[GSlob]

I lived there till age 26, if that makes any difference, and got out of there in '81. By the way, when speaking of civilizational level, I was not referring to educational attainments either.

[MarMema]

and got out of there in '81.

And have you been back?

By the way, when speaking of civilizational level, I was not referring to educational attainments either.

Good thing since Russia's literacy rate has long surpassed ours, and has long been among the highest in the world.

When I was there second graders were speaking great English, having learned it as a second language in their public schools.

Btw I hope you were able to catch the Moscow circus before you left. I saw it three times on my visits and will never forget it. The genius was breathtaking.

[GarySpFc]

By the way, when speaking of civilizational level, I was not referring to educational attainments either.

Why not? I agree there is more to being civilized than ones educational level, however it cannot be overlooked. You neglected to mention I also stated I see Russians as more sophisticated and highly cultured than Americans. Are those not aspects of civilized behavior?