument.

a quick example: i have lived where i live now for a total of six months. i know the taxi drivers cannot find my address. it is a dead end street and very hard to find. so instead of giving them my address, i give them an address on the main drag near my house. when we get close, i then tell them, in russian, right and then left and walk a short path to my house. tonight, the lady i am with, who has been in my house for maybe three days, asks for the address. i tell her the main drag address, but she says, no, what is the  address. i try to tell her they will not find it but i can see she is not listening to me, which has become the norm. i know it is useless to try and explain anything to her, since she already knows far better than i ever could.

what happens? we end up doing what i have already been through several times. the driver does not know how to get to my house. instead of asking me which side "14" is on, she lets this driver CALL someone to ask. i am right behind the guy. i know north from south even though i am a stupid american.  we go down one street after another, no one listening to me telling them this is the wrong way. so they go down the street, only to find out, golly, the american was right! we finally get home because they finally realized maybe the guy who lives there for the past 6 months actually knows where it is.

if i get around to it, i'll post what happened that finally set me off.

i am convinced this all comes from an inferiority complex, one so deep they cannot see it for what it is. it might even be a bit of deep jealousy too.

i wonder why so many people, from every nation on the planet, who finally make it to the usa stay there and have no desire to return to their native country...if it is such a bad place....

[anono]

jb and friends, we must remember elen has never been to the usa, never had a real american hamburger, never met the average american living in america.

when she posts this drivel, like leslie says, she is already showing us her lack of intelligence, her attitude and her character. she has over 1000 posts here and not one of them are a contribution to this board.

she is a hatemonger and speaks without any knowledge or objectivity.

 

about this ukrainian lady. i was telling her once upon a time, long long ago, the usa was a good and benevolent country. we still are in many ways but it is going down the tubes with a government like we have now. i used post WW2 as an example. we could have destroyed japan and germany, we could have occupied them and made them non-existent if we wanted. we could have ran over the red army in a week and not had to use nukes. the red army was near collapse at the end of WW2 and we were at full strength, outnumbering the red army in everything. it would have been a cakewalk. patton was right in some ways, maybe we should have done it and saved everyone from the cold war.

she then tried to compare iraq with germany. it was stupid. i got tired of her interrupting and not listening to a word i was saying.

what really topped it off, she, like many ignorant russians and ukrainians, think the usa did not go to the moon, it was all faked. i'd like to see what neil armstrong has to say about that.

if this is not a case for the deep inferiority complex and jealousy these people have of the usa, i do not know what is.

these "ladies" from moscow who post here are simply suffering from a deep inferiority complex and feel compelled to say these things about america and russian superiority (having never stepped foot in america) simply because their country and its people know how inferior they are in many ways to the usa.

i can see why some people in these countries, who have not been able to go to the moon and do the things america has, say these things. they are jealous and feel inferior. they make up for it by saying nothing in america is good, without any knowledge or having steeped foot in america.

i can say what i say about russia and ukraine because i have been to both countires more than once and spent more than a year in ukraine.

one good example of how different things are, if a russian speaking person hails a cab in the usa, the driver is not going to try and rip him off just because he knows the fare is from another country and can be taken advantage of. in fact, the oppsite will probably happen. he might get help and a free ride.

[Elen]

Dear members of this forum. When you read Anono's posts about me you should keep in your minds he did not read my post at all. Otherwise he would notice that I never posted my conclusions about life in America but only about life in Russia as an answer to ridiculous statements of some well-known experts of Russia at this board. I'm tired to ask them to quote me but not posts only their ill interpretations of my words.

As for your lovely Hamburgers then I'll take your words that those which are sold in America are much more better than Mc Donald feeds us here into consideration and shall make my claims to this firm as they proudly declare their hamburgers are the same all round the world.

[Bruno]

one good example of how different things are, if a russian speaking person hails a cab in the usa, the driver is not going to try and rip him off just because he knows the fare is from another country and can be taken advantage of. in fact, the oppsite will probably happen. he might get help and a free ride.

Bad example... of course, law protect us the customer... and taxi have counter who show how much we need to pay... but ...

By asking you some question like : From where you are ? Is it your first time here ? ... a cab driver know directly that he can rip you... so, for make 5 km, he make a lot of round in little street... so the price of your traject will be raised...

So, the US taxi try to rip tourist of people who don't know the city... the Russian taxi try to rip everybody, same Russian people ...

she then tried to compare iraq with germany. it was stupid.

Yep, it is stupid... Germany have attack other country... Iraq have make the same during the first Golf War, they have invade the Kowait... European have support USA in this case... but for the second war, the actual, we cannot compare anymore... Iraq have attack nobody... and US have attack Iraq and invade it... yes, it is very different in the second case...

we could have ran over the red army in a week and not had to use nukes. the red army was near collapse at the end of WW2 and we were at full strength, outnumbering the red army in everything. it would have been a cakewalk.

Why attack Russian at the end of WW2 ??? ... Why attack a nation who have make nothing to you and kill several people, both Russian and US... because Russian don't think like you ??? Why not attack Europe now... the last time, we don't think like US, we have almost no more army... it will be a cakewalk...

A advice, ask your US lady to begin make a lot of child... when i see the good US guys who dead each day in Iraq... how it will be if you have invade Russia... maybe the US population will be very low now and the economie too... Each war is a financial hole... a lot of money used for destroy and repair, instability of economie, ...

Yes, fight is the easy way, negociate is more complex... but the real expense of these fight is the live of your own guys... All these good American dead in Iraq only because of lie of your president... Where are the chimical, bacteriologic and nuclear weapons from Saddam... after 10 year blockus, same our little Belgium Army from 40.000 people have can invade Iraq without problem... Why US people think that the use of power resolve all problem... in reverse, by your action, you have allow more people to hate you and join terrorist...

i can see why some people in these countries, who have not been able to go to the moon ...

The moon... The American reply to the first satellite ( Russian ), to the first space flight with people ( Russia ), to the more long stay in space ( Russia )... the Gemini and Apolo program was make only for make something better that Russia have make, for show the superiority of Western...

But now, who is able to go again on the moon ??? Who a little before the new year have help to send food and fuel to the international station because the Space Shuttle was with problem... Who lauch very big satellite at a geostationaire position because the space Shuttle cannot go so high with so heavy satellite...

Not USA, not Europa ( too much problem with our Ariane V )... but Russian... About space, Russian are the more active now... and slowly, China start his own program...

Western people are happy with the past glorious action... but what about keep our eyes on the future... in USA and Europa, the part of budget for education and research is lowered each year... how can we stay in the top tomorrow with so conditions... 

All this for explain that it is good thing in each country... that each country have make great thing... but the past is the past... judge on the actual action and ready these from tomorrow... My father have maybe make great thing but my value is based on my own action and not on these of my father... our superiority complex is based on act of our father but not on our own act...

Russia have change a lot the last time, and in the good way... these change are make by the actual living people... they are not responsible from the past but the new future... Russian can be proud of her actual evolution... they are on the good way but a difficult one... they need our support and not our critic... of course, all is not perfect but our critic and insult can change nothing...