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Russians Thoughts on the American Military Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, ... 16, 17, 18  Next

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian People

Author	Message
blaked Lounge Lizard Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 180 Location: Moscow	Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:23 pm    Post subject: In the US Armed Services, people are given all kinds of incentives to enlist - money for college, sign-on bonuses, etc. Some people just think they need the self-discipline. I'd say that most ex-servicemen think of their tour of duty as having been character-building. Not so in Russia. People are sent to the army because they can't make it into a University; technically everyone must serve but it's possible to bribe your way out as was the case in the United States prior to World War 2 (this caused draft riots during the Civil War.) Conscripts serve for 2 years; senior conscripts (the 'dedushki' or grand-dads) notoriously haze/brutalize their younger counterparts. They typically beat them, force them to hand over any goodie packages from home - it's a lot like being in prison. The suicide rate is very high in the army. The only people that survive this process are Caucasians, who stick together and are loyal. Many try to escape service but are intercepted by the cops during random document checks and impressed. This month it was announced that University students were no longer automatically exempt from service. This is why middle-class Muscovites typically see all servicemen as losers who never made it to college. Alternately, literate, educated people and Muscovites have the hardest time in the army because all of the rural thugs see them as rich, soft, city boys and are happy to show them how the other half lives...
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Prenderghast Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 57	Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:10 pm    Post subject: filimon i am so glad u used the american beauty connotation!! typical USA former marine who bullies his son, making out his country and force is one of heterosexual origin, all the while thinking about kevin spacey!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! blaked u r right. at least russian troops serve because of necessity. some agree with war, some dont, but most accept it is part of their duty. americans make out it is part of their duty but in reality all they see are dollar signs. only now the war has turned out a failure they are crying like babies to go home again like in farenheit 911!! LOL!!!!
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blaked Lounge Lizard Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 180 Location: Moscow	Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:35 pm    Post subject: Prenderghast wrote: blaked u r right. at least russian troops serve because of necessity. some agree with war, some dont, but most accept it is part of their duty. americans make out it is part of their duty but in reality all they see are dollar signs. only now the war has turned out a failure they are crying like babies to go home again like in farenheit 911!! LOL!!!! That isn't what I was saying at all. I was saying that Russians go to war because their government doesn't give them any other option if they can't get into college. I basically share your opinion that the invasion of Iraq was a farce (I was against it mostly because I live abroad and don't want to be associated with Bush n' friends) However, you obviously don't really care about the Iraqi civillians, because you treat the war as if it were a big joke instead of a humanitarian tragedy. I don't really have any compassion for the invading troops that are serving their countries there, but it has nothing to do with where they were born and everything to do with how they chose to live their lives. You and Winston should get together and decide exactly which countries are good and which ones are bad, because it is obvious from your posts that you attribute all ideas, principles, etc. according to national identity.
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Filimon Lounge Lizard Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 97	Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:31 pm    Post subject: Prenderghast wrote: filimon i am so glad u used the american beauty connotation!! typical USA former marine who bullies his son, making out his country and force is one of heterosexual origin, all the while thinking about kevin spacey!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! blaked u r right. at least russian troops serve because of necessity. some agree with war, some dont, but most accept it is part of their duty. americans make out it is part of their duty but in reality all they see are dollar signs. only now the war has turned out a failure they are crying like babies to go home again like in farenheit 911!! LOL!!!! what's your point, I am struggling to see it? All US navy are gay? I am sure that's not true, besides, I was in the Russian navy, so there...
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Prenderghast Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 57	Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:51 pm    Post subject: blaked no read my post again NESSESITY MEANS YOU HAVE TO!!! i am saying what you are saying! do you think i dont know the military situation in Russia?? i dont see the war as a joke. i see the war as america getting what they deserved. with plenty more of the same on the way... FIGHTING FOR PEACE IS LIKE FUCKING FOR VIRGINITY filimon
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blaked Lounge Lizard Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 180 Location: Moscow	Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:33 am    Post subject: Ok - the way I see it, there are two legitimate ways to fight a war. You can be 'the bad guy' or 'the good guy.' Usually the bad guy invades other countries, kills everyone and sends colonists in. Israel does this with a surprising degree of success, as did America when it was conquering the 'wild west.' My biggest problem with the USA in Iraq (and I'm talking about the government and the soldiers here - I'm still an American citizen and like one or two things about the country) isn't that it invaded in the first place but that it professes pseudo-humanitarian objectives. Nobody outside those 'red states' that voted for Bush believes any of it. If the Americans were to treat the Iraqis like those wild, savage Indians of yore (and you Russians did this too) and just massacre as many as they possible could, they'd win. Everyone would hate them, but everyone hates them already and now they look weak. You see - it's ok to be the bad guy, but to be the 'kind rapist' who insists that his victim 'knows she wants it' and is prepared to 'make her want it' is ridiculous. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme: Georgie Porgie Pudding Pie Kissed the girls and made them cry. But when the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away.
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Keoki Lounge Lizard Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 117 Location: Moscow	Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:09 pm    Post subject: blaked wrote: In the US Armed Services, people are given all kinds of incentives to enlist - money for college, sign-on bonuses, etc. Some people just think they need the self-discipline. I'd say that most ex-servicemen think of their tour of duty as having been character-building. Not so in Russia. People are sent to the army because they can't make it into a University; technically everyone must serve but it's possible to bribe your way out as was the case in the United States prior to World War 2 (this caused draft riots during the Civil War.) Putin wants to change this - in fact, I've already seen recruitment commercials on Russian TV for a professional army. Because of the hazing and other horrors that go on in the army, though, I bet it'll take a long time before a professional Russian army gets off the ground.
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Keoki Lounge Lizard Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 117 Location: Moscow	Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:21 pm    Post subject: Prenderghast wrote: filimon i am so glad u used the american beauty connotation!! typical USA former marine who bullies his son, making out his country and force is one of heterosexual origin, all the while thinking about kevin spacey!! LOL!!!!!!!!!! It's interesting how a film can be interpreted in different ways - when I saw that movie, I thought the Marine dad was just desperate to understand his son. I didn't think he was really gay. But your interpretation could be right.
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HdPaul Frequent Guest Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 24 Location: RF, Moscow	Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 8:41 pm    Post subject: Quote: I was wondering what the typical Russian thinks about our military. Personally I have ambivalent feelings about it. 1. I see how things change: NATO comes closer to Russian borders, there are US bases in Middle Asia (territory of the former USSR) already. US meddled in Caucasus and Ukrain. You may add the bombing of Serbia, war in Iraq, intervention to Aphganistan. All these are unfriendly acts. So I see american military as a likely enemy of my country in the future. 2. From what I've heard and saw from independant sources - US soulders are good trained, well equipped. But. I think they luck self-sacrifice. They may refuse to obey direct order if they see serious danger for themselves (I've read several reports on such incidents recently). I'd call it lack of courage. Also US GI's too accuctomed to facilities etc. Perhaps part of it is wrong. 3. I believe that most of US army are 'rednecks' - rather rude but quite amiable folks. A pity they have to die for the interests of corporate America or Izraely political benefits. It's not fair. I'd rather see Dubya with a gun in the dusts of Iraqi decert wetting his pants. BTW I'm friends with a military doc from Whashington D.C. - very cheerful guy.
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cyndy22 Lounge Wizard Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 1076 Location: massachusetts	Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:56 pm    Post subject: I a pologize for diverting this thread but just want to make a comment- This is in reference to the movie- American Beauty and Michael Moore's Supersize me movie that Prenderghast has referred to on this thread and another. I find it laughable that Prenderghast who displays such fierce anti-Americanism sentiments, apparently is a big fan of Hollywood and American film. He actually believes everything he sees in the movies and thinks it is all gospel. This strikes me as true irony!
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deskware7 Frequent Guest Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 67	Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2005 6:48 am    Post subject: HdPaul wrote: US meddled in Caucasus and Ukrain. Some people in U.S. do not see anything wrong with a group of people who want independence from another country and the opportunity to run their own affairs. I imagine the U.S. fighting its War Of Independence from England has something to do with it. One major exception was the American Civil War when the U.S. did not want the Southern states to have their own independence as the Confederate States Of America.
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Prenderghast Frequent Guest Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 57	Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 8:19 pm    Post subject: HD Paul you are right. thank you. cyndy i did not know supersize me was michael moore. the dr's facts on mcdonalds was still horrendous though. i guess my hypocritical interests as u put it means suddenley mcdonalds has become healthy!! LOL!! hollywood does well, i do well. deskware take ur american history and shove it!!! THIS IS RUSSIAN PEOPLE THREAD!!!!!! P-R-O-P-A-G-A-N-D-A!!!!!!!!! LOL!! keoki point of marine dad was that he used cover of disciplinarian faggot-hating patriot to hide his latent homosexuality. that was the true source of his anger basically.
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Mogsfan WayToRussified Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 490	Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 5:29 am    Post subject: What about the report of Russia selling nuclear weapons to Syria? No one is innocent.
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:18 pm    Post subject: This person asked a good question on how ordinary people in Russia would treat someone like him - a military man from the United States. Why can't someone give him the answer to this question? I have no doubt that most russians think that America should not have invaded Iraq and have other concerns about American foreign policy. But that's not what he asked. He is wondering how, on avergage, he will be treated if people knew that he is a soldier from America. If you are from Russia, let us know what you think about American soldiers/marines. He is not going there to argue politics.
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Dr-Fauste Site Admin Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 654	Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:17 pm    Post subject: I know in Canada, we think American military men are generally narrow minded idiots who cannot think outside the box. Generally the solutions they come up deal with cost, unimaginitive solutions. There is great dislike for American military in the world, because they generally act like a bunch of children. I know the majority are great people and want to do well, but when pilots packed on uppers blew up and killed Canadian soldiers and never apologised (or it took a couple weeks). Hearing the morons in Iraq blasting Metalllic from a tank while soldiers are in battle. Do you think it is a video game? During the first Gulf War, Americans killed more of its own allies than Iraqis. They have delayed apologies.They are suppose to be discpline soldiers and they act like juveniles. I have spoken with many different military men from around the military. They referred to American soldiers as Ghetto Kids with very expensive high tech toys. If they have a problem, go out and get a more expensive toy. They view them as the Moron Rich Kid with nicest cars and equipment. Truth is that people outside of USA think less of American soldiers than they think of the average americans.
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