Comments on: Volgograd Obama Times Two

By: ivanov

ivanov — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:19:09 +0000

off-topic

5 years ago, on September 3d, 2004

http://www.reyndar.org/september-3/

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:43:15 +0000

I specially studied European reports about the situation with ethnic minorities in Russia, and I know Europeans are of a very high opinion about how the system works in Russia.

Who is interested, can follow:

https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=846655

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:36:34 +0000

Of course, I understand, what are you doing. You are provoking me with the intent to make fun of whatever I say. But I’m not that stupid to engage in talks with a person with clearly hostile intentions.

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Cyrill. I actually think you don’t need me to expand your view on how the U.S. is good and advanced, and Russia bad and retarded.

After all, that’s the only sort of idea you are seemingly able to produce.

By: Cyrill

Cyrill — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:17:53 +0000

Evgeny, рубашка горит? Actually, I did not say anything specific about you. However, I was thinking along these lines, since you somehow think that it is just fine and dandy that as you say, Tatarstan is governed by Tatars. That mindset precludes non-Tatars from fully participating in civil society of the place of their residence. This mindset breads ethnic based segregation. It is not vulgar racism I often hear from Russians, but I am not sure this intellectual approach to segregation is any better in the long run.

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:30:19 +0000

Cyrill: Your hint that I’m a racist is quite uncivil. I respect people I contact with, and don’t ever make their race an issue.

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:26:23 +0000

What can’t be said about Asians, hovewer. I met quite a number of Asian looking people. They included both native Russia’s and foreigners from Vietnam, China, and I had quite friendly relationships with them. So I think I don’t have to worry about misbehaving when meeting an African person for the first time.

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:11:02 +0000

Cyrill, again, I don’t know. Personally, I don’t consider the matter any important, because during my life I did not happen to meet or talk to a person of African race.

Of course, if I come to the U.S. or Africa, I would recognize and respect the local customs — as would be the case with any different country or society.

Sean:

Imho, there’s quite a fascinating recent story of Crystal Callahan living and working in Chechnya:

http://checheninfo.ru/artikles/interviyinfo/444-krisstal.html

By: Cyrill

Cyrill — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:22:56 +0000

With the U.S. mindset
Oh… There is such a thing?

Nobody cares of racism here.

Exactly, since not too many really recognize it for what it is. Another example from a recent interpretation job: after US side hosted a nice dinner for the Russian group, after a few goodbyes in front of the restaurant a black American (one of the hosts that just paid for the dinner) walks across the street towards his parked car. One Russian (a very nice, cultured looking man) follows him with his eyes and says to other Russians: oh he will just climb a tree and sleep. Roaring laughter.

Of course, racists never care about racism.

By: Evgeny

Evgeny — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:41:06 +0000

Lol. “They”, “charges of racism”, “they can attribute a loss”…

That story doesn’t make headlines. The way it was a top story once is different than it would be in the U.S. With the U.S. mindset, the event is important, because it’s an indicator of the level of racism in the society, etc, etc. But with the Russian mindset, the story is peculiar, because it did not happen before.

Nobody cares of racism here.

If you want to know how the real things are working, in all Russian regions with prevailing percentage of any ethnic group, the majority of the regional authorities are of that ethnic group. I.e., Chechnya is governed by Chechens, Tatarstan is governed by Tatars and so on.