Guest speaker at English class

[Muj]

Roy,

Some of my classmates at PSU were in the "Jefferson Medical Program".  They obtain an MD in 6 years by attending PSU 9 months then Jefferson every summer, eventually Jefferson full time  This includes the internship.  The progs were recruited based on SAT score (perfect or nearly) and given an offer they could hardly refuse.  Anyhow, in and out of med school before turning 25.
Your stance as guest speaker somewhat weak.  Russia's financials problems nor anyone else's are not the fault of US.  I would tell anyone that their economy would only follow the US into decline as a result of having rode the US's shirt tails into better times.

[Ronnie]

Docetae, your putting blame on Greenspan is an original.  People have named alot of names of blame, but you're first to name him.

As to the Palin quote, what she actually said was, "there are places in Alaska where you can actually see Russia."  It had nothing to do anything - it was just a side comment.  You can criticize McCain, Obama, Biden, Bush any of those guys you want...they deserve it...they've spent their whole lives scheming to grab the brass ring of power honing their speeches, shaping their images and policies, making connections while they privately mock the electorate. 

Palin was plucked out her office in Juneau and thrown into the the lion's den five weeks ago.  Once she dries out, matures and if she doesn't become like the others, she will be the first female president sometime in the future.  She's a quick study and genuine to the core.  Americans are starving for a real person to serve them and not another political pro.

It looks like Obama's going to make to the White House but when the economy worsen's under his tenure, he and his party will be tossed in 2012. 

[Ronnie]

Maybe our friends abroad have an answer to something no one in the states seems to have an answer for.  Obama has admitted he was a poor student in High School and then at little Occidental College and Columbia where all the registrar will only say he graduated, not with honors.  The question I have is how did he get admitted to Harvard Law School?  Normally it takes crazy high academic record AND being well connected.

The other question is how did he pay for it?  His wife says they recently finished paying off his student loans but their tax returns and financial disclosure statements don't indicate any loans outstanding going back to 2000.

Nobody in the states has an answer and he's not talking..maybe somebody has answers to these questions?

[Ronnie]

Khalid Al-Mansour?

[kievstar]

Obama is a smooth talker.  He looks to be president for 8 years as the economy will improve during his 1st term if he just does nothing.

He will be the next Putin maybe - get praise for something he does not really control.  

[Ooooops]

That's why I'm not even going to vote at all...

[wxman]

Obama is a smooth talker.  He looks to be president for 8 years as the economy will improve during his 1st term if he just does nothing.

He will be the next Putin maybe - get praise for something he does not really control.  

And it's quite possible the Democrats could win enough seats in the Senate to reach the magic 60, giving them complete control of the executive and legislative branches. They will rubber stamp all the judges Obama would appoint. Socialism is going to be rammed down our throats. IMBRA will be tame compared to all the laws that will be passed. If a man sneezes he will be charged with sexual harrassment.    People have to be getting desperate as it now looks like Al Franken will win the Senate seat in Minnesota for the Democrats. 

[kievstar]

Tax increase is coming with Obama so I plan on not working much after 2009.   

[Ronnie]

The is a Community Organizing group known as ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).  This group for which Obama worked has become the single most dangerous threat to American democracy.

As some of you may know they are under investigation and have been indicted for fraud in some cities..most recently Las Vegas.  Their MO seems to be submit fake voter registrations, then order mail-in ballots and complete and submit them themselves.  American need to insist on tighter voting laws and the strict enforcement of same or we will lose our democracy to those subversives who see the ballot box as America's Achilles' heel.

America can't be overthrown by violence but it can be taken over by corruption. 
Here's a clearly written article that explains so much.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=279960

It should not go unnoticed that ACORN workers wear red shirts with black logos.  Not too suble are they?

[Kuna]

Last night I was the guest speaker at my GF's English class here in Siberia.  It was a fascinating chance for me to speak to Russians at a sort of man-on-the-street level.  It was also a good chance to talk politics since my GF really isn't that interested in the topic.  Since this was an advanced English class, there was very many good questions and long discussions.

Everyone in the class, including the instructor, were under 25 (except my GF at 27).  Only two men in the class.  Everyone seemed to be taking English for work-related purposes.  The only exception was the instructor, who admitted she would like to emigrate to Europe.  Some of the questions and discussions:

1.  As I expected, the first question was about my thoughts on Bush.  I told them I thought Bush was a horrible President that had threatened world peace.  They all nodded their heads in agreement and it was quite clear this statement lightened the mood in the room.  (sorry to the Bush supporters here on the board, but it's honestly how I feel and not something I said just to win the favor of a classroom of students)  This led in to a discussion about my thoughts on the current presidential candidates and an explanation of our political parties.

2.  Georgia.  My GF warned me this would come up.  I do have some strong negative feelings about Russia's actions here, but I simply did a political dodge and told them America should let Georgia fight their own battles.

3.  Iraq.  Reading #1, you can guess my response here.

4.  Many questions about our education system and the average salary of various jobs. 

5.  Questions about what the Russian "stereotype" in America is.  This was one of the longest discussions of the night.  One student expressed "disgust" that Hollywood portrays Russians as drunks and that there is mafia everywhere.  This was a tough one for me to respond to, because I really have some conflicted thoughts about this.  While I'm sure Hollywood overdoes it, I do think Russia has quite a problem with alcohol.  Even my GF described it to me as "Russia's private shame."  And I would say my experience has been that I've seen what seems to be many more drunk Russians staggering down the street than I have drunk Americans in similar-sized cities.  Maybe it's because being drunk in public is more frowned upon in the U.S. so our drunks are passed out in bars and at home?  I honestly don't know. 

6.  They also asked me to explain the financial crisis in the United States.  One of the students was a banker, and he made it quite clear that people in his profession considered it the fault of the U.S. for ruining the world economy. 

One thing I was confused about and didn't have time to clarify was about Russia's education system.  There were two 23 y/o women in the class I spoke with.  One is working on her PhD, and the other said she was a 3rd year medical student.  I don't understand how this is possible.  Is it because Russians graduate from high school at a younger age and start college earlier?  Most Americans graduate high school at age 18 or close to it.  You'd be hard-pressed to be a 3rd year medical student here at anything less than age 25 (graduate at 18, 4 years undergrad + 3 years medical school), unless you graduated early.  I also have several friends who are PhDs, and not a one of them managed to do it before age 28.  Are our education systems so different?

On a different note, I would say that if there are single men here who wish to meet young and pretty Russian women, go hang out at an English school.  You will never see so many beautiful and friendly women who wish to know everything about you.   

Roykirk,

Very interesting for those that don't have their political heads in their butts...   

I think poor opinions of the US (in RU/UKR) are born out of ignorance - just like ignorant Americans have poor opinions of Russians.

Your point about English classes being a great place to meet girls is probably correct, but can you imagine "the typical Western Man seeking RW" standing in front of a group of <25yr old girls being asked for their opinions on life in America???   

Goodness gracious...  I don't think they'd do very well!

Kuna

[ScottinCrimea]

I've been thinking about what the OP related and I'm having a hard time with it.  He missed a golden opportunity to teach and instead chose to promulgate his opinions.  I have been a guest lecturer several times in English classes in addition to teaching individual classes and speaking at a national university convention of English language in Ukraine and of course similar questions always came up.  What I understood was that, like it or not, I was representing the American people as a whole in those situations and not just those that shared my opinions.  The point I chose to emphasize was the diversity of opinions in the US and the privilege we have of holding diverse opinions.  My answers would present both sides of the arguments in an equal manner, saying something like, "Some feel this way because ..., others hold this opinion because... and still others are of this mind because..." , and I would invite them to check things out for themself and form their own opinion based on what they learn themselves rather than what might be the most popular.  I would also tell them that if they wished to discuss my own particular opinions I would be happy to meet with them onne on one and discuss them.

One thing I found very disturbing when I was living there was that their main sources of news about the US were either the US media that leaned very strongly to the left or the Russian news media that took every opportunity to say what was bad about the US so they really didn't get an objective view of things and my goal was to help them see that there were other views that were just as valid and that there really were many positive things about the US that just weren't getting to them.

[wxman]

One thing I found very disturbing when I was living there was that their main sources of news about the US were either the US media that leaned very strongly to the left or the Russian news media that took every opportunity to say what was bad about the US so they really didn't get an objective view of things and my goal was to help them see that there were other views that were just as valid and that there really were many positive things about the US that just weren't getting to them.

Very good point. Just go to cnn.com (commie news network) and try to find one positive story about the US. Any American reading the news from that site would wonder why they still live in the US because we are the worst country in the world.

[docetae]

I think I am damned until the end of the world after reading all these posts... I am socialist (and proud to support social democracy).

[Ronnie]

Socialism would be wonderful if it worked in the real world.  Unfortunately human nature makes it impossible to carry out and inevitably leads to authoritarianism.  I wish it weren't so.

[docetae]

Socialism would be wonderful if it worked in the real world.  Unfortunately human nature makes it impossible to carry out and inevitably leads to authoritarianism.  I wish it weren't so.

You are mistaking socialism as it is done in Social Democracy and socialism as defined by Karl Marx (first step before communism), if the second is an utopia, the first one (model of social democracy) works and is for me a better alternative to free market and total liberalism.

[wxman]

Unfortunately, greed is universal. It is human nature to acquire and conquer. Socialism provides neither. Communism morphed into one party capitalism. Just look at the two former giant communist states...Russia and China. China realized this and prevented a collapse. Feed people's materialistic desire and they will be happy. Socialism is utopic, but it requires everyone to play by the same rule, and rarely do people choose that path. As long as there is desire in the human soul for wealth, there can never be a true socialistic society. Perhaps in a few hundred thousand years when we evolve further away from our primitive simian link. We are still infants in our evolutionary path. 

[docetae]

We are still infants in our Revolutionary path. 

 

[Ronnie]

I don't know if it's the human need to accumulate wealth so much as the human need to compete. 

Capitalism harnesses that desire to compete and creates a higher standard of living for everyone.  Socialism suppresses (or seeks to suppress) that innate competitive urge and in so doing the standard of living goes stagnant or declines.

Docetae, I have a message for you from one John Lennon

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right

You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right

[ScottinCrimea]

Ronnie,  It seems to me that every thread that you get involved in turns into a debate about politics or various conspiracy theories.  Perhaps you could find a forum that would fit this interest of yours better rather than repeatedly hijacking this one to express your political views?

[docetae]

I don't want a revolution My model is called social democracy, but it seems that we have a wonderful syllogism here. People who does not want debate are really very good at this exercise:  If you do not agree with us, you are against us, terrorist and communist are against us, so if you don't agree with us, you are a terrorist and a communist 

[Ronnie]

Ronnie,  It seems to me that every thread that you get involved in turns into a debate about politics or various conspiracy theories.  Perhaps you could find a forum that would fit this interest of yours better rather than repeatedly hijacking this one to express your political views?

Scott, Why the personal attack with no other content?  Your post doesn't even try to address the op's theme.  Mine have.  Oh, and why attack me and not Docetae?  Could it be one agrees with your political views and the other does not?   

Unlike you, I have no plans to flee abroad and become an expat, so I care about my country's future and reputation worldwide.  And, that is precisely the theme the OP opened up here so there's been no hijacking here by me.

This site might be more to your liking, Scott:

http://escapeartist.com/

Docetae, keep whacking yourself over head with that cluebat.  I'm sure eventually something coherent will emerge.

[ScottinCrimea]

Ronnie, I don't see a personal attack here. Nothing negative, no name calling, just an observation and a suggestion. Still you chose to engage in the behavior you accuse me of and attack me, claiming that I am "fleeing" the country and that I don't care about my country's future and reputation.

If you would look at your posts on this forum and check the percentage of the time you discuss politics versus RW (I did) you would understand why I made the observation and suggestion to you and not to docetae.  To be honest, I probably lean more toward your views than his, but I didn't join this forum to debate socialism vs capitalism, lament about the new world order or to learn who really shot JFK.  There are plenty of other forums for that if I choose to engage in such discussions.

The OP in his original post also discussed the motives of the class members in taking English, our education system, the average American salary, the Russian stereotype in America and Russia's problem with alcohol.  He asked a question about Russia's education system (I responded to this) and noted that English classes are a good way to meet young RW.  You chose to jump on the political aspect (as usual) and express the same long, strong opinions you do in most threads that you post in, ignoring the other issues that were brought up entirely and accusing me of not responding to the "main theme".

You end your post by personally attacking docetae.  It seems this is your way of dealing with those who suggest that you might be in error.

I'm happy for you that you have found something that you are passionate about, but this isn't the place to be forcing these particular passions on other people.

[SANDRO43]

Ronnie, in altre parole, sei un gran rompicoglioni  .

[Ronnie]

Scott,

There is the perfect solution...it's called the ignore button.  In fact I'm using right now myself.

Sandro, il mio amico -
Evviva i rompicoglioni! Abbasso chi pensa di essere perfetto!
 

[roykirk]

Ronnie-

Quite simply, it's rude to go to another country and criticize their politics.  I can slam Bush all I want, I'm American.  But to criticize Putin or Russia while being a visitor is foolish, and all it's going to do is make Americans look worse.  I'd similarly have a problem with a Russian visitor to my home city slamming my country. 

As to whoever asked about my response to the economy question:  I told them it's not my field and not my expertise on what caused it.