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Ekaterina
Talk Show Host
Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 265
Location: Moscow
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 Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Entropy wrote: | | Question for you Ekaterina, are you views fairly representative of the Russian viewpoint? I know we are all unique. So I am curious if your views are commonly held. The reason for the question is that I get the impression you liked the Soviet system better than the current system? If there were another strong leader after Putin who decided to spend more on the military and have Russia become more insular again, would you be in favor of such a development? |
Entropy,
My views represent the views of most old and middle age people, especially in province.
I don't want to close the country but I would support radical communists.
I am sorry I have to stop answering you on this topic, I am leaving in a few days and have to prepare for my trip now. |
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Entropy
WayToRussified
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Ekaterina,
| Ekaterina wrote: |
My views represent the views of most old and middle age people, especially in province.
I don't want to close the country but I would support radical communists. |
Wow! I didn't think people would ever want or allow communism to return. Interesting.
Do you or other Russians believe that Russia will return to communist rule?
| Ekaterina wrote: | | I am sorry I have to stop answering you on this topic, I am leaving in a few days and have to prepare for my trip now. |
I hope when you return you are willing to continue this thread or discuss privately. You can send me a PM--I won't mind. But I also like having an open discussion so that everyone can participate.
Thank you for your willingness to provide your thoughts and your understanding. I hope you have a great trip.
Entropy |
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ansie
Frequent Guest
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 12
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:46 am Post subject: |
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Entropy, I'm definitely not an "official", card carrying Russian, but from my several recent trips there I get the impression that while many people miss the order, certainty, predictability and stability of their old life, they know things can never revert back to what they were. Some Russians are contemptuous of our western materialism (although a lot of Russians embrace it religiously), and I have to say that I agree with them. But the complete shambles that was Russian communism is gone forever. They know what's going on in China - that it's racing ahead of them economically - and they're far too inventive a nation to let this go on indefinitely. It'll be a long hard road for them to effect the necessary culture change, but it will happen eventually. However, right now don't even think of Russia as being in the same league ecoonomically as Brazil or China. The analogy would be the Springboks playing Canada, if you don't mind the comparison.
However, once again, forget about all this intellectualizing; go look for yourself. Provincial Russian people are the greatest - you'll love it. |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:03 am Post subject: |
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| Entropy wrote: |
I hope when you return you are willing to continue this thread or discuss privately. You can send me a PM--I won't mind. But I also like having an open discussion so that everyone can participate.
Thank you for your willingness to provide your thoughts and your understanding. I hope you have a great trip.
Entropy |
Actually, Ekaterina's assessment is close to where Canada is today. Communism. So it's all so familiar.
Oh, yeah, how 'bout swinging by CA to meet up with miss E.? |
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Entropy
WayToRussified
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| vitalsigns wrote: | | Actually, Ekaterina's assessment is close to where Canada is today. Communism. So it's all so familiar. |
So you believe Canada represents Communism?
| vitalsigns wrote: | | Oh, yeah, how 'bout swinging by CA to meet up with miss E.? |
I am sure that Ekaterina will enjoy herself in the USA without my assistance.
Entropy |
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Fire_Goddess
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:01 am Post subject: |
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| VitalSigns dislikes liberals and equates liberalism with communism Entropy. |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:06 am Post subject: |
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| Entropy wrote: |
So you believe Canada represents Communism?
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I should've said socialism - which is relatively close. I am always wondering how these two great nations that share the same continent can be so different. The communist party in Canada is large and keeps growing. There is a whole lot more of communist sympathisers in Canada than it is... in China. American left is canadian middle (majority). American left are socialists that long for communism.
Just my personal observation. Do not really want to debate on that one. If you disagree with me, I'd say you are either blind or naive.
| Quote: | I am sure that Ekaterina will enjoy herself in the USA without my assistance.
Entropy |
Ok. I just want to test your "kindness" to the limit. I do not believe that there are truly "sweet" or "kind" people. Pretenders - yes. Really capable of tolerence and kindness - no.
Last edited by vitalsigns on Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:08 am Post subject: |
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| Fire_Goddess wrote: | | VitalSigns dislikes liberals and equates liberalism with communism Entropy. |
So far I liked you...  |
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Fire_Goddess
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| vitalsigns wrote: | | Fire_Goddess wrote: | | VitalSigns dislikes liberals and equates liberalism with communism Entropy. |
So far I liked you... |
I am a horse of a different color! |
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Entropy
WayToRussified
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| vitalsigns wrote: | I should've said socialism - which is relatively close. I am always wondering how these two great nations that share the same continent can be so different. The communist party in Canada is large and keeps growing. There is a whole lot more of communist sympathisers in Canada than it is... in China. American left is canadian middle (majority). American left are socialists that long for communism.
Just my personal observation. Do not really want to debate on that one. If you disagree with me, I'd say you are either blind or naive. |
Odd you should say that you are always wondering how two great nations can share the same continent and yet be so different. Many Canadians feel the same.
With regard to the Communist party in Canada being large and becoming larger, you need to revisit you source of information. In the last election, that party had a paltry 0.02% (or to make it easy for you, 2 out of 10,000 votes) of the popular vote. My guess is that many of those two out of 10,000 were not really voting for the communist party, but were instead simply spoiling their ballots. So in reality, the vote for the communist party is actually far less.
| vitalsigns wrote: | | Ok. I just want to test your "kindness" to the limit. I do not believe that there are truly "sweet" or "kind" people. Pretenders - yes. Really capable of tolerence and kindness - no. |
Well, this is not really testing very much. You see, some of my best friends are American, so I wouldn't get drawn into a "whose country is better than whose." It is all subjective anyway. Some Canadians leave Canada to live in the States. And some American leave the U.S. to live here. I suspect more Canadians leave Canada for the U.S. where the money and climate are better.
And I have no idea what you mean by truly sweet or kind people. I am simply being polite. I am polite with Albert, Ekaterina, and anyone else who cares to respond to my questions. As ansie says, I should go to Russia, and I hope to within a reasonably short period of time. I think it would be very interesting vacation. I have a few countries on my must see list including Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Russia (and/or Ukraine). The world is a fascinating place filled with interesting people. Now as far as tolerance is concerned, we all have different tolerance levels for different things. So I am not sure what you were driving at.
Hope the helps.
Entropy |
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UsualSuspect
WayToRussified
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 324
Location: The Land of Oz
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: Without stomping on toes...... |
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Entropy,
My wife has told me a lot about life under Soviet rule and after reading Ekaterina's posts I will say my wife's experiences are different and her attitude to "the good old days" is in somewhat direct contrast.
She was "assigned" a position after graduation to somewhere far flung away from her home, but got out of it by "greasing a wheel". The same goes for some of her friends. And let's not forget where "service with a sneer" started...being guarenteed a job you couldn't care less about.....
Holidaying in Sochi etc, she did that too as well as all the Pioneer/Komsomol stuff when she was younger.
Her other memories are not so great. The small busses that were introduced as part of Perestroika were a godsend to the local population. Imagine constantly waiting in -30 and lower temps for a bus/tram to actually stop? She didn't see a real piece of meat until she was in her late twenties.
Crime for her only became a real factor after the wall came down.
Before that most doors were made of "paper mache". Now, find one that isn't steel, in a steel frame and two or three locks. And...know why they don't have handles? It's because thieves used to wrap steel cable around the handle, tie the other end to the apartment's lift and send the lift down, yanking the door off......
And sensible Russians don't hang out in certain bars/restaurants after 6 pm. And if you want to amuse yourself...here in Oz, the expression in the newspaper for a shady well known character is "colourful racing identity", in Russia you look for a "Such and such was wearing Gucci and her businessman husband was in black" and that'll tell you a lot.
I agree with a lot of the comments made about small rural villages. Contrasts there are real black and white. You can have a summer house owned by a city dweller next to a "squat" where 15 sub 18 yr old alcoholics live. Conversely, other small places still manage to harvest crops and such and the people there are not ekeing (sp?) a living.
I won't dribble on, other than to say it is still a great place in my opinion and as Ansie has mentioned, sure they may appear cold or brusque but the majority are good people.
Usualsuspect |
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Fire_Goddess
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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My God you just made it sound horrible. Really I am amazed by the door handle scenario!  |
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Entropy
WayToRussified
Joined: 02 Mar 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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UsualSuspect,
Thank you for that great response. It certainly is in direct contrast to Ekaterina's responses. I suspect that there is a strong divergence of opinion in Russia. So I wonder what that means for Russia's future, especially once Putin's term ends.
Your description of metal doors and such reminds me of certain parts of Latin America where there are several locks on each door, a paid and armed guard at most apartments, and the like.
Again, thank you for your interesting response.
Entropy |
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UsualSuspect
WayToRussified
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 324
Location: The Land of Oz
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| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 4:39 am Post subject: Not that bad all the time.... |
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Fire_Goddess,
The time I'm talking about was during perestroika and the first six years under dancing Boris. With the state's version of social welfare gone and a whole raft of other problems there was a lot of desperation. How about the theft of traffic light bulbs? They contained Silver or Platinum, can't remember which.
With the currency free fall my wife actually managed to purchase her own larger flat and go overseas. She said she was lucky in a "right place at the right time" way.
For Entropy,
My wife also reminded me that perestroika did a whole lot of harm to "the good old days". I know in the West he was portrayed (or "beat up" by the media) as the best thing for Russia since sliced bread, but having visited Russia I know a hell of a lot of ordinary citizens held him in contempt (because of his wife actually).
He also tried a Soviet version of prohibition. Definitely didn't study history.
Enjoy
Usualsuspect |
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Brighty
Just Starting
Joined: 04 Sep 2009
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:30 am Post subject: |
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Considering that i am thinking much about this city [Ekateringburg] and potentially going there for 'a while', i have found this thread quite interesting. I think i'm going to lose myself amongst these threads quite often now!
Do we have any updates on the situation in the city / region?
[It was said at the beginning of the thread witthat most forum users would not be familiar with the city, has this changed, anyone there who can perhaps help me?]
Brighty [1st post] |
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