Perspectives Of A Russian Immigrant (No. 7)

Thanks, Kaslin! You beat me to it! (Are you on my Facebook page?)

This was an excellent column by Lana - her story of life in the USSR, leaving that oppressive life for the U.S, and what she sees happening now, is one of the chapters in our upcoming book (Pursuing Liberty).

Her question, “how can any American ask me why I left the USSR?” is the key.

I don’t think so

I have posted all of her columns. They are very eye opening

How is it possible so many Americans ask such an absurd question?

Because they went through the idiot American school system where no one said squat about how bad it really was.

A friend of mine went to the PRC at the age of 40 in 1998, and was Shocked! I tell you Shocked! that the police did what they did there. I looked at him and asked, "what the hell did you expect? It's a Communist country!" and he simply looked stunned, and said "well I didn't know it would be like THAT".

This from a baby boomer educated in South Carolina, for God's Sake.

That's how, Svetlana: willful ignorance.

Wonderful! I’ll go look at your previous posts. It’s been a busy time ... not as much time for Freeping lately! Thanks.

Kaslin, could you send me the other columns?

Pretty please?

They should be spread far and wide.

They should be spread far and wide.

Amen.

Who said the following? (no cheating):

There are those who seek to convert us to a form of socialistic endeavor leading directly to the path of Communist slavery.

It [socialism] discourages development of moral forces which would preserve inviolate our representative form of government, answerable to the will of the electorate

These pressures have already caused us to depart sharply from the course so long held toward national strength and moral greatness. Our economic statute built under the incentive of free enterprise is imperiled by our drift through the back door of confiscatory taxation toward socialism.

Are we going to preserve the religious base to our origin, our growth and our progress, or yield to the devious assaults of atheistic or other anti-religious forces

Are we going to continue to permit the pressure of alien doctrines to strongly influence the orientation of foreign and domestic policy, or regain trust in our own traditions, experience and free institutions, and the wisdom of our own people?

In short, is American life of the future to be characterized by freedom or by servitude, strength or weakness? The answer must be clear and unequivocal if we are to avoid the pitfalls toward which we are heading with such certainly. In many respects it is not to be found in any dogma of political philosophy, but in those immutable precepts which underlie the Ten Commandments.

Talk of imminent threat to our national security through the application of external force is pure nonsense. Our threat is from the insidious forces working from within which have already so drastically altered the character of our free institutions — those institutions we proudly called the American way of life.

History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed in to political and economic decline

There can be no compromise with atheistic Communism - no half-way in the preservation of freedom and religion.

The people have it in their hands to restore morality, wisdom and direction to of our foreign and domestic affairs, and regain the religious base which in times past assured general integrity in public and private life.

Our great strength rests in those high-minded Americans whose faith in God and love of country transcends all selfishness and self-serving instincts.

We all dream of of the day when human conduct will be governed by the Decalogue and the Sermon and the Mount.

While we are at it:

Who Said The Following?

1. “The God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
a. The Dali Lama
b. Cecille B. DeMille
c. Thomas Jefferson

2. “Here on Earth, God’s work must truly be our own.”
a. Mother Theresa
b. Jimmy Swaggart
c. President John F. Kennedy

3. “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
a. Anita Bryant
b. Jerry Falwell
c. George Washington

4. “The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable day, in the History of America. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
a. Kenneth Hagin
b. Barack Obama
c. John Adams

5. “So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society.”
a. Richard Dawkins
b. Biggie Small
c. John Quincy Adams

6. “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.”
a. Billy Graham
b. Franklin Graham
c. Alexander Hamilton

7. “The Continental Congress urges its fellow citizens to ‘confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his [God’s] righteous displeasure, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness.’”
a. Ken Blackwell
b. Jimmy Carter
c. John Hancock

8. “...The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”
a. Pope Pius X
b. John Calvin
c. Benjamin Franklin

9. “Were my soul trembling on the wing of eternity, were this hand freezing to death, were my voice choking with the last struggle, I would still, with the last gasp of that voice, implore you to remember the truth: God has given America to be free.”
a. Sandy Patti
b. Pat Robertson
c. Patrick Henry

10. “And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
a. Robert Schuller
b. Jonathan Edwards
c. Abraham Lincoln

We hope you are not looking for the answers.

The quote by Zinn is a gem:

“Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.” - Zinn, “A People’s History of the United States”, p. 646

I added it to this page: http://conservapedia.com/Howard_Zinn

We have quite a few Russian immigrants in Alaska; location & history. One guy that I have talked to honestly claimed it was the economic freedom found here; yet their wives also missed some things. One lady told me it cost her 10K to have their second child in Alaska, was free in Russia. She also mentioned that everybody had a good summer vacation, something she has not experienced here, ha. Not that they were going back or anything either. I remember her saying all is not bad in Russia like many Americans believe; probably more to do with pride I believe.

We also have a few orthodox enclaves and one friend converted. A few of the church members even imported Russian wives with kids. I wondered what is with this guy; Russian wife, family, church? I think the kids were having a tough time readjusting to life in Ak.

I also have a Russian buddy, his wife and he came over on a school program scholarship. They just recently became citizens and bought their first home. He said there was no comparisons to the freedom and economics we have here and back in Novasibirskt. He also said that he had to change his last name, as it was German sounding from his ancestors who came to Russian back in 1700's. Hard to make it if people think your ethnic heritage was German. My friend is doing well here, involved with youth hockey, plays on adult league, and no plans on going back; though he has been back to see relatives. Good guy, I promised to take his son and him caribou hunting this fall. He considers himself American now, wants his son to serve in military when he comes of age. Funny thing, he still believes Russian hockey is far superior to anything in North America; no changing that, ha. So I'm ordering that Anatoly Tarasov biography from Amazon for him. ha.

We do have a Russian Christian community up in Big Delta. They have been there 20 years and have assimilated, though many of the locals never will accept them.

I guess most people I know are more concerned about the economy than politics; but both are found in America.

Eska, thanks for your story - very interesting!

FRiends, if I may so bold as to direct your attention to the website for our upcoming book... just look in my tag line. Thank you. :)

Here in the NE, I always found the Russians humble and gracious when we used to do house to house and apt. evangelism with a Baptist church in the 80’s. We had Russian language tracts, and i learned to say “Spazeeba” (thank you?), as well as Das vedanya” (”good day?) - at least that’s how i said these words.

My most favorite memory is when i offered a gospel tract to a tall Russian man, and he bowed down to take me hand to kiss it! I pulled it back, as I felt embarrassed, and he could not speak English much. I met him more than once, and he managed to convey that he wanted to invite us to his apartment, something that the natives RARELY do around here (MA) and so we finally went.

He and his wife were very gracious, and gave us Russian pancakes. His wife was actually a Muslim, and who interpreted for him, and explained that he was in a Siberian prison camp for 6 years for political dissent. I mentioned Sakharov and he said that he had met him. I also asked if how could it was in the camp. His wife again translated it to him, and then gave his answer: “He says, ‘I am still trying to get warm!’”

I really felt honored to met this man, and we told him about Jesus and salvation. I never saw him again, but I could met Russians in the middle of a cold winter day who would often stop and talk as if it was July. I could also tell a Russian family because they acted like a family. Kids close by their side, and well behaved, and i a word, humble. a family or Russian atheist even invited us in one day.

Of course, then there is the notorious Russian mafia.

My mechanic, Henry, is an escapee from the Soviet system. He can't say enough bad things about it.To hear him speak is to view an entire world that many will never erxperience. People really did get in a line when they saw it on the street, because there had to be some commodity on sale at the end, but he said there were professional line-waiters who would hold your pl;ace. That is what they did for a living: stand in line for others.

Anyway, he says he had an ethnic-sounding last name and it retared his professional growth, even though discrimination was counter to party doctrine. He was some kind of engineer in the old country, either electrical or aerospace, I think. He says he is a lot happier being a Honda mechanic in Houston, and that the police here have not once demanded a payoff.

Reminds me of The Final Escape of Lieutenant Belenko.

btt