the two sides of Russia

[Rumpel]

at present there are only terrible news from Russia

privately the Russian people can be very friendly

who knows Russians and can agree?

 

[Rumpel]

Russia has good sides and bad sides.
this time we learn more about the bad sides

 

[coyote505]

at present there are only terrible news from Russia

privately the Russian people can be very friendly

who knows Russians and can agree?

I belonged to an international lecture/travel group led by a Russian lady, a former Gorbachev employee no less. Even led us on a tour of St. Petersburg-Moscow in 2018. She was quite frank that Communism was a total flop. "Socialism works only at the point of a gun, and even then, only in the short term." Even in those days, Russians preferred to call it Socialism. I guess Communism sounded too harsh. One thing she still agreed with the Kremlin on was that the dissolution of the USSR imposed hardship on Russia, because its economy, energy, and transportation system was designed for a transcontinental country, and couldn't adjust to a situation of independent countries. They apparently never thought of the idea of following the European example of creating a continental economy made up of a multitude of smaller countries who still retained their national character, the Common Market. The Commie Market never worked as well, missing the essential ingredient of Capitalism.

Back in 2018, apparently Before Putin went totally off the rails, Russians felt free to poke fun at him. I observed that our tour guides seemed to feel more comfortable making fun of Putin that I was poking fun at Hillary in a crowd of liberals. That is definitely not true today!

I came down with pneumonia on the trip. The care I got from the ship's doctor was first rate, and the fee was super cheap by U.S. standards.

All in all, my impression of the Russians I dealt with was quite favorable, although I never got over the apprehension that, governmentally speaking, I was in enemy territory and had better watch my mouth. I have never had this feeling touring Mexico.

 

[Rumpel]

I belonged to an international lecture/travel group led by a Russian lady, a former Gorbachev employee no less. Even led us on a tour of St. Petersburg-Moscow in 2018. She was quite frank that Communism was a total flop. "Socialism works only at the point of a gun, and even then, only in the short term." Even in those days, Russians preferred to call it Socialism. I guess Communism sounded too harsh. One thing she still agreed with the Kremlin on was that the dissolution of the USSR imposed hardship on Russia, because its economy, energy, and transportation system was designed for a transcontinental country, and couldn't adjust to a situation of independent countries. They apparently never thought of the idea of following the European example of creating a continental economy made up of a multitude of smaller countries who still retained their national character, the Common Market. The Commie Market never worked as well, missing the essential ingredient of Capitalism.

Back in 2018, apparently Before Putin went totally off the rails, Russians felt free to poke fun at him. I observed that our tour guides seemed to feel more comfortable making fun of Putin that I was poking fun at Hillary in a crowd of liberals. That is definitely not true today!

I came down with pneumonia on the trip. The care I got from the ship's doctor was first rate, and the fee was super cheap by U.S. standards.

All in all, my impression of the Russians I dealt with was quite favorable, although I never got over the apprehension that, governmentally speaking, I was in enemy territory and had better watch my mouth. I have never had this feeling touring Mexico.

Thank you for telling us