Posted on 05/14/2011 9:41:02 AM PDT by WesternCulture
My ancestors have lived close to Russia since the dawn of Mankind.
We have lost territory to them, counqured it back and so forth.
In 1809, Sweden had to give up Finland to Russia during the Napoleonic Wars.
Later on, Finland became sovereign and stood up very well to the test when challenged by Stalin in the wake of WWII. Tiny Finland in fact even ridiculed Stalin and his Soviet warriors in the legendary Winter War.
Most often, Stalin is seen as a brutal yet efficient ruler, but Finland, aided by Sweden, really demonstrated to the World how weak and disorientated Stalin and the rest of the Kreml was at that time.
Russia is the prime historical and social example serfdom doesn't work in the industrial age.
Today, my Scandinavia is the richest part of the World measured by GDP/capita. Yes, Norway has oil, but my Sweden doesn't. Still we enjoy a standard of living most other nations - if any - can't compete with. Chauvinist Russia still is in chaos. Howcome?
Maybe they and all other nations that wish for prosperity should adopt Lutheran work ethics instead of hailing leaders like Peter the "Great".
What did Peter the "Great" really mean to Russia?
After we Swedes were through with invading Russia in the beginning of the 18th century, Russia was nothing but scorched earth.
Russia never really recovered after the blow a certain monarch prodigy named Charles the XII of Sweden charged them with.
They learned nothing, changed nothing and recently, all they have come up with in World history is failing to supply Castro with nuclear weapons.
Why does Russia always fail?
My best answer; There are many intelligent and good hearted Russians, but for some reason they always choose the wrong kind of leaders.
Sounds like America nowadays too.
Do they get to choose their leaders? My knowledge of Russian history isn't good, but what I do know of it seems to point to brutal tsar after brutal tsar straight into Communist dictatorships.
What they have now may include an electoral process, but I'd be shocked if it was an honest system.
How are you doing with Muslims and welfare?
This is not a uniquely Russian problem. It is a tremendous setback to any nation when it happens. May the God of the universe (including we Lutherans) help set straight Russia and all other nations who strive to recover from defective leadership.
I presume that taking on and defeating the nazis somehow accounts for nothing in your opinion?
“Do they get to choose their leaders?”
- Today they, at least, appear to do so. But many question if Russia is a real democracy.
However, a nation always can choose between serfdom and liberty. Just like France back in 1789 or America in 1776.
There is always the possibility of revolution.
The history of the world is primarily one of tyranny. Why would anyone expect Russia be any different?
At their center these people are cowards and depend on bravado, intimidation and personal attacks to carry the day for them.
PJ O'Rourke said it best when he described the left this way:
"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill disciplined, despotic, and useless. Liberalism is the philosophy of sniveling brats."
Russia’s entire history appears to be summed up in the following statement: And then, somehow, it got worse.
More than one person has remarked that only in Russia can the worst be made out of a good situation.
Look, it is as plain and simple as the nose on your face. Two words, Capitalism & Freedom. Even the PRC & India get it. Yes. the ChiComs are still communists, but, China with each passing day is morphing into a “capitalist” society, and....India is moving ahead even faster. The communist party of India is now in its death throes. Socialism fails wherever it goes. The USA better learn that lesson right now and get rid of both Obama and the Democrat party!!!!
The more people are forced to rely on a government for their existence the harder it is to regain lost freedom. When freedom came to Russia, the people thought it was great, until they learned that they had to fend for themselves. Since they weren’t accustomed to that, they fast realized that they didn’t like it.
- It's easy to fend off an under-equipped army that has lost its supply routes.
USA and Britain kept on bombing German cities day and night, Hitler's empire would fall sooner or later anyhow.
But ok, the Russians did their job in WWII.
Still, the fiasco of the Winter War deserves more attention upon wishing to evaluate Russian/Soviet accomplishments in World History I'd say.
Man you are funny! I am not sure if you are more funny than ahistorical but it does not really matter. When the Wehrmahct invaded, they were completely supplied and highly successful. Indeed the initial campaign fully validated your thesis about the utter uselessness of The Russians. It was Germany / Nazis / Hitler who totally bungled an otherwise successful campaing of conquest.
The allied bombing of Germany had almost no effect on the production of armaments, as is clearly documented bythe US Strategic Bombing Survey conducted at the end of the war.
I agree that the Finnish fiasco merits more attention. Particulalry since it helped to convince Hitler that “all you have to do is kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will collapse”. But don’t begrudge the russkies their victory...
“What did Peter the “Great” really mean to Russia?”
A lot actually.
As for why the Russians exist but not with the stability of China, India, France, etc.,
The black forest is large enough to hide in and easy to defend but the region around it is flat, easy to conquer and goes on forever, it seems.
I think it’s that inability to keep and hold land without a strong, central leader is the reason Russians pick bad leaders.
Russian culture is fundamentally pessimistic. Unfortunately, it takes an optimistic mindset to believe hard work and delayed gratification will bring success.
“The Protestant Work Ethic And The Rise of Capitalism” had lots of insightful things to say about the relationship of religion and material success.
Didn’t Peter the Great try to get Russia to stop looking East for salvation and turn towards the West? I don’t really think Russians are a Western people.
There are parts of Sweden that are Muslim enclaves and no-go zones for non-Muslims. I’ll be interested in seeing if Sweden can answer this threat from inside their borders.
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