On art, music, books, movies, politics, life - sometimes with astrology thrown in.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Russians
John Steinbeck, from A Russian Journal (1948), written in the cold war era but likely still relevant:
“It seems to us that one of the deepest divisions between the Russians and the Americans or British, is in their feeling toward their governments. The Russians are taught, and trained, and encouraged to believe that their government is good, that every part of it is good, and that their job is to carry it forward, to back it up in all ways. On the other hand, the deep emotional feeling among Americans and British is that all government is somehow dangerous, that there should be as little government as possible, that any increase in the power of government is bad, and that existing government must be watched constantly, watched and criticized to keep it sharp and on its toes.”
Whatever current political attitudes of the everyday Russian-in-the-street may be, we're all the same, at core - really we are - even when out shopping and taken by surprise...look -
" ... we're all the same, at core - really we are -"
'Cept that all those supermarket singers are in the Gulag now. Life terms. Hard labor. Disturbing the peace. And the one or two who were gay were summarily executed.
In terms of the U.S., try googling "Life Sentences for Selling Marijuana", or "Prison Industrial Complex", or "How Prison Labor Mimics Slavery" along with other variations.
LB ~ Yes - thanks. Anything that can be levelled at Russia (fairly or unfairly) can be reflected here at home also.
What I was trying to underline in this post was that we, the ordinary people, are much alike, striving for the same kinds of things day by day - Russians, Americans, British, whatever. Governments are quite often nasty pieces of work, it's the nature of the beast here, there, and everywhere.
anyjazz ~ Indeed. Perhaps, though, if We The People of the World were to stick together, appreciate our similarities and try to understand our differences without rancour or violence, maybe we wouldn't have to be going anywhere (at least not until Father time calls us - naturally).
These are the people we in the West are taught to fear and hate. Somehow I can't ever imagine anything similar happening in Walmart, or Asda, or LeClerc (France). Let's see, UK, US, France - maybe Russia could be my next stopover?
Twilight - some of your readers are more affected by western propaganda than others - sad.
RJ Adams ~ I was a bad student - never did feel any antipathy to Russians. I felt sorrow for them during the USSR era, and thankfulness for their contribution to WW2 - what they did then prevented the Nazis from pressing on to "fixing" Britain.
The US, in general, still has a hangover from the days of McCarthyism, I think.
If anyjazz and I were several years younger, I'd be pressing for a vacation trip to Russia. As it is - it seems like just too much hassle for a couple of old fogies. An old work friend of mine, back in Leeds, took a holiday in Russia a few years ago, enjoyed it a lot.
" ... we're all the same, at core - really we are -"
ReplyDelete'Cept that all those supermarket singers are in the Gulag now. Life terms. Hard labor. Disturbing the peace. And the one or two who were gay were summarily executed.
Couldn't help it. Sorry.
Tsk!! But then...what did I expect?
ReplyDeleteHi Twilight ~
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the U.S., try googling "Life Sentences for Selling Marijuana", or "Prison Industrial Complex", or "How Prison Labor Mimics Slavery" along with other variations.
Tom Lerher said it best. "We'll all go together when we go."
ReplyDeleteLB ~ Yes - thanks. Anything that can be levelled at Russia (fairly or unfairly) can be reflected here at home also.
ReplyDeleteWhat I was trying to underline in this post was that we, the ordinary people, are much alike, striving for the same kinds of things day by day - Russians, Americans, British, whatever. Governments are quite often nasty pieces of work, it's the nature of the beast here, there, and everywhere.
anyjazz ~ Indeed. Perhaps, though, if We The People of the World were to stick together, appreciate our similarities and try to understand our differences without rancour or violence, maybe we wouldn't have to be going anywhere (at least not until Father time calls us - naturally).
ReplyDeleteI agree, Twilight. Which is what makes the anti-Russia talk so troubling.
ReplyDeleteLB ~ Yes, I feel the same.
ReplyDeleteThese are the people we in the West are taught to fear and hate. Somehow I can't ever imagine anything similar happening in Walmart, or Asda, or LeClerc (France). Let's see, UK, US, France - maybe Russia could be my next stopover?
ReplyDeleteTwilight - some of your readers are more affected by western propaganda than others - sad.
RJ Adams ~ I was a bad student - never did feel any antipathy to Russians. I felt sorrow for them during the USSR era, and thankfulness for their contribution to WW2 - what they did then prevented the Nazis from pressing on to "fixing" Britain.
ReplyDeleteThe US, in general, still has a hangover from the days of McCarthyism, I think.
If anyjazz and I were several years younger, I'd be pressing for a vacation trip to Russia. As it is - it seems like just too much hassle for a couple of old fogies. An old work friend of mine, back in Leeds, took a holiday in Russia a few years ago, enjoyed it a lot.