Re: “Unbelievable that the Russians aren’t wowed by a big plastic belt with interchangeable buckles.”
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I’ve been to Russia a few times — frankly, most ‘white’ Russians (a near-majority in Moscow) are not that keen on what they perceive as being minorities == even their own citizens of darker persuasions are seen as inferior. Maybe they just don’t ‘get’ a thrill from Mrs. Zero.
I’ve heard the same thing. Mrs. O gets a double whammy because sexism is also involved.