Posted on 05/04/2015 7:55:50 PM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
The United States comes up constantly when you talk to Russians about their country's place in the world. But the conversations tend to go a lot differently than many Americans might expect.
In the US, the common view is that Russians feel aggrieved by the loss of the Soviet Union and all the respect that came with being a global superpower. Russia's acts of aggression in Europe, in this telling, are all about challenging the American-led order as a way to prove Russia's might and importance. This aggression is wildly popular among Russians, many Americans believe, because it makes them feel patriotic and powerful to bully the West, and particularly the US, which they blame for Russia's problems.
(Excerpt) Read more at vox.com ...
It's rubbish.
I believe Lukin is mistaken. We have lost our belief in God, and our belief that America is the embodiment of truth.
We still pursue bringing that truth to the world, but it’s more out of habit, like an elderly man chasing skirts, he doesn’t quite remember why, and wouldn’t have the ability to do anything should he actually catch one, but he still chases.
*shrug* Russia’s always been paranoid.
Often with cause.
After all, Russia was the only country totally surrounded by hostile communist countries!
That sounds about right. America is more and more actually ruled by a Moslem with world conquest by Islam in mind. Irrational? yes and he is working hard for that World Moslem Revolution.
Lukin has got it all wrong, but it is a rather interesting and even somewhat comical take on things.
We would be better off if every American did see one truth that comes from God. That is very far from how it really is. As far as God making the United States, God made every country and judges all equally, but He is not neutral about behavior (and the U.S. is on the downgrade there). Those who obey God get His favor. For the religious among us, that is how it is. But many Americans loathe that view even as they pretend to be religious.
As for the ruling class in the U.S. trying to crush Russia, you have to understand how diverse and polarized that ruling class is to understand that that can never be 100% true here. It depends who is in power at the time. I think that is hard for Russians to grasp because they haven’t got a lot of experience in freedom of thought and expression, individual rights, voting, etc. They may be getting there, but they are beginners and cannot always grasp how it is here.
Clearly some people in the world desire to keep Russia weak. I think they tell themselves the reason is that a powerful Russia is dangerous. I think at least some of them deceive themselves about their own motives.
I do think many people have trouble viewing Russia as anything other than a communist country. It may take a new generation of rulers to let go of that. But it works both ways. Russians seem to view the west in Cold Wars terms, too.
Some of the things Russia desires — economic growth, increased power and status int he world under their new order, etc.— are perfectly normal and understandable. Their concern about their own security and the encroachment of NATO is understandable (to me anyways). But they might do well to be less provocative. They may be getting no where with this U.S. regime but just wait. We will have a new one soon. Its an opportunity for a fresh start. You just can’t view the U.S. as all one thing or another. We are a country divided. That is not all bad.
Happy Victory Day on, what, May 9th? May you have a wonderful and deserved celebration. I wish the U.S. would be represented at the festivities.
On the world stage, whether Russia or USA, or any country for that matter, i agree with this quote:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” — John Dalberg-Acton
Lukin has it wrong. He could come to understand about 40% of all Americans by spending a couple of weeks watching all the old John Wayne and Clint Eastwood cowboy movies. He could come to understand another 40% of Americans by spending a few weeks watching Ellen, Oprah, and Jerry Springer reruns.
Delusional hippie bullshit.
Long before the US was a world power and long before
there was such a thing as the USSR there was paranoid
Russia. The current crop of Russians need to familiarize
themselves with a concept known as introspection.
Nuh-uh.
Santa Clause isn't a commie.
Is he....?
Wait a minute
He's got all those elves working for
no pay
Then he flies around handing out
free stuff, made with materials he
didn't pay for, using slave labor(?)
trying to get people to like himself
Takes the cookies, drinks all the milk...
Ok. I was wrong.
sorry I said anything
Gibmedat?
That’s a good Cold War joke, and it’s true today too. Russia, because of its paranoid worldview and crackpot chauvinism, attacks its peaceful neighbors with alternating claims of those countries are weak and deserve Russia’s wrath, and those countries are out to destroy poor pitiful Russia. The dishonesty and intellectual inconsistency never bothers the Russians because their culture and country are so corrupt. The benighted press and people there are easily conned by bogus arguments. It’s why they’ve always been accurately described (from the Romanovs, through the communist, and up to Putin) as “a nation of drunks ruled by a small clique of thugs.” They’re proud of that.
Russians are easily led and think tilting at windmills is a good idea.
We have several Russian neighbors here in S Florida. Pro American and anti Obama.
We discussed world events and national politics and I dont really see much diff between them and others from other eastern Europe in views towards the US.
Russians seem to take pride in there misery tho.
I don’t know. No pride in misery for me.
From a theological perspective, we are all bad men. Human nature is fallen -- sinful -- and bent toward evil and selfishness. Power gives opportunity to do great harm. If a powerful man is to be a good man, he must recognize that and take precautions, even of his own heart and motives. That is one of the unique things about the U.S. Founding Fathers. It is what those of us who still acknowledge them, appreciate. They, too, were oppressed by powerful men when they declared independence from them. Our Constitution and form of government was established to guard against the damage possible from corrupt human nature -- everyone.
With checks and balances, there is the promotion and protection of the things that help mankind keep restraints on themselves from within: Morality and religion. The more restraints there are within, the less there needs to be without (freedom from the control of government). Most of the U.S. population have forgotten that. It would require them to remember that we are accountable to God who governs the affairs of men -- all men all over the world including them.
My last paragraph doesn’t make much sense. I mean: The founders of the U.S. set up a government with checks and balances and accountability. They debated and debated and debated until they came up with a plan they thought would protect the nation against the dangers of tyranny, be it from a powerful king, a ruling elite, or a mob majority. I think they did amazingly well. They didn’t know if future generations would understand it enough and be wise enough to keep it. I’d say in many ways we have not been.
Add to that, they saw the need for society to protect and promote religion and morality (not in its specifics but in general) in order to keep the people fit for freedom. That’s not to say religion in its specifics does not matter, only that the danger of tyranny can rise out of religious ideology as much as from anything else. So while religion and morality are essential, they need to be developed separately from government.
There. That is my second try. I am sure others could say it better.
I am going to add one more thing:
No one alive today is to credit for the great form of government we were lucky enough to inherit any more than Russians are to blame for the oppressive government history they inherited. But I do think ours is better than theirs.
This model of American behavior is grotesquely mistaken, to be sure, and actions taken on its basis are likely to be in error. Consider, though, that our own State Department is chock-full of “experts” equally sure of themselves and equally mistaken. For evidence I offer our floundering in the Middle East: Libya, Egypt, Syria, Libya again at Benghazi, Yemen, for each of these there was somebody directing traffic at State who thought it was a good idea. I’m willing to forgive Mr. Lukin his delusions, I just wish we could get rid of ours.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.