[Uncle Joe]

Just real Russian, nothing more.
Picture from Moscow's big electronic shop - that's what Russian attitude to USA. Putin does not order to do that:

[The Sabbaticus]

Byline: "Thanks, Obama, for saddling us with Putin." They muttered, while rubbing their dirty thirdhand shoes on the American flag.

The Russians are so hopelessly Americanized that they've once again taken an American political meme to the extreme.

[Varax]

You mean two geopolitical rivals don't particularly like each other? In other news, water is still wet.

Are they using American flag toilet paper now as well? If not they need to step it up.

[jessupjonesjnr87]

I like it, maybe I should take my stars and stripes toilet paper idea to Russia.

[The Immortal Goon]

Obsessing over this kind of puts your country into a dependent position. Americans rarely even think of Russia any more.

[Lexington]

To be fair, some quarters of America renamed French fries freedom fries.

If only such shit was the limit of dumb.

I would readily let you stamp over a US flag a zillion times if it will keep you from shooting someone. But it tends to encourage it.

[Drlee]

Just real Russian, nothing more.
Picture from Moscow's big electronic shop - that's what Russian attitude to USA. Putin does not order to do that:

We don't really care much what a bankrupt, near third world country run by a despot thinks about us. Russia is just in the process of learning what it costs to fuck with the big dogs.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

Americans rarely even think of Russia any more.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, but I completely forgot that Russia annexed the Crimea until I saw this thread.

[Uncle Joe]

I keep inform you on attitude of majority of Russians to Westerners. If say it in one word, it should be word “hatred”. They are very similar to Jihadists in this matter indeed. Of course you don't believe me, so I would like to make you acquainted with texts of Russian Journalist Gennady Lisov from Rostov on Don. He is well known in his city, which currently is centre of intervention of Russia in the Eastern Ukraine. I have subscribed to these texts in Russian social network. They are typical for modern Russia indeed. http: //vk.com/glisov (To see it, you should be registered user).
For first acquaintance here is his response on Charlie Hebdo attack:
Rostov on Don = Replica about =
You can not love ...
... those who hate us since 1812 !
To impose sanctions, supplying weapons to enemies, France always have voted against Russia. While bombed Libya and Syria yesterday, today France pays for his reckless tolerance at home, bringing its Muslim population rise up to 4,000,000... Our Muslims are part of our nation, Russians. Russians which France tries to drive "into the hole" for the Crimea. For the fact that in general we dared. Paris recently have took away the Russian children from their mothers, and threw their mothers to prison. Russians worse for them than Arabs... Following their example now operates Norway and the Finns ... we have forgotten? So, it was not worth for Putin in Christmas night to call in Paris with condolences. Minus to his RATING!
And do not you Muscovites TODAY hang about under the French Embassy with expensive bouquets but instead give those thousands roubles to the collection points for the starving DONBASS .. And maybe then 12-th humanitarian caravan in the Donbass will be full of not only canned fish for liquid soup. But Muscovites always have their business interests and they are not the same as all Russia.
ENEMY paid ... And we should not grieve, and DOES NOT CARE ... for the hungry our RUSSIAN children and the elderly in Donetsk on fault of FRANCE.
http: //vk.com/glisov

[The Immortal Goon]

Yeah, France like the US probably forgets about Russia a lot too.

It's cute that Russia is so obsessed with us and that we don't even remember you though.

[annatar1914]

Just real Russian, nothing more.
Picture from Moscow's big electronic shop - that's what Russian attitude to USA. Putin does not order to do that:

Well Uncle Joe, as an American Orthodox Christian who happens to love Russia, I am upset but not particularly astounded by all this, i've seen similar displays in America whenever our populace gets upset at a certain foreign country or other.

When it counts though, our countries have always been united together, and I hope this will continue in the future when all this mess blows over. And it will blow over.

[Jim4120]

Americans rarely even think of Russia any more.

Americans rarely think of much of the world outside of the U.S. I don't think this is a good thing, given the level of globalization that is occurring.

[The Immortal Goon]

I agree. But the premise of this kind of Russian propaganda assumes that the Americans and French are shaking their fists at Russia for some reason. Americans and French people don't give a fig about Russia, in the main. That's not a good thing, and a more global understanding of the world would do America, Russia, and France much better.

[ThirdTerm]

A recent Russian poll conducted in last November showed that 37 per cent of the poll's respondents had an unfavourable opinion of the US but 50% said Russia should make efforts to smooth things over with the US. Russia has a history of anti-Americanism which dates back to the Cold War era but ordinary Russians are relatively cool about the issue and there have not been any anti-American demonstrations in Russia since the Ukraine crisis.

Although she believes the Russian media pushes anti-American propaganda, Stone didn’t see “any anti-American propaganda day-to-day.” Instead, she saw more ads featuring the beloved leader, Vladimir Putin. When asked if the Russian population truly adores Putin, Stone responds with a solid affirmation. “Yes, people really do love Putin. They view him as a powerful figure that makes Russia more powerful in the world, hence the pictures of Putin shirtless riding a bear,” claimed Stone. Even with the Putin adoration, she saw the overall Russian population as “very nice and friendly.” She was even invited to tea by a Russian babushka, otherwise known as grandmother, after talking to the babushka for forty-five minutes while waiting for a bus.
http://nique.net/life/2015/01/09/stone- ... in-russia/

[Political Interest]

I have encountered anti-Western sentiment among Russians as well. As TIG mentioned, most seem to not understand that the citizens of Western countries do not know anything about Russia and are mainly oblivious to it or to the situation in Ukraine. Many seem to dislike Europe and America because of their extreme social liberalism and the issue of homosexual marriage is a nationalist talking point there.

We must remember that Russia is a proud nation and it is this fierce nationalism and love of the motherland which allows them to resist foreign intrigue. I do not believe that the Russian attitude to Europe or America will improve until political relations become more cordial.

[annatar1914]

I have encountered anti-Western sentiment among Russians as well. As TIG mentioned, most seem to not understand that the citizens of Western countries do not know anything about Russia and are mainly oblivious to it or to the situation in Ukraine. Many seem to dislike Europe and America because of their extreme social liberalism and the issue of homosexual marriage is a nationalist talking point there.

We must remember that Russia is a proud nation and it is this fierce nationalism and love of the motherland which allows them to resist foreign intrigue. I do not believe that the Russian attitude to Europe or America will improve until political relations become more cordial.

Good post PI. I think that relations between the United States and Russia will improve, not only that, but will evolve until they are as One practically. I think that the force of external geopolitical events will make this certain. This is not Athens vs. Sparta or Rome vs. Carthage, but more comparable in my mind to the Byzantines and the Early Russians themselves, prior to their baptism to Orthodoxy.

Not an exact analogy, but still....

[Political Interest]

Good post PI. I think that relations between the United States and Russia will improve, not only that, but will evolve until they are as One practically. I think that the force of external geopolitical events will make this certain. This is not Athens vs. Sparta or Rome vs. Carthage, but more comparable in my mind to the Byzantines and the Early Russians themselves, prior to their baptism to Orthodoxy.

Not an exact analogy, but still....

Thank you.

I really do hope that America and Russia can have a better relationship in future. The problem is that competition for influence on the European continent which leads to the western borderlands of Russia will mean there can never be good will.

The years after 1991 saw Moscow on the retreat and continued expansion of NATO up till its current position, right on Russia's doorstep. There was never really an accommodation of the new post-Soviet Russia and this is something that needs to be managed if there is ever to be peace. The problem in my estimation is that the Russians do definitely have an imperial agenda of their own. How can we reconcile the imperial ambitions of Russia with European concerns about security and with America's desire to be a power in Europe and Asia? Is respecting the Russian sphere of influence in Europe even desirable for the West?

All of these questions seem extremely complicated especially depending on which perspective you are speaking from. An American will view it differently to a German and an Englishman will of course have his own opinions different to both. As far as I am aware there is a school of thought within German intellectual circles which proposes that Berlin should ditch the United States and make an alliance with Russia.

My fundamental question is: Is it in our interests to respect the Russian sphere of influence (come to an agreement with them) , or should we actively seek to expand our own even into the Russian sphere?

In any case schools in Anglosphere countries should definitely be teaching their students the Russian language alongside the standard French, German or Spanish options. It will help us to understand this country more.

[annatar1914]

PI, you said in response to me;

I really do hope that America and Russia can have a better relationship in future. The problem is that competition for influence on the European continent which leads to the western borderlands of Russia will mean there can never be good will.

I think that the general trend will force the Two nations to work together, as the age-old Islamic conquest of the old Roman classical world space is completed, for a short time.

The years after 1991 saw Moscow on the retreat and continued expansion of NATO up till its current position, right on Russia's doorstep. There was never really an accommodation of the new post-Soviet Russia and this is something that needs to be managed if there is ever to be peace.

Agreed.

The problem in my estimation is that the Russians do definitely have an imperial agenda of their own.

I think an effort to recover the ground lost almost a century ago, both metaphorically and literally, is a reasonable one in many respects.

How can we reconcile the imperial ambitions of Russia with European concerns about security and with America's desire to be a power in Europe and Asia?

Takfiri Islam seems to be a quite sufficient threat, while the 'pivot to Asia' of the United States is a very real one. Europe, in going to war in 1914, chose either Islam or Moscovy whether they realized it or not.

Is respecting the Russian sphere of influence in Europe even desirable for the West?

Sure, as it need not be a 'win-lose' proposition.

All of these questions seem extremely complicated especially depending on which perspective you are speaking from. An American will view it differently to a German and an Englishman will of course have his own opinions different to both. As far as I am aware there is a school of thought within German intellectual circles which proposes that Berlin should ditch the United States and make an alliance with Russia.

A wise decision, as America shifts it's emphasis to the Eastern world as was inevitable as could be as far back as 1848.

My fundamental question is: Is it in our interests to respect the Russian sphere of influence (come to an agreement with them) , or should we actively seek to expand our own even into the Russian sphere?

I say; 'come to an agreement', because we'll find-here in the West-that much of what we see as strange and hateful in Russia is our original and real collective selves.

In any case schools in Anglosphere countries should definitely be teaching their students the Russian language alongside the standard French, German or Spanish options. It will help us to understand this country more.

It's never too late to try learning, even as a 45 year old American, so I'm making that effort too.

[Political Interest]

I think that the general trend will force the Two nations to work together, as the age-old Islamic conquest of the old Roman classical world space is completed, for a short time.

The problem is that in both countries there is a massive dislike and distrust of the other. This reaches such a deep extent that neither is worried about what happens to the other in terms of the Salafist threat. So long as Washington is safe, it does not worry about Moscow and so long as Moscow is safe it does not worry about Washington. In other words, no one is willing to work together on a common front against Salafi radicalism as the mutual antagonism between America and Russia is too great.

I think an effort to recover the ground lost almost a century ago, both metaphorically and literally, is a reasonable one in many respects.

I do not blame them and if I were Russian I am sure I would think the same way. Russian security has always been based on possessing as much land as possible. There are also of course emotional and cultural issues like the loss of Ukraine.

Takfiri Islam seems to be a quite sufficient threat, while the 'pivot to Asia' of the United States is a very real one. Europe, in going to war in 1914, chose either Islam or Moscovy whether they realized it or not.

That is a very interesting thought, please may you elaborate on it further? My mind is unable to follow this line of reasoning. Maybe I am simply being dim witted today.

Sure, as it need not be a 'win-lose' proposition.

In that case I think it is something that should be considered.

A wise decision, as America shifts it's emphasis to the Eastern world as was inevitable as could be as far back as 1848.

In many ways the peace in Europe maintained by Anglo-American and to a lesser extent, French power, is not sustainable or natural. It would be better if Europe sorted out its own balance of power rather than maintained one imposed on it after 1945. There is every chance that this post war arrangement will collapse over the course of the 21st century.

I say; 'come to an agreement', because we'll find-here in the West-that much of what we see as strange and hateful in Russia is our original and real collective selves.

It may be because we have conservative values that we do not find Russian conservatism very strange. At the same time Russophilia poses its own dangers...

It's never too late to try learning, even as a 45 year old American, so I'm making that effort too.

Once Cyrillic is memorised it is not that hard. Watching Russian movies is very helpful.

[Uncle Joe]

We don't really care much what a bankrupt, near third world country run by a despot thinks about us. Russia is just in the process of learning what it costs to fuck with the big dogs.

Yes, i know, it is typical american reaction. You didn't really care much what another third world country run by a despot thought about you before Pearl Harbour, for example. Maybe you'll change your mind when nuclear missile will come to your backyard. I afraid it should be little bit late then, isn't it?

http://news.rin.ru/eng/news///81724/

Off course, maybe Gorbatchev is just an very old man out of his mind...