Vladimir Zhirinovsky to Make Russian America's Second Official Language

PRAVDA.Ru ^ | Aug, 19 2002 | Pyotr Bely

[Jasonconley]

Vice-speaker of the Russian parliament Vladimir Zhirinovsky is to visit the USA once again; as usual, the objective of his visit is special. The vice-speaker says that he has offered to meet with representatives of the US presidential administration and the US department of state, as well as with the CIA deputy director and deputy minister for Domestic Security to discuss Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. Although the Russian deputy knows little about the life of average Americans, he has a clear idea of the life of Russians in the USA. Moreover, he has plans to protect their interests in America.

[mhking]

I just keep picturing this as an Onion headline (with a picture of "Enrico Palazzo" under it -- if you don't know, go rent "The Naked Gun")

[Ciexyz]

Xorosho, tovarish! (Good going, comrade!) As a Russian-speaking American - I learned it in college at Penn State - I think it's hysterical that someone wants to make Russian the official second language of the U.S. Shall we begin to study the six cases of Russki with their prepositional endings, everyone?! Tee hee.

[Jasonconley]

LOL! Russian isn't the easiest language in the world.

[hellinahandcart]

The Russian deputy will protect the rights of the Russian-speaking population of America

Vice-speaker of the Russian parliament Vladimir Zhirinovsky is to visit the USA once again; as usual, the objective of his visit is special. The vice-speaker says that he has offered to meet with representatives of the US presidential administration and the US department of state, as well as with the CIA deputy director and deputy minister for Domestic Security to discuss Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. Although the Russian deputy knows little about the life of average Americans, he has a clear idea of the life of Russians in the USA. Moreover, he has plans to protect their interests in America.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky says that he will suggest that US President George W. Bush give Russian the status of the US's second official language. Zhirinovsky says that the Russian-speaking population of the USA makes up from 3 to 7 million people. immigrants from former Soviet countries exert great influence in America, and members of the Russian community in the USA are included in America's elite. That is why Zhirinovsky says it is quite natural to consider the attachment of an official status to the Russian language in America. In addition, the Russian deputy is going to strive for other rights of the Russian-speaking population of America; in particular, he assist people striving to return to Russia.

The reaction of America's Russian-speaking population is not clear yet. It is known that when Vladimir Zhirinovsky planned his meeting with the Russian-speaking diaspora in Boston, he was going to bring two boxes of Zhirinovsky vodka to help organize the presentation of his new book.

And what do Russians in the former Soviet republics think about the suggestion made by Vladimir Zhirinovsky concerning the status of the Russian language in the USA? Certainly, the Russian-speaking population in former Soviet republics would like the Russian parliament vice-speaker to come to the newly founded independent states and protect the interests of the Russians living there. These people need the support of a Russian politician or governmental official, as they have many problems as an ethnic minority.

Latvia, for example, refused to grant a visa to vice-speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, as he is on a so-called black list consisting of politicians who are not welcomed in Latvia.

[El Sordo]

I once checked out a book on learning Russian.

After about fifteen minutes of reading I decided to learn the Banjo instead.

[xp38]

All your Cyrillics are belong to us!!!

[Frank_Discussion]

I just grabbed on at my local library myself. It's called "Very Simple Russian", and it is simple. I figured I'd start there and move forward with more complex usage from there.

IT occurred to me that as the commerce and politics become more between the US and the USSR, uh, former, that is, it may be good idea to learn a little of the language.

[hellinahandcart]

he was going to bring two boxes of Zhirinovsky vodka to help organize the presentation of his new book.

A "vodka helps you organize your presentations" ping...

[SAJ]

S' nimi ili s' nami, grazhdanin~ :^)

[Gumlegs]

What's our "official" first language?

[Jasonconley]

To tell you the truth, I thought that America doesn't have an official language.

[dighton]

A "vodka helps you organize your presentations" ping...

A "vodka helps your audience endure them" bump.

[Gumlegs]

That's what I thought too. Shouldn't we work up an official first language before we get into the second?

[Sender]

I went for the Russian instead. Funny thing, no one will understand why you would learn either one, for God's sake :)

[El Sordo]

I'll look for that book.

Thanks.

[El Sordo]

Well, if I get the banjo figured out I can work my way up to the mandolin.

[Ole Okie]

Hasn't been all that long ago (around the time of Krushchev's "We'll bury you") that one of the jokes going the rounds was:

"The optimists think that we'll all be speaking Russian in the future.

The pessimists think that we'll all be speaking Chinese."

[BrooklynGOP]

S nami e s amerikanskoi vodkoi! :P

[BrooklynGOP]

Xorosho, tovarish! (Good going, comrade!)

Luchshe ne nado! :)