Quote Originally Posted by Deborski View Post
When I was living in the USSR in 1991, right during its collapse, Russians were enamored with America. They thought it was some kind of great utopia and they had nothing but resentment and bitterness about their own nation's failings. I tried to tell them that America is not really paradise, but no one would listen to me. I can't count the number of times when people would find out I was from the US and their response would be "У вас нет проблем!"

They had a completely unrealistic view of the US, based on all the propaganda we sent out and since at that time Russia's economy was so bad, I guess the US did look pretty attractive. But in the 1980's, the US was already on course for its ultimate demise. Reagan was deregulating the banks, capitalism was allowed to run amok, religious fanaticism was on the upswing with people like Pat Robertson creating religious "universities" to train "future leaders" of America. They were sowing the seeds and now we are reaping a bitter harvest. Unregulated, Wall Street has gambled with our country's economy and rather than being punished, it was bailed out by our failing middle class. The average CEO makes more than 400 times what his employees do, and contrary to conservative economic theories, that profit is not being used to create jobs and it is not going back into the economy. It's being hoarded in overseas banks so that not even taxes can be collected on it. Those religious universities churned out flocks of graduates who have become our politicians, our media representatives, our corporate executives, our military leaders and so on and they are doing everything in their power to turn our country into a theocracy. Some of them even want to help bring about "Armageddon."

I once believed in the American dream, that anyone could become wealthy or famous if they just worked hard enough. But these days it simply isn't true, and frankly I doubt it ever really was true. I worked hard my whole life and never became rich, though I did know what it was like to be famous, at least on a small scale when I worked in TV. Fame is not all it's cracked up to be either. When you are famous, you never know who your real friends are and who just wants to take advantage of you. People are jealous and hurtful and you soon discover that it's a very lonely way to live.

To me it seems that Russia was dangerously enamored with the US to the point where they copied us, and they did such a good job of copying us that in 20 years they will suffer the same fate as we are if they are not careful.

This whole comment was ace. Really interesting observations and so well put.
I guess everyone has a schizophrenic view of their own country; a kind of love-hate. But Russians seem to lean more towards the hate side.

Those Russians I met in Israel were just dissing the USSR (new Russia) absolutely non-stop. They didn't really have any specific complaints that I remember (or maybe I just didn't understand it). But they were just convinced that everything was crap, and anywhere was better. But they also seemed a bit lost and stuck to themselves despite others trying to socialise with them. Claimed "nobody understood them". I'll never forget these two good looking Russian guys who sat out all evening, night after night and played Russian famous melodies on the guitar and harmonica. Very dramatic and poetic. Still, they wanted to go to the US.

Remember reading about the Mc Donald's that opened in Moscow in the 80s, and how people queued all day to visit. Even that young I thought "how pathetic". They have so much, and they queue for hours for a lousy cheeseburger from a country that would quite happily blow them to smitherins with a nuke.

So in the 90s I started wondering if I had actually seen the real USSR when I visited there. My dad travelled regularly to the USSR and many other places in Eastern Europe. His standing comment was always that it was absolutely fine, apart from in Russia lots of people lived in terrible housing. So I don't think I saw any fake facades but of course I can't know for sure. And I judged Russia, just like the USA - from films.
Plus, the last time I was there, the kids we met were totally materialistic - in awe of our stuff and incredibly disappointed that we didn't have jeans, jean shirts etc with us (due to school policy). There was 0 ideology for sure. Not surprising the whole country just fell apart a few years later. It seemed that mentally they were no Soviet anymore.

And as for you Deborski, I actually think you have something in common with the experience the Russians have been through. I mean the stuff that's happening to your country. Once an inspiration for many, and liberating many from oppression.. Full of opportunities, and now -- all the things that you are describing. Not satisfied with doing it at home but wanting to spread the junk across the world. And people being too blind to see it or do anything about it. Right now I'm dealing with some really nice American ladies through work, maybe not politically aware, but just nice and decent. It's just terrible to think that people like them are taken for a ride like that both in terms of the foreign policy and what happens internally in their country.

Here in England we still see the results of "the grass is greener" syndrome. Eastern Europeans with good university degrees cram into dinky little flats so they can do nasty jobs at Starbucks and the like, or clean for people. And it's not because there aren't jobs where they come from. At least one participant in this forum strikes me as a the absolutely stereotypical Russia-hating, America-worshipping Eastern European who'd probably be an Ayn Rand & von Mises fan if he was a bit more intellectual.