What do you thinking about Russia?

[MorAdan]

Hello, Americans!!! I want to know what do you think about my country - Russia. Do you see Russia as your Enemy? Are you afraid us? What do you thinking about Putin and possible Orange Revolution? Answer, please! I will wait...

 

[FinnMacCool]

Too be quite honest, I love Russia! You guys rock. I am really into your culture and I love vodka (not trying to generalize).

As for the orange revolution, I dunno. I suppose if your government is corrupt, it would be a good thing to protest it.

As for Putin, I dunno. He seems like a decent guy but then again don't all politicians seem like decent guys on first sight? Perhaps thats universal with all countries.

 

[cnredd]

[Moderator mode]

Moved this thread from "Polls" to a more appropriate location...

[/Moderator mode]

 

[Kandahar]

My thoughts on Russia, as an American:

No, I don't consider Russia to be an enemy nor am I particularly afraid of it. However, I certainly don't consider it to be an ally. Russia is in the group of nations I would categorize as "unfriendly" without actually being an enemy.

As for Putin, I'm not too fond of him. His government is extremely corrupt and is closely tied to the Russian mafia. Since he has been in office, he has done everything in his power to make Russia less free and roll back democratic reforms, including silencing the media and imprisoning his political opponents. He has also opposed democratic reforms in neighboring countries like the Ukraine and Georgia. His war in Chechnya is nothing less than brutal (although the US government doesn't have much room to talk in this regard). He is also rolling back some of the successful economic reforms that Boris Yeltsin implemented. Putin's nationalization of Yukos has been a complete disaster.

I hope that there is some kind of "Orange Revolution" in Russia, but I find it unlikely. While I wish the Russian people the best, I do think that it is ingrained in your culture to rely on a strongman dictator to protect you (and I don't mean that as an insult, just an observation). Until this changes, I don't think a major democratic revolution will be possible.

 

[TimmyBoy]

Hello, Americans!!! I want to know what do you think about my country - Russia. Do you see Russia as your Enemy? Are you afraid us? What do you thinking about Putin and possible Orange Revolution? Answer, please! I will wait...

I am american. No, I do not fear your country. I certainly don't trust your country, but I don't fear it either. I do view Russia as an enemy to a certain degree because Russia has done nothing to show America that it is trustworthy. But then again, the US is not exactly trustworthy either. Why should we trust your country? The only time in the past when Soviet leaders wanted to negotiate with the US was when the US decided to start up a massive military build up (a military build up that occurred after a period of time where Russia continued to build up while the US was building down, where the US attempted to negotiate with Russia while building down and Russia (er, I mean, the Soviet Union) didn't want to negotiate, while continuing to build up). It was only when the US started to massively build it's military forces did the Soviet Union all the sudden wanted to come to the negotiating table. It seems, the only way to talk to the Soviet Union was from a position of strength rather than a position of good will. That's not to say, that my country, was completely innocent, but it shows, that their was never any good will towards the US in the past or present in your government. I think the Russian people will need to decide for themselves whether they want to get rid of Putin and have an "Orange Revolution."

 

[iamjack]

As I've said before, in the USA, Russia is kind of old news. Do people over there actually think we're afraid of them?

 

[MiamiFlorida]

Hello, Americans!!! I want to know what do you think about my country - Russia. Do you see Russia as your Enemy? Are you afraid us? What do you thinking about Putin and possible Orange Revolution? Answer, please! I will wait...

I don't think you will find many Americans who view Russia as an enemy anymore. I personally would like to see better relations between our countries.

 

[TimmyBoy]

I don't think you will find many Americans who view Russia as an enemy anymore. I personally would like to see better relations between our countries.

That's because alot of Americans are ignorant and don't know much about the Russian government. Anybody who knows much about the Russian government, the massive corruption in that country, the mentality of the Russian leadership towards Americans, it would be fool hardy to trust them. They would stab us in the back in a minute. That's not to say I don't want better relations, but better relations can only happen with steps that demonstrate genuine (and not fake) good will and some steps towards building genuine trust. This has not happenned.

 

[robin]

I really sympathise with the plight of the average Russian.
It been a very harsh 100 years for them.
Starving under the Tzar. Millions murdered by Stalin or dying in the Gulags etc then 26 million dying in WWII. Four holocausts worth !!!!!!
I don't see that Reagun's build up of arms was that significant in regard to Gorbachov's desire for drastic arms cuts. What difference did it make how many times over each nation could destroy the other with nuclear arms ?
Thanks to Gorbachov, that most deserving of Nobel Laureates, things look brighter, provided Russia doesn't decend into anarchy under the high levels of corruption.
It's a shame Putin is not made of the same stuff as Gorbi.
Russia doesn't frighten me. America's poking of the wasps nest that is Islam bothers me though.

 

[MiamiFlorida]

That's because alot of Americans are ignorant and don't know much about the Russian government. Anybody who knows much about the Russian government, the massive corruption in that country, the mentality of the Russian leadership towards Americans, it would be fool hardy to trust them. They would stab us in the back in a minute. That's not to say I don't want better relations, but better relations can only happen with steps that demonstrate genuine (and not fake) good will and some steps towards building genuine trust. This has not happenned.

I can't disagree with what you've said about corruption and their leadership. Imperfect as their democracy is, it's still a democracy...and we musk keep in mind that it's still in its infancy. I can think of other "friends" to worry about....like Saudi Arabia.

 

[TimmyBoy]

I can't disagree with what you've said about corruption and their leadership. Imperfect as their democracy is, it's still a democracy...and we musk keep in mind that it's still in its infancy. I can think of other "friends" to worry about....like Saudi Arabia.

Putin has destroyed any resemblance of a democracy in Russia. Their is no need to trust the Russian government. Putin needs to either step down from power, or to start instituting true democractic reforms. Right now, democracy in Russia is non-existant.

 

[Kandahar]

Imperfect as their democracy is, it's still a democracy...and we musk keep in mind that it's still in its infancy.

I think I hear Vladimir Putin laughing...

Russia is in no way a democracy. It is a dictatorship with sham elections.

 

[iamjack]

I have to agree with the drift of this thread. Democracy in the Russian Federation is superficial at best. Whatever corruption or election fraud people want to believe goes on in America, Its 100 times worse in Russia. Added to which Russia is such a socioeconomic cesspool that it seems few people want to fight for it, so I don't project it getting much better, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Canuck]

My thoughts on Russia, as an American:

No, I don't consider Russia to be an enemy nor am I particularly afraid of it. However, I certainly don't consider it to be an ally. Russia is in the group of nations I would categorize as "unfriendly" without actually being an enemy.

.

see the cold war propaganda is starting to ware off
in time America will sleep with russia and the world will be a safer place
unless your not russian or american

 

[Eryx82]

I do not fear Russia but i fear Gazprom. I just read some articles and this is a HUGE energy company that manipulates vast amounts of the natural gas reserves, expanding its oil capabilities all over the world and buying out other companies in most of Europe. Furthermore its protect by the murky, at best, Russian laws. I dont know about everyone else here but an energy company with so much power(especially for Russian energy dependent Europe) its kind of scary.

 

[t125eagle]

i still think Russia has a lot of growing to do as a democracy. maybe what is needed is to bring back the Romanovs as a figurehead to unite the country better and to help stabilize the country? if it works for the UK, maybe it would work here. the last time Russia was at its best, so to speak was under the Tsar. Putin bothers me a little, being that he is ex KGB.

 

[SKILMATIC]

i still think Russia has a lot of growing to do as a democracy. maybe what is needed is to bring back the Romanovs as a figurehead to unite the country better and to help stabilize the country? if it works for the UK, maybe it would work here. the last time Russia was at its best, so to speak was under the Tsar. Putin bothers me a little, being that he is ex KGB.

No what they need to do is to do so in a democratic fassion which is to have elections on what they should do.

 

[t125eagle]

No what they need to do is to do so in a democratic fassion which is to have elections on what they should do.

true, but there must be a way to safe guard against the corruption in Russia. it was only a suggestion to bring back the Tsar, as a safeguard, someone to take out the corruption. every country needs a symbol. what does russia have now? democracy has been shakey since 91.

 

[Kandahar]

true, but there must be a way to safe guard against the corruption in Russia. it was only a suggestion to bring back the Tsar, as a safeguard, someone to take out the corruption. every country needs a symbol. what does russia have now? democracy has been shakey since 91.

Democracy has been nonexistent since 2000. Having elections doesn't make a country a democracy; Russia has "elections" in the same way that Egypt, Cuba, and Venezuela have elections.

 

[GarzaUK]

I feel sorry for Russians personally they have it really bad. Personally I think Russia should be starting to think about joining the EU like the Ukraine is right now. Their is requirements in liberty and democracy that have to met to join the EU, could only be a good thing.

 

[FreeMason]

I can't disagree with what you've said about corruption and their leadership. Imperfect as their democracy is, it's still a democracy...and we musk keep in mind that it's still in its infancy. I can think of other "friends" to worry about....like Saudi Arabia.

Russia doesn't have a Democracy, they vote just as they voted during the Communist days of the Soviet Union.

The only truly democratic party in Russia has been marginalized by the Putin Administration, not by the Duma, not by popular concensus, merely Putin decided to bar them from office by raising the minimum % of votes to be in the Duma.