Thread: "Russophobia" and "Russophilia" :)

That's not true

If it's not true - it's Wikipedia who's to blame, not me. I'm not a specialist on Norway, all I know is Norway and Russia are too different countries to make valid comparisons. It's you who began to compare them.

You started to discuss cuases of high prises having no idea what the prices really are. (I don't take into account provided links to Ukrainian media)
Half of this thread is full of basles cpeculations like this

I know what the prices were last summer there, because I was in Crimea last summer and I know what the prices really were. Some of them were really lower, especially strong alcohol beverages, some of them slightly lower - such as sausages and meat, some of them were about as high as in Russia, such as bread, some of them were in fact higher - that is dairy products. If they have risen twice by now, they should be far higher than those in continental Russia now.

If you don't believe me, here is a link to an old article dated by 2009. Цены в Крыму растут к лету
As you can see, the prices in Crimea were not very lower than in Russia even then especially in summer:

25 апреля 2009 Эльви Усманова

Цены в Крыму растут к лету

Еда и питье , Цены

В Крыму в магазинах и лавках можно найти любые товарыВ Крыму продукты стоят несколько дешевле, чем в Москве и Петербурге, однако и особой дешевизны тоже нет - не Индия. А в сезон в Ялте цена на черешню может быть даже выше, чем в Москве. Цены на продукты в марте-апреле 2009 года в Симферополе, Севастополе, на Южном берегу Крыма были такие...

В скобках даны примерные цены в рублях

Продукты:
Растительное масло 12-14 грн/л (60-70 руб.)
Масло сливочное 200-грамм 6 грн (30 руб.)
Хлеб – 2,3-3,5 грн (буханка или батон) (18 руб.)

Мясо:

Говядина – 25-40 грн (125-200 руб)

свинина - 20-40 грн/кг (100-200р)
сало – от 10 грн/кг (50р)


Рыба
судак - от 22 грн/кг (130р),
пеленгас – от 17 грн/кг (100р),
сельдь – от 12 грн/кг (100р)

Курица – 18-30 грн/кг (филе – 32 грн/кг) (100-150р)
Вареная колбаса - от 30 грн (150р)
Копченая колбаса - от 37 грн (185р)

Молочные продукты:
молоко – 4-7 грн/л (20-35р)
кефир – 3,5-7 грн/л (18-35р)
ряженка - 4,5-7 грн/л (22-35)
сметана – 14-15 грн/л (70-75р)
творог – 25-30 грн/кг (120 - 150р)
сыр – от 35 грн/кг (175 р)
плавленный сыр – от 15 грн/кг) (75 р)

Яйца – 6,5-8 грн за 10 штук (35-50р)

Овощи:

картошка разных сортов 2-7 грн/кг (10-35 руб.)

капуста – 3-5 грн/кг (15-25 руб.)
зелень – 1,5-2 грн за пучок (7-10 руб.)
морковь 5 грн/кг (25 руб.)
помидоры – 9-12 грн/кг (45- 60 руб.)
лук – 6-7 грн/кг (30-35 руб.)
огурцы – 3-5 грн/кг (15-25 руб.)

Фрукты:
яблоки - 20-25 грн/кг (120р)
бананы – 6 грн/кг (35р)
апельсины – 9 грн/кг (55р)
черешня – 15 грн/кг (75р)
кабачки – 3-4 грн/кг (18-24р)

Спиртные напитки:
коньяк - от 24 грн/бутылка 0.5 (120р)
вино – «Массандра» - 18-60 грн/бутылка (120-360р)
«Коктебель» - 19-35 грн/бутылка (120-240)
«Инкерман» - 18-40 грн/бутылка (120-240р)
водка – от 18 грн/бутылка 0.5 (120р)
пиво - от 2.50 грн/бутылка 0.5 (15р)

Напитки:
минеральная вода - от 2 грн/л (12р)
сок - 5-10 грн/л (35-60р)
сок 3 литра - 11-15 грн (60-80р)

PS. Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know what "basles" means.

Originally Posted by SergeMak

It's you who began to compare them.

I didn't. I suggested to recall what they do produce. But you quoted wikipedia (very credible source) about oil income of state budget instead.

I know what the prices were last summer there, because I was in Crimea last summer and I know what the prices really were. Some of them were really lower, especially strong alcohol beverages, some of them slightly lower - such as sausages and meat, some of them were about as high as in Russia, such as bread, some of them were in fact higher - that is dairy products. If they have risen twice by now, they should be far higher than those in continental Russia now.

If you don't believe me, here is an old link to an article dated by 2009. Цены в Крыму растут к лету
As you can see, the prices in Crimea were not very lower than in Russia even then especially in summer:

I still cant see where does it say that they are twice higher.

I usually don't believe any "aricles" and reports.
What about prices in Crimea I think the best source would be photos of store and gas station prices fron ppl who are there now.
I hope soon i'll get some.

PS. Oh, I'm sorry, I don't know what "basles" means.

must be "baseless" - a typo. (i'm working here, sorry)

About prices in Crimea- here is a link from a Sevastopol's forum: Ура!!! Позитивные новости Крыма и Севастополя!!!!! • Sevpolitforum.info
People are indignant about the rumors of drastic price raise.

I still cant see where does it say that they are twice higher.

Nobody can. Except for some Ukrainian patriots and some of their American sympathizers (не буду переходить на личности).

I know, I have been away from MR for awhile... I have a lot to catch up on. I saw this thread and it caught my eye as I wanted to post something about what I saw on TV last night and Hanna actually commented about it at the start of the thread...

Originally Posted by Hanna

Although I remember in the 1990s bad guys/girls (gangsters) in Scandinavian films were always Russian. Or rather, people pretending to speak Russian.
It got really predictable; if a Russian person was in the plot, you knew that he was up to no good.

Last night, a new TV series started here in the U.S., The Last Ship. It wasn't all that great but I started it so I figured I would watch until it ended and at the very end of the episode they foreshadowed and then they showed the preview for next week... the bad guys who started the plague that has killed off 80% of the world's population within 4 weeks... who else... the Russians! Why please tell me is it always the Russians??? For once can't it be someone else?

Originally Posted by Hanna

As for the USA I think it is in self destruct mode...I'm referring to things like destruction of family values, rampant immoral values...

ORLY? Destruction of family values and rampant immoral values? Before I get my panties all bunched... please tell me, based upon what and who's values?

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Destruction of family values

I know it could sound very strange to Americans, but flourishing of homosexuality is the destruction of family values.

Originally Posted by SergeMak

About prices in Crimea- here is a link from a Sevastopol's forum: Ура!!! Позитивные новости Крыма и Севастополя!!!!! • Sevpolitforum.info

Just have spent a couple of hours browsing this forum. I was aware, of course, that Crimeans didn't like to be a part of Ukraine, but they sound like it was some kind of occupation by foreign troops and now they are finally free. I haven't been in Crimea since late 90s and didn't know forced Ukrainization was so agressive during the past decade. People there seem to literally hate all Ukraine-related.

Yes I was referring to that kind of stuff. It's one thing to treat everybody with respect and humanity; it's quite another thing to allow porn clubs, pride parades and demo condoms to 12 year olds in school. I have conservative values on that front because I believe that anything else is destructive to society in the long run. At least more so than the alternatives. This kind of stuff originated in the USA, but Europeans have been all too quick to emulate most of it. So whose values? Well I guess I was talking about traditional values, or Christian values.

Other things that seems "self-destructive" to me in the the USA, is that it is beginning to be the norm with 1-2 shooting sprees per month. Wouldn't happen if they restricted gun ownership and didn't constantly show violent shows on TV and allow perversely violent video games. The fact that this happens so much is a sign of a society that is twisted.

I think a lot of US culture just appeals to the lowest human instincts; sex and violence.
I just think that violence should never be glorified and sex is a private matter.

But if the main objective is to sell, and for the seller to get rich and money is the highest virtue, then it's just logical that the most easy-to-sell concepts, products and lifestyle will always win out.

And the wars. The USA is just spreading chaos and destruction in its path. How many failures is it going to take until they stop invading other countries. Or will nothing short of a taste of its own medicine, or the dollar bubble popping do the trick.

And this isn't actually attacking just the USA, rockzmom! So don't take it personally if at all possible! (People like you make me think the USA can't be all evil...) I can go on a long tirade about my own country, that has some extremely weird and very destructive stuff going on. Or Europe in general. So sure - I am anti-American, in many respects but I am anti a lot of things that go on in Europe too. And most of the things that America starts, Europe quickly lashes on to.

I respect the Russians for rejecting a lot of this, and for not shying away from taking the slack for doing so. And I have noticed that more and more Europeans seem to begin to take notice.

Originally Posted by Basil77

Just have spent a couple of hours browsing this forum. I was aware, of course, that Crimeans didn't like to be a part of Ukraine, but they sound like it was some kind of occupation by foreign troops and now they are finally free. I haven't been in Crimea since late 90s and didn't know forced Ukrainization was so agressive during the past decade. People there seem to literally hate all Ukraine-related.

I think the Ukrainization worked on some younger kids though. It seems that there were actually the odd teenagers who wanted to stay Ukrainian.
And Sofia Rotary, who lives there, as it-ogo pointed out....

Originally Posted by Hanna

Yes I was referring to that kind of stuff. It's one thing to treat everybody with respect and humanity; it's quite another thing to allow porn clubs, pride parades and demo condoms to 12 year olds in school. I have conservative values on that front because I believe that anything else is destructive to society in the long run. At least more so than the alternatives. This kind of stuff originated in the USA, but Europeans have been all too quick to emulate most of it.

Other things that seems "self-destructive" to me in the the USA, is that it is beginning to be the norm with 1-2 shooting sprees per month. Wouldn't happen if they restricted gun ownership and didn't constantly show violent shows on TV and allow perversely violent video games. The fact that this happens so much is a sign of a society that is twisted.

I think a lot of US culture just appeals to the lowest human instincts; sex and violence.
I just think that violence should never be glorified and sex is a private matter.

But if the main objective is to sell, and for the seller to get rich and money is the highest virtue, then it's just logical that the most easy-to-sell concepts, products and lifestyle will always win out.

And the wars. The USA is just spreading chaos and destruction in its path. How many failures is it going to take until they stop invading other countries. Or will nothing short of a taste of its own medicine, or the dollar bubble popping do the trick.

And this isn't actually attacking just the USA, rockzmom! So don't take it personally if at all possible! (People like you make me think the USA can't be all evil...) I can go on a long tirade about my own country, that has some extremely weird and very destructive stuff going on. Or Europe in general. So sure - I am anti-American, in many respects but I am anti a lot of things that go on in Europe too. And most of the things that America starts, Europe quickly lashes on to.

I respect the Russians for rejecting a lot of this, and for not shying away from taking the slack for doing so. And I have noticed that more and more Europeans seem to begin to take notice.

The U.S. culture and set of lifestyles are way more diverse than this, but I guess those anti-American people have hard times realizing that, if any at all. Ironically, people in the South, who are the biggest gun owners in numbers, are also the biggest followers of the traditional family values. The absolute most of people in the U.S. use their guns to prevent violence, not to start it. Corrupted minds start violence, not the gun your hands hold.

My two points I think I should make here are: First, gun possession and movies featuring violence don't really cause violence to be carried out in real life, and neither do porn movies or night clubs people go to for casual sex destruct family values. Some people just have to relax at times, others just have other values, and you just cannot enforce yours on them, so even if those options were unavailable, they would still find something else. And it's all about freedom of choice. People have to have as many options as possible, and they'll make their choice based on their hearts and minds, anyway. Second, every country has problems. If you can find issues like school shooters in some states, fine, but why get so fanatical about those? Making it a feature of the whole country's culture and way of life is totally irrational. For that matter, one could say one of the biggest features of the Russian culture are alcoholism and amazingly bad roads, and they would be immediately labeled the biggest russophobes history has ever known. Then why go that way about other countries? Maybe every one of us should just fight all those nasty little phobias inside us, and not let them take over our common sense?

Originally Posted by Hanna

Maybe that's the secret of how to win a war against America - just deprive her of loo paper...

ROFL! Look, I know that toilet paper isn't a very big deal -- as a 10-year-old, I went on two-week Boy Scout campouts in rural Turkey (it was a joint American/Turkish scouting program); I was also in the Boy Scouts in Japan; I've done youth hostels, I've done wilderness trips, I know how to wipe my butt with newspaper or Sears catalog pages or oak leaves.

At the same time, however, lots of people are more picky than I am about what they wipe their butt with. If you want to attract wealthy 55-year-old foreign tourists who'll spend a lot of money in restaurants and fine hotels, rather than 20-year-olds who plan to stay in cheap youth hostels, it's important to pay attention to minor details like "toilet paper quality." (Remember, at least part of the rationalization for spending so much money on Sochi is that the facilities would continue to generate revenue from international tourism long after the Olympic games were over.)

Initially they are jumping back and forth between the civil war in Russia and the 1930s as if it was the same period. This appears to be a fairly recent documentary but it's worthy of the cold war, in its exaggerated one-sidedness.

I don't at all agree with Hanna's characterization of the documentary -- of COURSE a movie about mass graves filled with executed victims is going to use "dramatic" music (whaddaya expect, Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance"?), and but I "Liked" her comment anyway because of her point about the documentary's recentness.

(There's nothing wrong with this kind of "one sided" documentary as a sort of antidote to the rosy-colored, pro-Soviet apologetics of liars like Walter Duranty, or as an eye-opener for extremely naive viewers who think that "Communism is just like sharing cookies in kindergarten". But people who already know that Stalin had blood on his hands deserve a more balanced look that is just as honest about the bloody brutality of Tsarist society and other problems that the USSR was trying to solve.)

Originally Posted by lodka

I know it could sound very strange to Americans, but flourishing of homosexuality is the destruction of family values.

Iodka, Hi... we have not spoken before... thank you for being open and honest.

The thriving of a single class of humans to be the downfall of family values, a nation or even the world... well, we have heard that claim before with African Americans and ending slavery, women suffrage, Jews and Hitler, marriages outside one's faith, interracial marriages and bi-racial children, and then homosexuality and now transgender and legalized same-sex marriages.

I realize that the below is way oversimplified however...
Once we as a world decide to accept one another: black, white, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Straight or LGBT, male or female and so on and that your idea of "normal" and my idea of "normal" may not be the same but we still have the same rights to be on this Earth and live in peace and be safe, obtain a quality education, have a relative happy and prosperous life, and be able to be with whomever we choose to be with... all without the fear of prosecution or persecution... then the humans in this world will actually FLOURISH. We will stop killing one another over stupid things like girls trying to attend school when it is forbidden, because in that area of the world, that is considered, ya know... strange and the destruction of family values.

As I said - I knew it would sound strange to Americans.

Originally Posted by lodka

As I said - I knew it would sound strange to Americans.

No, it would not. There is still plenty of homophobia in America too. Only 19 states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage.
The same is in the EU - "Luxembourg will be the ninth EU member state to introduce same-sex marriage, following legislation in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, France and the UK."

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I know, I have been away from MR for awhile......

Welcome back.
I saw the promo on Youtube and I left a short but (imo) brilliant comment... I basically told them where they could put their new serial after I hit the dislike button.
I'm an American (born here) and I like my country (just not a lot of the politicians) but it's definitely no God. But yeah, isn't it interesting that I've never seen a Western movie or serial with a Russian hero...

Originally Posted by Eric C.

The U.S. culture and set of lifestyles are way more diverse than this, but I guess those anti-American people have hard times realizing that, if any at all. Ironically, people in the South, who are the biggest gun owners in numbers, are also the biggest followers of the traditional family values. The absolute most of people in the U.S. use their guns to prevent violence, not to start it. Corrupted minds start violence, not the gun your hands hold.

My two points I think I should make here are: First, gun possession and movies featuring violence don't really cause violence to be carried out in real life, and neither do porn movies or night clubs people go to for casual sex destruct family values. Some people just have to relax at times, others just have other values, and you just cannot enforce yours on them, so even if those options were unavailable, they would still find something else. And it's all about freedom of choice. People have to have as many options as possible, and they'll make their choice based on their hearts and minds, anyway. Second, every country has problems. If you can find issues like school shooters in some states, fine, but why get so fanatical about those? Making it a feature of the whole country's culture and way of life is totally irrational. For that matter, one could say one of the biggest features of the Russian culture are alcoholism and amazingly bad roads, and they would be immediately labeled the biggest russophobes history has ever known. Then why go that way about other countries? Maybe every one of us should just fight all those nasty little phobias inside us, and not let them take over our common sense?

You're right about your first comment. I live in the south where Christian values are very important and most people have guns... I love my Marlin .308 lever-action, MXLR centerfire rifle. And there aren't any porn theaters here and nobody I know plays the bloody online video games. I also agree that it's people and not guns that kill. Also, I think the media focuses on the shcool shootings and despite the fact that they aren't that common, the media can make it seem like they are. But tbh, there shouldn't be any school shootings period.

But I do know that too much freedom of choice is the reason that America doesn't even have a culture. I mean, what is an American? It's Islamists, survivalists, satanists, Baptist hate groups, non-denominational religions, Catholics, Jewish communities, rival gangs... etc etc. It has 50 states and probably almost 500 subcultures and 4 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world. It's just a collection of any culture anybody chooses or creates.
Btw, our country also has the highest percentage of it's population in prisons. A lot of those prisons are private prisons and I think they could easily qualify as labor camps.
Anyway, I could easily adjust to alcoholics and bad roads if I never had to deal with gay parades and gay harassment. And hey, I know a lot of Christians at the Christian forum could too. There's a lot of pro-Russian talk at that forum.
So what does it mean to be an American? More money and tons of freedom to be anything so maybe that's what Americans are... rich anythings.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I realize that the below is way oversimplified however...
Once we as a world decide to accept one another: black, white, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Straight or LGBT, male or female and so on and that your idea of "normal" and my idea of "normal" may not be the same but we still have the same rights to be on this Earth and live in peace and be safe, obtain a quality education, have a relative happy and prosperous life, and be able to be with whomever we choose to be with... all without the fear of prosecution or persecution... then the humans in this world will actually FLOURISH. We will stop killing one another over stupid things like girls trying to attend school when it is forbidden, because in that area of the world, that is considered, ya know... strange and the destruction of family values.

What? One world = one culture = one government? Ain't gonna happen. Part of being human is a mix of good and bad traits. The bad ones can be controlled by laws but it's never perfect. For example, discrimination is illegal in America but there's still tons of discrimination and racial groups. Also, gay discrimination is illegal in America but the LGBT is alarmed by the dramatic increases in anti-gay violence in the US. And don't forget, despite American opposition to military oppression, our country is actively supporting it in Ukraine.
Technology and governments have evolved but people are still about the same as they were 3,000 years ago. We're still that same species.

Originally Posted by lodka

As I said - I knew it would sound strange to Americans.

It never sounds strange to Americans born in the southern states.

Originally Posted by Eric C.

The U.S. culture and set of lifestyles are way more diverse than this, but I guess those anti-American people have hard times realizing that, if any at all.

Thosr anyi-Russian people kept repeating stupid propaganda stereotypes for a long time. What "reslization" did you expect in return?

The absolute most of people in the U.S. use their guns to prevent violence, not to start it. Corrupted minds start violence, not the gun your hands hold.

THat's pretty questionable. A corrupted mind without a gun can't kill that many ppl as with.

The absolute most of people in the U.S. use their guns to prevent violence

How many ordinary americans are ready (in reality) to kill another american even for self defence?

But anyways here's another stereotype about gun control in russia.
Russian gun law in some aspects is more liberal than american federal one. And far more liberal than those in europe.
Russia is ninth in world rating of public gun posession ratio. (which i personally don't like. having spent some time in army i can't imagine a situation in my everyday life when i would need one)

here are the requirements for a gun purchaser in russia

Общий список необходимых документов для получения разрешения на гладкоствольное, охотничье оружие

1. Ксерокопия гражданского паспорта (страница с фотографией и пропиской),
2. Медицинская справка 046-1 (комплексная оружейная справка),
3. Квитанция об оплате единовременных сборов,
4. Фотография 3х4 (4шт.на матовой бумаге),
5. Рапорт участкового инспектора о проверке условий хранения оружия (металлический ящик, сейф для хранения оружия)
6. Заявление гражданина.
7. Обязательная сдача экзамена по знанию условий хранения, ношения и применения оружия.


Для получения лицензии на покупку нарезного оружия

Вы в своем ОЛРР по месту жительства должны взять справку, подтверждающую стаж владения гладкоствольным оружием.
Вы предоставляете документы:
1. Ксерокопия гражданского паспорта (страница с фотографией и пропиской),
2. Медицинская справка 046-1 (комплексная оружейная справка),
3. Квитанция об оплате единовременных сборов,
4. Фотография 3х4 (4шт.на матовой бумаге),
5. Рапорт участкового инспектора о проверке условий хранения оружия (металлический ящик, сейф для хранения оружия)
6. Заявление гражданина.
7. Обязательная сдача экзамена по знанию условий хранения, ношения и применения оружия.
но согласно Закону об оружии, вы имеете право приобрести нарезное оружие , только при 5-летнем стаже владения гладкоствольным охотничьим оружием.
Документы в случае получения лицензии на нарезное оружие , сдаются не в районный Отдел Лицензионно-Разрешительной работы, а в Окружной ОЛРР.
Срок рассмотрения заявления на получение лицензии на покупку нарезного оружия от 30 дней.


Общий список необходимых документов для получения лицензии на травматическое оружие

1. Ксерокопия гражданского паспорта (страница с фотографией и пропиской),
2. Медицинская справка 046-1 (комплексная оружейная справка),
3. Квитанция об оплате единовременных сборов,
4. Фотография 3х4 (4шт.на матовой бумаге),
5. Рапорт участкового инспектора о проверке условий хранения оружия (металлический ящик, сейф для хранения оружия)
6. Заявление гражданина.
7. Обязательная сдача экзамена по знанию условий хранения, ношения и применения оружия.

ВНИМАНИЕ!
ВЫ НЕ ПОЛУЧИТЕ ЛИЦЕНЗИЮ НА ОРУЖИЕ, ЕСЛИ:
1. Вам менее 18 лет;
2. Вы имеете непогашенную судимость;
3. Вы совершили повторно в течение года административное правонарушение, посягающее на общественный порядок, – например, хулиганство;
4. Вы не имеете постоянного места жительства – оно подтверждается регистрацией («пропиской»).


Без лицензии приобретаются:

• механические распылители;
• аэрозольные и другие устройства, снаряженные слезоточивыми или раздражающими веществами;
• электрошоковые устройства и искровые разрядники отечественного производства;
• пневматическое оружие с дульной энергией не более 7,5 Дж и калибра до 4,5 мм включительно.
Конструктивно сходные с оружием изделия, пневматические винтовки, пистолеты и револьверы с дульной энергией не более 3Дж, сигнальные пистолеты и револьверы калибра не более 6 мм и патроны к ним, которые по заключению МВД РФ не могут быть использованы в качестве огнестрельного и газового оружия, приобретаются без лицензии и не регистрируются.

Originally Posted by UhOhXplode

Also, I think the media focuses on the shcool shootings and despite the fact that they aren't that common, the media can make it seem like they are.

The public opinion is being prepared for gun law restrictions. It took Australia four months to ban public guns completely. I think in the US it will take like 5 -7 years.

By the way; I want to point out that my response was not in order to complain about the USA. Rockzmom asked why I thought it was in "self destruct mode", so I gave my answer.
I don't feel strongly about it what Americans do within their own borders.

I may think certain phenomenons are self-destructive for a nation, but I may be wrong, and even if I'm not, it's not really my problem. Some of the arguments for gun ownership make sense, if you see the mindset of those that argue it.
I save my big US rants for the foreign policy. Wars and meddling abroad.

As for the whole debates about homosexuality, violence as entertainment, pornography or wide-spread gun ownership. There are of course arguments and counter arguments for either side of this. My personal view is that all of the above are destructive for a society, see Rome, Greece which escalated all of these as they began to crumble. But it's just a view, and if the majority of Americans don't agree, that's their business.

I respect uHoHexplode's cultural position on this - I'm aware that there is a cultural different view on this. Widespread availability of weapons makes these massacres easier to perpetrate, but if that's a price Americans are willing to pay, then it's not my business. It might well be that there is so many weapons already in circulation that a ban would just be meaningless anyway. If I was American, I would be concerned about the massacres though, and what drives so many people to do it. Why does it happen almost weekly in the USA, but not in China, Russia or even the EU? What is the underlying cause?

As for gun ownership in Russia - aren't a lot of the weapons simply what people keep for hunting/shooting wild game in the forest? I guess there are also weapons used by gangsters in the 90s still around.

But Russia doesn't have gun shops like the USA has, does it? Or normal people who imagine they need to walk around armed, or keep firearms at home to "protect themselves".

About the plans for world government which UhOhx mentioned, well - here in London we have people from every corner of the world in large quantities, the internet connects us to anywhere we want in the world. We have a CCTV camera in every 15 metres or so in urban areas, and where you'd least expect it in the countryside. We use the same global payment methods as the rest of the Western World. (Visa, Mastercard and international banks). There is UN and EU as global organs.

I definitely think that the super state or world government is coming. All the development is in that direction. And I don't think it will be nice. Like all Christians I am aware of the end time prophecies which incidentally includes practically everything that this world already is, or is becoming. If you know it, you know what I mean, else no need to bring it up here.Funny chance or prophecy playing out? I don't know, but it's interesting and rather dark times we live in.

Well the thread is about Russophobia or Russophilia, so this is the last post from me about the USA in the thread!

Originally Posted by Hanna

As for gun ownership in Russia - aren't a lot of the weapons simply what people keep for hunting/shooting game in the forest

I've never seen any statistics on that but out of my expirience (just the ppl i know who have guns) half of them bought it just cause it's cool to have one others just earn term to qualify for an assault rifle of just like to shoot in shooting clubs. NOONE of them had bought it for selfe defense. And of course there are some hunters.

- plus perhaps a leftover from the wild 90s

May be some criminals do possess some . But i'm talking about legal registered guns.

or perhaps something people somehow sneaked away from their military service?

- that was never possible.

Russia doesn't have gun shops like the USA has, does it?

It does. And they are much more bigger fancier and richer. there are like 40 of them in my city оружие в Красноярске — 2ГИС
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also you can buy a weapon online http://www.izhguns.ru/info_gds.php?i=GBL0201023KJ and they'll mail it to you

Or normal people who imagine they need to walk around armed,

have never met one

or keep firearms at home to "protect themselves".

they say there are some but i personally don't know anyone of them


I'm personally strrongly asured that a normal person in russia (in america in europe) doesn't need a firearm in his everyday life.
It's more than enough to have some non-lethal weapon.

Once we as a world decide to accept one another: black, white, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Straight or LGBT, male or female and so on and that your idea of "normal" and my idea of "normal" may not be the same but we still have the same rights to be on this Earth and live in peace and be safe, obtain a quality education, have a relative happy and prosperous life, and be able to be with whomever we choose to be with... all without the fear of prosecution or persecution... then the humans in this world will actually FLOURISH.

Strangely enough is that some of the western countries are ready to accept not just homosexuality, but aggressive propaganda of homosexuality and cannot accept a modest woman in a hijab

Originally Posted by Eric C.

...one could say one of the biggest features of the Russian culture are alcoholism and amazingly bad roads, and they would be immediately labeled the biggest russophobes history has ever known. Then why go that way about other countries? Maybe every one of us should just fight all those nasty little phobias inside us, and not let them take over our common sense?

Oh yeah? Why not?
By the way, I don't believe that Ukrainians drink less than Russians do.

There is a member posting in this thread, who I would say is an almost ludicrous parody of Russophobia.

If there is a fault that a nation or nationality could possibly have, then this member will accuse Russia of it.
Be it alcoholism, rudeness, warmongering, ugliness or electing the wrong president.

He has never said a nice word about Russia, ever in this forum (by all means, prove me wrong if you can).
So I wouldn't worry too much about any comments from this member, or waste my time responding to his accusations.