Comments on: Russia surrounded by USA

By: Juan P

Juan P — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:48:35 +0000

The US is ambigous when it comes to Russia. Russia has succeeded in Chechnya where the US has failed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Granted- Some of the measures in combating the criminal mutineers in that district has been heavy handed at times and of course as in any war, collatweral damage is quite inevitable, but the results speak for themslves, and the rapid rebuilding process there is something to admire, not so the “nation building” in Iraq where new buildings built by the Army Corps of engineers and private building contractors leak crap out of overhead lamps everytime you flush!! and the bricklaying done so shamefully sloppy, even a 6 year old wpuld have done it much better!! and Afghanistan? besides the boom in opium exports, there has yet to be any rebuilding of any sort! hell! the USA couldn’t even guarantee humane or dignified treatment at its own military hospitals for its own soldiers! (case: Walter Reed hospital) How do you expect them to treat “outsiders” who they generally view as “enemy” anyway??

By: Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) « Tons of Fresh News

Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) « Tons of Fresh News — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:45:20 +0000

[...] 5, 2007 at 7:44 pm · Filed under Uncategorized Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) My, my, my just look at all the satellites and missiles we got pointed at our friend Russia. [...]

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:35:37 +0000

So chaps, to sum up – Russia and America are both buggered. Hurrah!

By: Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) « News Coctail

Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) « News Coctail — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:39:07 +0000

[...] We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) Filed under: Uncategorized — recar @ 12:31 pm Russia, We’ve Got You Surrounded!! (pics!) My, my, my just look at all the satellites and missiles we got pointed at our friend Russia. [...]

By: GER O'BRIEN

GER O'BRIEN — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:12:24 +0000

I think John what most people mean with ”second world” is that its better than the third world, like Ethiopia, Rwanda etc, but way behind first world e.g. UK/Ireland/France/Canada etc. I know they are ridiculous terms that dont mean anything really. Moscow is probably a first world city though, but the Russian provinces arent and even St Petes is falling down outside the centre.

By: John B.

John B. — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 04:46:33 +0000

“Russia is not a third world country, it�s a second world country as is most of the former soviet block.”

Most people here (and everywhere else nowadays) don’t seem to understand what “1st-2nd-3rd world” countries mean. It’s a cute but pointless convention thought up sometime in the 1950s by “Western” politicians to label Communist countries (2nd world), USA-aligned countries (1st world), and neutral countries (3rd world). Of course the lines were never that clear. That’s why you don’t hear about the 2nd world anymore, as the “Communist block” has largely disappeared. Ever since then “3rd world country” has just been used as a label to call any country that you don’t like (for example, except for a few cities, I consider most of CONUS to be 3rd world).

By: GER O'BRIEN

GER O'BRIEN — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:49:55 +0000

Fair enough George there isnt anything I can argue against there. I know from personal experience that i had to ‘oil the wheels’ when my son was born here in Moscow. But I’m not anti-American really -my point is that the Americans have behaved as badly as the Russians all over the Middle East in particular. Iran is a mess almost entirely American made. And its sad, as the worlds most powerful country, the US has a responsibilty to behave properly. Ignoring the UN is something I cant get around at all. They lowered themselves terribly by doing that. Pontificating and criticising Russia for misbehaviour is a bit rich comming from Americans. Its the pot calling the kettle black as the Irish say. As for freedom of speech…defending Russia, I’m on very shaky ground indeed…!!))
Definitely the Russians shouldnt be so hasty about selling gear to a lot of these countries. But my point was that this is for financial gain; in the case of the US, they were giving Saddam free support against Iran. They were directly trying to influence an outcome, in their bitterness after the Islamic Revolution, which is a bit different to selling weapons to make money. They were meddling when they shouldnt have been and their influence helped sustain an 8 year war that killed almost a million.
As for brigades on the internet, LR published that just to write off people like me as Kremlin stooges. She thinks now anyone who has a go at her is in some brigade. Its pathetic really. Soemtimes I think she’s just a practical joke designed to piss off people.

By: George

George — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:24:28 +0000

Ger,

It’s lucky for you that you are making anti-American comments on a free western blog rather than anti-Russian comments on a Russian language blog because if you were, you would be hounded out by brigadniki.

http://russophobe.blogspot.com/2007/02/commissars-of-internet-part-i.html

One standard that you decided not to compare the US and Russia on was freedom of speech – for obvious reasons.

I will comment on just a couple:

Healthcare: I wonder how many people in “the west” know that people over 70 in Russia don’t get free care in hospitals. If you have an elderly parent who needs hospital treatment, you pay (a bribe). It is unfortunate for the ones who don’t have relations who can pay.

Generally now, as in Soviet times, to get any decent treatment in the state system (perhaps any treatment at all) you have to oil the wheels of the system with some money.

You said about the Iran-Iraq war,
“The Russians might have flogged gear to both sides, but thats economics”

Yes, the same economics that made it alright to sell to Ethiopia and Eritrea in an extremely long and deadly war, and to all of the other warring factions that they have supported over the years in the third world. And to sell arms to repressive regimes that commit genocide on their own people. What made it alright was that they weren’t the Americans.

What they did give for free in third world conflicts was Soviet military personnel, described as “advisors”.

Now they are selling waepons, some of them high tech, to Sudan, which is responsible for the Africa’s worst humanitarian catastrophe, in Darfur, and $4 billion worth to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, who supports the FARC drug barons in Columbia.

By: GER O'BRIEN

GER O'BRIEN — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 09:08:08 +0000

Tim, I apologise for the above references to you and Sakhalin, etc. It was bad form and not even part of the argument. I’m new to blogging and am sliding in with two feet too often.

Ger

By: Sean

Sean — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 07:56:33 +0000

I found this an interesting statistic. American military bases outside of the United States: According to Chalmers Johnson, "the Pentagon currently owns or rents 702 overseas bases in about 130 countries." How many does Russia have? The best count I could find is from Wikipedia (not a reliable source so if anyone has a better number please give it). It lists seven in Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan.