Posted on 01/21/2014 1:48:31 AM PST by cunning_fish
National Review published a rather overheated piece the other day that contained an entertaining line: “Russia has become the Soviet Union with a better suit”. The idea that Russia is fundamentally the same as the Soviet Union is a popular one, particularly on the political right where “Soviet” has for decades served as a synonym for “bad.” Barely a day goes by without someone bemoaning Putin’s “Soviet” character or the “neo-Soviet” policies that Russia pursues in its part of the world.
However this idea is deeply mistaken and extremely misleading, and can only be held by deliberately ignoring a huge amount of contradictory information. Indeed, by focusing on the minor and superficial similarities between present-day Russia and the USSR we ignore a great deal of what actually makes Russia unique.
I’m under no illusion that I will conclusively end peoples’ habit of substituting “the Soviet Union” for “the Russian Federation,” but I thought I would draw attention to some of the most glaring differences between the two. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are seven important reasons why the Russian Federation and the Soviet Union are not the same:
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Most are in the Caucasus. Stalin was from Georgia. (I guess he’s still considered the local boy who made good).
Yes, but Putin cannot be compared to them.
"charming" about this KGB POS
Probably as a formidable foe?
If you refuse to see how Putin is an enemy of America, and a tyrant in Russia, you need better reading glasses. Please actually read what I've posted above. I know you are not coming from the same place, ideologically, as these persistent Putin supporters here. Don't let them blind you to reality.
Yes, it's a known fact. Stalin's mother was Ossetian, and father - Georgian. Some people of these ethnicities honour him as "a next-door boy who grew world-famous"
>>Lotta folks thought the USSR was Russia<<
Yep, Russians were the primary victims of USSR, mostly run by Georgians and Ukrainians.
It is not if I have something against Georgians and Ukrainians but it seems like ETL has nothing against Georgia too, despite the fact that they consider Stalin the single greatest Georgian and maintains his house as a national memorial.
Not to mention former Georgian dictator Saakashvili’s wife said in interview that her husband is a Stalin’s fan and her husband sees him as a role model.
Saakashvili has jailed most of his opposition, turned his nation into a one-party state, ruined national economy, supported muslim rebels in Russia, bombed his own separatist minorities and UN peacekeepers placed to protect them, but he is a hero for ETL, because he was “standing to dictator Putin” and hanging around with McCain.
If you take Stalin or Hitler for a model tyrant, Putin is no tyrant in Russia.
Well, he did.
Laying his atrocities aside, he saved Russia from the hun
You're right. It's like comparing a run-of-the-mill serial killer to those who only kill children.
I agree. But ETL doesn't want to credit him for this.
Obviously, there are different degrees of tyranny.
>>>If you refuse to see how Putin is an enemy of America, and a tyrant in Russia, you need better reading glasses. Please actually read what I’ve posted above. I know you are not coming from the same place, ideologically, as these persistent Putin supporters here. Don’t let them blind you to reality.<<<
Putin wasn’t elected to be a friend of America. It is a job of US State Department to put him to good use via diplomatic or other means at their disposal.
Bush’s administration was able to do it most of the time.
The Soviet Union won IN SPITE of Stalin.
Stalin started the war with Hitler in the first place when he signed off on the Non-Aggression Pact.
He also killed most of his best generals before the war, ignored intelligence that showed a German attack as imminent.
Yes the Soviet Union beat the Germans, but at the cost of millions, that didn’t need to die.
Luckily for Stalin, Hitler was even stupider.
And he ISN'T a friend of America. He's the exact opposite. For one thing, he stands behind and arms America's enemies. So why in hell do you and the others here spend so much time defending him??
The reality is Putin recognizes the dangers of islam, the dangers of a Godless society, the dangers of homosexuality, and the dangers of Obama. On those issues, I agree with him.
>>>If you take Stalin or Hitler for a model tyrant, Putin is no tyrant in Russia.
Obviously, there are different degrees of tyranny.<<<
Russia was a tyranny since 1500s. Powerful federal government actually allowed them to survive as a civilization since that time.
Current government is probably the closest to a free republic they ever had in hundred years yet you are putting out nonsense comparing Russian president to Mao and Stalin.
When has America been a friend to Russia, since the fall of the Soviet Union?
We bomb their Serb brothers, and try to poke our fingers in their eye every chance we get.
There you go! Finally something here I can agree with! :)
Then why does Russia, under him, support the islamo-terrorist state of Iran?
>>>And he ISN’T a friend of America. He’s the exact opposite. For one thing, he stands behind and arms America’s enemies. So why in hell do you and the others here spend so much time defending him??<<<
You really have to look into earlier 2000s. He actually persuaded Central Asian tyrants to allow USAF into their countries for Afghanistan campaign, also offered airbase in mainland Russia and Russian railway services for US military - all used up to this day.
It was huge, imagine a reaction of both communist and nationalism elements in Russia, he was close to be impeached but did it anyway.
Imagine if Russia had a problem with some Caribbean terrorists and US allowed RuAF into Canada and Mexico and offered Pensacola to a Russian Navy?
Freepers have a terrible time understanding the world and the way it works. The world is not hung up on religion as the be all, end all for all action.
Putin supports Iran because Iran is a very good customer. One takes care of his customers.
Business trumps religion
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