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Russia strikes me as being a pretty messed-up and terrible country to be in by most Western standards. Do Russians also think it's a messed-up and terrible country or do they feel as if it's a shining star of good surrounded by evil enemies who'd destroy it out of jealousy?
AFAIK, they aren't under some sort of cold war spell, but vodka goes a long way in forgetting how much better things could be.
The Russians that I know do know it's a fucked up country. However, these are all Russians that currently live in the US.
Most don't care or think it's a flawed country but better than the West. The rest (mostly middle class people in Moscow and St. Petersburg) do think it has substantial flaws (though they might still think it's better than the alternatives), but as the recent protests showed, they're not in a position to do anything about it. Then there are the non-ethnic Russians in the Caucasus, who know full well how shitty the country is, but their violent attempts at changing the status quo haven't exactly worked.
In short no we do not think its a fucked up country there are many things that can be improved, and last 10 years or so saw great improvement. It is certainly one of the better countries to live in if you are looking for opportunity. Obviously there are still many poor people but it has been improving greatly, based on the numbers I would say the well being is about the same as in Poland which is not saying much but not the worst either and the growth number are much better.
And to lokis bs there some terror groups financed by US proxy states in middle east who are paid to think what they are told to think, thankfully the life expectancy of these people is not all that high these days.
How's the life expectancy of young Muslim men who are not part of separatist groups in Chechnya and Dagestan? How's the life expectancy of non-ethnic Russian men who live in Moscow and St. Petersburg?
As for your delusions of Russia being on the same level as Poland, Poland's GDP per capita is about 20-30% higher according to most sources, and the wealth in Poland is far less concentrated than in Russia (and not based on the price of a single natural resource).
Not all that much different from ethnic Russians probably longer since they appear to be naturally healthier.Quote:
How's the life expectancy of young Muslim men who are not part of separatist groups in Chechnya and Dagestan? How's the life expectancy of non-ethnic Russian men who live in Moscow and St. Petersburg?
You are right I was wrong when i said pretty much the same it is actually significantly higher according to most sources:Quote:
As for your delusions of Russia being on the same level as Poland, Poland's GDP per capita is about 20-30% higher according to most sources, and the wealth in Poland is far less concentrated than in Russia (and not based on the price of a single natural resource).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...al)_per_capita
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
and you as usual are lying
You mean the ones who aren't routinely beaten/tortured/imprisoned by police/thugs?Quote:
Originally Posted by Asmodian
We're discussing quality of living and you're looking at nominal figures instead of PPP? Speaking of dishonesty. :bored:Quote:
You are right I was wrong when i said pretty much the same it is actually significantly higher according to most sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...al)_per_capita
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
and you as usual are lying
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...PP)_per_capita
Frankly, the fact that you're still pretending that non-ethnic Russians in the Caucasus aren't being severely discriminated against makes it pretty clear that you're incapable of using your uber-nationalist brain.
Edit: forgot to mention that being gay in Russia right now is only marginally better than being gay in sub-Saharan Africa.
If you want to know about the state of Russia just ask Garry Kasperov:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or7-R8YTXJI I do know a noticeable portion of the youth do believe positively in their country, but I think it's an issue of controlled media, and that when you are born and raised in an environment it's harder to realize and value what you're missing.
What do Russians think of Putin's new homophobic anti-gay laws....and how that's being viewed by international Olympic athletes?
Why do you think he passed the law? :noob:
Is that a trick question? :confused:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...in&hpt=hp_bn15
Justin Palmer of Reuters reported that Russia’s Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, called the anti-gay issue in Russia an "invented problem":
We don't have a law to ban non-traditional sexual relations. The mass media in the West have focused much more on this law more than they do in Russia…We want to protect our younger generation whose physicality has not been formulated. It is a law striving to protect rights of children—and not intended to deprive anybody of their private life.
GGT, please be seriousQuote:
Originally Posted by GGT
Loki, can only read the start of that , but..
That's all nice and dandy, screw the violated minority until the majority doesn't mind them anymore. Then we can get involved, except by then it's not (as) needed anymore if the Russian people's view lines up with ours by then. And how exactly are nationwide opinions supposed to change if opposing it is a criminal form of 'propaganda'?Quote:
The West should narrow its criticism of Russia to issues where its views line up with those of the Russian people.
Sorry to go there, but as long as the German people supported the Nazi party in the thirties, I suppose you wouldn't have criticized them?
Unless I'm of course missing a very good reasoning in the part of the article I can't access :p
Damn, the whole thing was up before. I don't agree with a decent amount of what's said in that piece, but what I do agree with is that Putin passed this law to put a wedge between the intellectual elites - who are more or less tolerant of homosexuality - and the public - which is definitely not. By making homosexuality a wedge issue, Putin is telling the public, "look at how perverted the intellectual elites are. Why would you want to support them?". This kind of act wouldn't work if the public wasn't strongly supportive of the action though.
I was being serious! :sour: I've seen different views -- either it's some western-media false controversy, a reflection that the public condemns homosexuality as a western trait (unlike Russian 'purity'), exposing how Russian gays are criminalized, a concern from Russian athletes this will mess up the Olympics....Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimless
Okay, Putin is a politician :bored: but his timing, running up to the Olympics (and during Olympic trials) means he's not just appealing to Russian voters....but testing the international community and the IOCC (which has a Charter banning discrimination from Games host nations). There are groups pushing the IOCC to denounce Russian laws, or move the Games to Canada, with some athletes and politicians considering a boycott of the Games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loki
What do Russians think about Putin dragging them into that debate? :bulb:
Protests and dwindling support from intellectual elites is more important than the Olympics.
Seriously? :hmm: The average Russian would be willing to risk losing the Sochi Games, for an issue like Equal Treatment or Civil Rights, even if that means losing all that pre-paid sponsorship, and potential tourist money?Quote:
Originally Posted by Loki
http://www.sochi2014.com/en/team/partners/sponsorship/
The average Russian hates gays almost as much as they hate foreign interference in Russian affairs.
That doesn't really address my question about how Russians view hosting The Olympic Games....which automatically came with "foreign interference" during the Olympic Games application/nomination process, and international participants agreeing to IOC Charter anti-discrimination rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loki
:confused:
First, I don't think most Russians really give a damn. Second, they care more about the prestige than about the meager amount of money the Olympics will generate. And third, they're not going to think badly of Putin if some Westerners stay away.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/op...sias-gays.html Another take on the situation by a former professor of mine.
They should ban Russian athletes from participating in their own Olympics
In other words, they want to pretend they're a big player in the modern global scene, while using standards from the 70's to support their ideology? Your professor's article was interesting, but the margin-link article was more comprehensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Loki
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/sp...ml?ref=opinion
You are aware that it's only known as 70s standards to you, because those happened to be the standards in the 70s where you live, right? Just sayin'.
One doesn't have to pretend to be a major power to not want other countries to interfere in their country's affairs, especially on issues on which there's a pretty strong domestic consensus.Quote:
Originally Posted by GGT
I was paraphrasing news, in general saying Russian culture "is where the west was 40 years ago", at least on LGBT issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flixy
This seems as good a place as any to put this.
SourceQuote:
Actress Emilia Clarke has been dragged into Russian politics after her picture was used to make a shock 'anti-rape' message by a Vladimir Putin mayoral candidate.
The 26-year-old British star's image appears on a campaign advert in the industrial city of Yekaterinburg backing United Russia politician Yakov Silin.
The sham online promotion identifies her as a local woman called Anya, 24, but the picture has been used without the permission of Game of Thrones actress.
'Her' message on behalf of the Putin candidate states: 'I suddenly noticed that for the last couple of years I'm not afraid to walk at night in Yekaterinburg.
'I now have confidence that the city is safe, that no-one will attack me or rape me.
'It's so cool ... There are only few people on the streets, the streets have lights, the city is fresh and incredibly beautiful. Especially after it has been raining.'
The makers of the advertisement admitted that the London-born actress - with credits including Triassic Attack, Spike Island, Shackled, Dom Hemingway, The Garden of Last Days, and Rosaline - had no knowledge of her photograph being used in the election campaign.
...
Russian women: safe from attacks and rape, provided they have a few dragons following them around and obeying their every command.