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Top 10 Differences between the United States and Russia Goto page 1, 2  Next

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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:23 am    Post subject: Top 10 Differences between the United States and Russia 1. Russia is bigger 2. Russia is no longer democratic 3. Russia has a flat personal income tax 4. In the US one does not have to be registered in a particular city to live there 5. Any US citizen can leave the country without even going through a passport control unlike Russia 6. In the US, suburban cities are generally safer and more developed than large cities. In Russia, the opposite is true. 7. Casinos are other sins are legal in Russia, while the same things are only legal in some places in the US (like Nevada). 8. Americans often smile when they see strangers and can look into stranger's eyes (especially in small towns). If you smile at strangers in Russia, people may think you're strange. 9. In Russia, forest is completely wild where one can walk and chill and do whatever. In the US, one has to go a designated wilderness area and pay an entrance fee in some cases to enjoy his/her time with nature. 10. The US has excellent airports even in small cities that make travel by plane easy.
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Fire_Goddess Guest	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:29 am    Post subject: Re: Top 10 Differences between the United States and Russia MrSpice wrote: 9. In Russia, forest is completely wild where one can walk and chill and do whatever. In the US, one has to go a designated wilderness area and pay an entrance fee in some cases to enjoy his/her time with nature. NY is not the entire USA.
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:36 am    Post subject: Re: Top 10 Differences between the United States and Russia Fire_Goddess wrote: MrSpice wrote: 9. In Russia, forest is completely wild where one can walk and chill and do whatever. In the US, one has to go a designated wilderness area and pay an entrance fee in some cases to enjoy his/her time with nature. NY is not the entire USA. I have been to many places in the US. There are not too many places where one can just stop on the side of the road and go into the forest and walk. Most of the land is either private propery or national/state park. In Russia, forest is mostly wild and does not belong to anybody. You can just stop in the middle of the road - say, park your car on the side of a highway and walk among trees for hours - nobody cares. You don't know what it's like because you've never been to Russia. Since you make good living, you should visit ST Petersburg at least.
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Fire_Goddess Guest	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:41 am    Post subject: But doesnt the government pretty much own most anything that isnt privately owned?
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:44 am    Post subject: Fire_Goddess wrote: But doesnt the government pretty much own most anything that isnt privately owned? \ Formally it does. But when you say "owns" that means that no one really cares. It's a public land. I.e., you cannot build your house in it, but you can walk around and do whatever you want. You're used to order. The word "owns" in the US means that there will be a big sign warning you that this is federal property or something like that and other signs everywhere. Russia forest is the same it was in the last century - totally wild. It's good and bad. It's good if you want to experience real wilderness. It's bad if you want amenitities. In any russia forest, your restroom is the next tree or place under it
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Xela VIP Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 781 Location: Shanghai	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:46 am    Post subject: 1. Americans are fatter. 2. America is under a racist dicatorship. 3. Americans steal off the rest of the world. 4. Americans need to go through a thousand checks to make sure they really are American. 5. Any non-US citizen must undergo interrogation no matter where he/she is from before being allowed to step foot in America. 6. America has the worst overall gun crime rate in the world and approximately 50, 000 murders every year. 7. Every sin you can think of can be found in America, you just might have to drive a bit further. 8. Americans look at anybody with Muslim features, including their Mexican neighbours with suspicion. 9. America has the highest rate of pollution in the world thanks to refusing to be part of the Kyoto treaty, thereby meaning however you find yourself in wilderness, it's always going to stink. 10.The US has excellent airports, assuming of course, the planes actually end up landing there.
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seawitch Just Starting Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 5 Location: northeast, USA	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:53 am    Post subject: Quote: 4. In the US one does not have to be registered in a particular city to live there True, but, as a citizen, if you want to vote you MUST be registered. Quote: 5. Any US citizen can leave the country without even going through a passport control unlike Russia Perhaps this is true, but you would be an idiot to leave the US without a passport since you need one to re-enter the country - a proof of citizenship. The one exception may be if you travel to Canada and back. In the pre 9/11 days you only needed a picture id. Not sure of the current Official reqs, but I have been advised to bring a passport. Quote: 6. In the US, suburban cities are generally safer and more developed than large cities. In Russia, the opposite is true. Spoken like a New Yorker. This is not true in the state where I live. Quote: 2. Russia is no longer democratic Was it ever?
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:56 am    Post subject: seawitch wrote: True, but, as a citizen, if you want to vote you MUST be registered. You probably don't realize it but in Russia you cannot live in a city unless you're registered to live there or are just travelling. If you have an apartment in St Petersburg and just come to Moscow the police can stop you and ask you to show tickets/hotel reservations. And you cannot work oficially in Moscow. You cannot live/work in another city. So, it's not just about voting there. Far from it...
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:08 am    Post subject: Xela wrote: 1. Americans are fatter. 2. America is under a racist dicatorship. 3. Americans steal off the rest of the world. 4. Americans need to go through a thousand checks to make sure they really are American. 5. Any non-US citizen must undergo interrogation no matter where he/she is from before being allowed to step foot in America. 6. America has the worst overall gun crime rate in the world and approximately 50, 000 murders every year. 7. Every sin you can think of can be found in America, you just might have to drive a bit further. 8. Americans look at anybody with Muslim features, including their Mexican neighbours with suspicion. 9. America has the highest rate of pollution in the world thanks to refusing to be part of the Kyoto treaty, thereby meaning however you find yourself in wilderness, it's always going to stink. 10.The US has excellent airports, assuming of course, the planes actually end up landing there. #1 - Fatter on avarage. Yes, Americans like to eat. However, in New York people are not any fatter than they are in Moscow. I am not fat and I am an American. #2 - Did not know we had a dictatorship. Last time I checked we had a representative democracy. New York state is represented by a few black and hispanic congressmen, so I don't know how can it be racist. New York City had a black major just 12-13 years ago and many other major cities in America have black majors. #3 - that's just silly #4 What checks? I never had to go through any additional checks. I only show my passport when I enter the country. No one ever asked me to show documents in any other situation and I never had to prove anything. Don't know what you're talking about. #5 I know quite a few "non-citizens" that came here without going through any kind of interrogation. As far as I know, citizens of most European countries can come to the US without a visa. And millions of people from all over the world visit the US. More than 5 million foreigners visited only New York City last year. How could we interrogate all of them? Are you for real? In Russia, you can be stopped by the police on the street at any time. The police is completely corrupt. #6 Don't know where you got these figures. I feel myself much safer in New York than I did in St Petersburg. Crime rate actually fell quite a bit here in the last 5-6 years. #7 I was talking about the legality of it. Sin can be found anywhere. #8 That's the silliest argument of all. There are so many hispanics and mexicans here. It's the largest minority - over 20% of the population here. Over 1 million of Americans are muslims. There are lots of muslims in New York. They blend in just fine. #9 You're talking about absolute level of pollution because we have so many cars and so many factories and people. Overall, American cities's air is very clean. I was all over Europe many times - the air here is much cleaner. Have you ever been to the US? #10 At any time, around 5000 planes are in the air in the continental US. Only New York City airports served over 100 million passengers in 2005. I think it's a decent safety record considering the volume of traffic.
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seawitch Just Starting Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 5 Location: northeast, USA	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:12 am    Post subject: Quote: You probably don't realize it but in Russia you cannot live in a city unless you're registered to live there or are just travelling. Yes, I did realize this and certainly agree the American way is better even though we now have a huge controversy about illegal immigrants. Do you know if this Russiian custom of requiring registration is a legacy of the tsarist police state or a contrivance of the 20th century?
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:16 am    Post subject: seawitch wrote: Do you know if this Russiian custom of requiring registration is a legacy of the tsarist police state or a contrivance of the 20th century? It definitely the legacy of the communist time. But the main reason they enforce is is practical. Moscow and other large cities have developed much quicker, people in big cities make much more money. Basically, everyone living in smaller cities would come to Moscow if they could. Secondly, many of the apartments in big citites are not sold as private apartements but were and some still are distrubuted among people (peolpe wait in line to have a subsidized apartment sometimes for 10-20 years). Only now, the market for market-rate, private housing takes shape. So it's basically a protectionist measure. In some ways, it's like the border between the US and Mexico. Salaries in Moscow can be 5-8 times higher than those in a small city.
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seawitch Just Starting Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 5 Location: northeast, USA	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 1:27 am    Post subject: Certainly there are many unregistered, unofficial residents of Moscow. Here in the US we have our undocumented (hence illegal) immigrants so there is some similarity. Interesting you imply that Moscow is like a well-to-do foreign country to the rest of Russia. Do you think the rest of Russia can catch up? Is anything being done at the federal level to promote development in non-Moscow regions? Here in the states we would expect local, state and federal goverments to address the economic situation of a region.
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Xela VIP Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 781 Location: Shanghai	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:08 am    Post subject: Spice, 1. Fatter, yes. So leave it at that. 2. Bush is a dictator, and a racist, AND even some Republicans conceed that Florida election was rigged so forget about your 'democracy'. 3. Really? So how come America is on stolen land? How come America is stealing Iraq's oil? Try again. 4. You live in NYC, where people regularly get stopped for pocket/handbag checks. It's become part of normal life according to New Yorkers, so don't try to bullshit us, Spice. 5. So how come ANYBODY FROM A MUSLIM NATION MUST BE FINGERPRINTED BEFORE THEY ENTER THE USA EVEN WITH AN APPROPRIATE VISA YOU RACIST? 6 50,000 murders every year in USA. Read your facts. Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it's not true. 7. And is Nevada not reachable by car? 8. So why do you have Minute Men who patrol the south BLOWING HEADS OFF MEXICANS? Or didn't you know about them, Captain America? Muslims still get treated with suspicion, and don't even get me started on the blacks. 9. USA has 4% of world's population yet produces 25% of world's pollution. The air in the USA has been tested as being the worst overall and in certain pockets by scientists, but I guess you wouldn't know about them. 10. Australia has a far better plane safety record, as one example of many nations where this is the case. Plus, their planes don't crash into their tallest buildings, which is always a bonus.
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Entropy WayToRussified Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 429	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:37 am    Post subject: Xela, Even though I am a Canadian, you crack me up. You have one heck of a sense of humor. Xela wrote: 1. Americans are fatter. I wouldn't know. But I do know that Americans are healthier and live longer. Does that count? Xela wrote: 2. America is under a racist dicatorship. You might not like him, but Dubya was elected. And he will only serve two terms max. And the person following him might not be from the same party, nor even like Bush. Can you say the same for Russia's president? Xela wrote: 3. Americans steal off the rest of the world. That's an odd comment. The U.S. has been signing Free Trade Agreements with many countries across the globe? How about Russia? Xela wrote: 4. Americans need to go through a thousand checks to make sure they really are American. Who checks them? Where? Why? Xela wrote: 5. Any non-US citizen must undergo interrogation no matter where he/she is from before being allowed to step foot in America. I just provide my passport and I'm in. Xela wrote: 6. America has the worst overall gun crime rate in the world and approximately 50, 000 murders every year. I've lived in worse. Try living in some of the interesting countries in South America. I haven't been to Russia, so I can't comment. Xela wrote: 7. Every sin you can think of can be found in America, you just might have to drive a bit further. That comment likely applies to all countries. Xela wrote: 8. Americans look at anybody with Muslim features, including their Mexican neighbours with suspicion. Dont' think that comment deserves the dignity of a response. Xela wrote: 9. America has the highest rate of pollution in the world thanks to refusing to be part of the Kyoto treaty, thereby meaning however you find yourself in wilderness, it's always going to stink. We can all do more to clean up the envirnment. But if you want to look at pollution, compare Russia's green house gases (GHG) per unit of GDP versus America's. It ain't a pretty picture for Russia. Russia's economy is highly GHG intensive, far more so than America's economy. And no, I don't suggest reducing America's GDP to Russia's level to reduce its GHG. Quote: 10.The US has excellent airports, assuming of course, the planes actually end up landing there. If quacks simply stayed in their own country(ies), the planes would be just fine. Entropy
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Pinnacle Frequent Guest Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Posts: 27 Location: South Florida, U.S.A.	Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:04 am    Post subject: Xela wrote: Spice, 1. Fatter, yes. So leave it at that. 2. Bush is a dictator, and a racist, AND even some Republicans conceed that Florida election was rigged so forget about your 'democracy'. 3. Really? So how come America is on stolen land? How come America is stealing Iraq's oil? Try again. 4. You live in NYC, where people regularly get stopped for pocket/handbag checks. It's become part of normal life according to New Yorkers, so don't try to bullshit us, Spice. 5. So how come ANYBODY FROM A MUSLIM NATION MUST BE FINGERPRINTED BEFORE THEY ENTER THE USA EVEN WITH AN APPROPRIATE VISA YOU RACIST? 6 50,000 murders every year in USA. Read your facts. Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it's not true. 7. And is Nevada not reachable by car? 8. So why do you have Minute Men who patrol the south BLOWING HEADS OFF MEXICANS? Or didn't you know about them, Captain America? Muslims still get treated with suspicion, and don't even get me started on the blacks. 9. USA has 4% of world's population yet produces 25% of world's pollution. The air in the USA has been tested as being the worst overall and in certain pockets by scientists, but I guess you wouldn't know about them. 10. Australia has a far better plane safety record, as one example of many nations where this is the case. Plus, their planes don't crash into their tallest buildings, which is always a bonus. Not to be rude, but you sound like a complete asshole. Trust me, I'm not just saying this because I'm an American. Most of the facts that you're bringing up sound like they were "cut and pasted" off of Michael Moore's website. I've been to Russia and many other countries throughout Europe and Asia and I have enjoyed them all, but the level of freedom and choices available here doesn't come close anywhere else. You may hate Bush, but here in America we are free to speak out against him and the police and anyone else we wish to without fear of harm against us. Also, as far as pollution goes, I've never walked down the street and gotten a headache due to the exhaust from passing cars, unlike when I was in Ireland and Thailand. Just to reiterate: No country is perfect. There are problems and corruption worldwide. I hope for your sake that you have the opportunity to experience the United States firsthand, before you point out the negatives.
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