Does anyone actually read this blog?

Yet another of the world's overwritten, underread websites.

You poor thing! You seem to spend so much time doing it, too!

It's hilariously bad.

That's quite a comment coming from someone who doesn't even have a name, much less a blog.

Your jealousy is showing.

And please don't diss the 3,500 visitors to this blog in the first three months of its existance. Or the dozens of professional writers and newspapers whose work is reflected here.

Just crawl back under your dark little rock.

PS: It's kind of sad that you find one Russian woman being killed every 40 minutes by her husband to be hilarious. Were you beaten as a child perhaps? I hope it didn't damage your brain as badly as it seems. Sorry it made you so bitter.

Oops! I just realized . . . you're probably one of those Russian men who beats and kills their wives, aren't you? That's what makes the most sense given the total lack of any substantive content in your message.

In that case, fuck off asshole. And the next time you hit her, I hope she kills you.

You know I am Russian, but I have traveled quite a lot, lived abroad for about seven years and am very critical of my country. But your comments, especialy such like "Russia hatest families" or "Sprots and Russia are like water and oil" are just so plain stupid and far-fetched that, no matter how I belive that rational critisism is good for Russia, I cannot help but think that that it is not what you have in mind.. What you do want is to convince yourself and othres that there is nothing good at all there, but nobody in the right mind would believe that.

Natalia, you are a classic Russian propagandist.

You claim that Russia doesn't hate families and isn't terrible at sports, but you don't even try to give any evidence to support your argument. You just imagine it.

You claim you are critical of Russia, but you don't point to on single criticism of Russia you have ever made.

I have offered facts to support my claims, but you don't challenge any of them.

In other words, you are full of hot air.

Most important, you don't seem to even think for a second that whatever "criticism" of Russia existed before La Russophobe wasn't working, and Putin's Neo-Soviet Russia was just getting stronger and stronger. You don't offer any alternatives which you believe are better than La Russopohbe's, all you do is talk.

There is nothing behind your words, as is much too often the case with Russians.

NATALIA: This is a challenge to you. If you say Russia doesn't hate families, offer some proof backed up by links to the evidence that supports your claim.

I have offered evidence that women and children in Russian families die at alarming rates, much higher than in many other countries. The divorce rate in Russia is also wildly high, and I have plenty of other evidence to answer yours.

But first, let's see yours, instead of empty talk.

Now let's see your evidence of Russian respect for families.

We are waiting.

If you can't produce it, then you're either a Russian propagandist or one of its victims.

The ball is in your court.

Jesus, r u out of your mind? Calling me a propagandist just because I couldn't be bothered giving you an evidence that russians do not hate their families...has it come to your narrow-minded head that claims like "russians hate their families" are such nonsense that no normal person would bother give you an evidence that it is not so. What evidence do you want?? That there are a lot of normal families here? The divorce rate is high? It is also high in Finland and Belgium, UK and Australia. http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsWorld.shtml. By the way, don't give me that "the ball is in your court" shit, I would never play any game with you, cause you are too blinded by your phobia.

I called you a propagandist because that is what you are.

You attack me without even trying to put forth facts that support your position. That is propaganda, pure and simple.

It's mind-blowing that you would cite that web page about divorce, which shoes that Russia has THE SECOND HIGHEST DIVORCE RATE IN THE WORLD, behind only Belarus, as evidence that I'm wrong about Russian families. You must be mental. But thanks for the link, I'm going to blog it.

Meanwhile, you STILL don't name a single place where you have published criticism of Russia. Blog? Letter to the Editor?

You've been raised in a culture that not only tolerates but encourages propaganda, so your inability to deal with simple facts is not surprising. Instead, you prefer to launch personal attacks on me and you are "shocked, shocked" when they are returned. Typical Russian hypocrite.

NATALIA: you know, if you had the slightest bit of non-Neo-Soviet character, when you discovered that Russia leads the world in divorces, just as I said, you would have apologized and admitted I was right. Instead, your frenzied nationalism causes you to imagine you have found something that helps you. Russians have been embarassing themselves like this for ages, it's a big reason why Russia is in the state now of going extinct. And instead of trying to further flesh out the problem and suggest ways to solve it, you only want to cover it up. That means you're part of the problem.

REITH: The next time you post such outrageous personal abuse aimed at the operators of this blog, you will forfeit your ability to comment here. It's quite ironic that you betray your own identity as a crude thug while accusing La Russophobe in such a vile personal manner, utterly devoid of any attempt to address the substance of the post. Such behavior is not even tolerated in grade school, and it will not be tolerated here.

By the way, you now either owe Kim an apology because you've been booted just like her and your behavior was right and you attacked her for the same behavior, or you owe her an apology because you've been booted just like her and your behavior was wrong.

The strong language is only good when it comes from you it seems. The upside is that I can now go around telling people that I am just like Solzhenitsyn. I guess the truth hurts.

Hypocrite. You attack us for doing what you yourself do. You're lower than low. Apparently it's OK for YOU to do it, just not us. Hypocrite.

"attack us?" so there is more than one mentally handicapped person administrating this blog?

ANONYMOUS: what's it to you, person with no name who adds nothing of value and is capable only of embarrassingly pathetic personal abuse?

I hit the right nerve then:-)... so there is a team of internet monitoring trolls here...

actually, if you'd "hit the right nerve," then your post would have been deleted like REITH's crude pornography was. but it's still sitting there isn't it. i wonder why . . . you really are a completley helpless moron.

Why do you demean yourself so much, Russophobe?

It's like the online version of someone on Speaker's Corner lecturing about the latest conspiracy while his flies are undone.

Just calm down a bit, and people might take you a bit more seriously.

Go for a walk or something.

Thanks

Rich

PS. Why do you double post in the comments section? It makes you look like the kind of fool who makes an outrageous comment, then, two minutes later, remembers what else she wanted to say. It's juvenile. (Cue more abuse.)

Rich: Why do you post comments that have nothing to do with any post and do not contribute anything of value to our information about Russia? Is it because you have no ability to produce any such information and are jealous of those who do?

Rich: Why do you feel you have the right to control how many times I post in my own blog? Do YOU have a blog which you think is taken more seriously and handles comments in a superior way? Have you always had the inability to be flexible and the desire to force other people to bend to your will?

Do you ever actually say anything substantive, or do you always confine yourself to generalised ad hominem personal attacks, even while complaining that others engage in them? How juvenile.

Wow, a Russophobic parrot!!!

I can imagine this psycho is drooling over the keyboard, “I am gonna stick it to Rich. Here ya’ go… oh wait, I forgot something… Now taste your own medicine, I’ll repeat what you said!”

In you “Special Olympics” case, it’s better late than never!

PS: please research abuse of birds, especially parrots, at the hands of disgusting stupid Russkies. Statistically speaking, it had to happen at one point or another.

ANONYMOUS: Thanks for your insightful comments on the state of Russian affairs today, which add much value to the world's understanding of Russia and set a clear example for others to follow of how to be both scholarly and interesting at the same time. Your helpful research is particularly appreciated. Also, your name is really clever, the effort you obviously put into choosing it very impressive indeed.

Your feeble attempts to mischaracterise my entirely legitimate comments, as "pornography" no less, are indicative of the double standards that riddle this contemtible web site. Since day one you have insulted any dissenters with a singular viciousness, culminating in my view with your cowardly attack on Natalia, who imprudently attempted to engage with your frightful views. My remarks merely reflected these facts.
The point, however, remains. While you make pathetically sarcastic calls for analysis from people who comment on your blog, your own degree of analysis is childlike at best.

REITH: It's so interesting how you can only see hypocrisy in others, not yourself.

YOU attacked us for being booted off the Moscow Times forum for doing EXACTLY WHAT you then did to us. Yet you don't acknowledge the hypocrisy in that, you only see hypocrisy in our objecting to your pornography and censoring it.

But in fact there is a big difference, and we are not being hypocritical. Because you have never made any attempt to add value to this blog or to contradict any factual assertion we have made with evidence of your own.

Instead, all you do is launch personal attacks -- because, of course, that is all you CAN do.

We are perfectly within our rights to respond to personal attacks made against us with personal attacks. We have never initiated such attacks.

But from the beginning, you and your ilk have chosen to respond to your factual reporting with personal attacks instead of reporting facts that contradict those we report. You've chosen to attack our motives rather than our facts, and then you are "shocked, shocked" when you get the same in return. We knew you would do this, and we are happy to have the confirmation that you cannot respond to our reporting any other way. But there are limits, and you crossed them.

We offer value, you offer empty words. Simple as that.

There is not one single example on this blog where we have responded to the reporting of facts by attacking the reporter personally, and you certainly cite none. But when we report facts, often simply the words of others, established media outlets, we receive personal attacks. When we respond in kind, we are perfectly justified.

Manipulation is one thing, but lies are quite another. As you (the royal You, I know take it) well know, I repeatedly listed a number of insults that you unprovokedly directed at me, so try not to come high and mighty on the "pornography". In fact, against all that stands sense and reason, a number of people have, in this and other fora, attempted to convey to you that the crude generalisations you speacialise are utterly without merit. Specifically because they are generalisations, often distorted by misrepresentations, lies and hysteria. As it was, my comments were directed to Natalia, who has evidently realised that conversation with bigots is nigh on impossible. And she is quite right too.

Not to interrupt bickering, but La Russophobe's reasons for being what she is, when put together painted a very peculiar picture of Russia, or rather its culture.

Excerpt from here:

[La Russophobe]inadvertently pushed me to a peculiar conclusion. I compared current Russian culture with what Thomas Sowell describes in his "Black Rednecks And White Liberals" as the contemporary urban black ghetto culture. Patterns of behaviour between the general culture of Russia and the ghetto black culture that Sowell traces through Southern White culture to the cracker culture in Europe, like lawlessness, reckless disregard for life, attraction to gewgaws, drinking, self amusement over savings are extremely difficult to ignore:

The dominant social, moral, and cultural values among Southern rednecks that Sowell highlights, and that have been explained in works such as Grady McWhiney’s Cracker Culture: Celtic Ways in the Old South, include aversion to work, proclivity for violence, contentment with little to no education, sexual promiscuity, short-term thinking, drunkenness, an anti-entrepreneurial spirit, reckless pursuit of excitement, and wild music and dance. Rednecks had touchy pride, what you might call today a “bling-bling” vanity, a boastfully dramatized sense of self, and little self-control.

The Assclowns of the World - Unite!

It's nice to see crazy people like Russophobes and Cyrill finding each other:-)

Cyrill, you know, there is a reason why you are on AM? Please correct all the spelling mistakes, illiterate dumb-duck.

Now, let’s see one of the Russophobes get all wet from Cyrill’s support and the same paranoid ignorance.

Russians are coming! Russians are coming! Hide under the table!

Remember, generalization is the key to fallacies… everybody knows that! (pun intended)

And for the
“The dominant social, moral, and cultural values among Southern rednecks that Sowell highlights, and that have been explained in works such as Grady McWhiney’s Cracker Culture: Celtic Ways in the Old South, include aversion to work, proclivity for violence, contentment with little to no education, sexual promiscuity, short-term thinking, drunkenness, an anti-entrepreneurial spirit, reckless pursuit of excitement, and wild music and dance. Rednecks had touchy pride, what you might call today a “bling-bling” vanity, a boastfully dramatized sense of self, and little self-control.”

Somehow, with all these Russkie rednecks, running around drunk, the country managed to be a major world power since 1700s…

The above description sounds like the-all-beloved Yeltsin years’ inner circle…. I get nostalgic about those days of “western approved” democracy… I guess, everybody loved Russians back then. Who does not like a drunk and funny uncle who gave presents of natural resources for free to his neighbors and relatives?

Anonymous, (is it your real name, by the way?) you need to work harder on improving your comprehensive faculties: they seem to be impaired. If you were to follow the comparison with Sowell's book with more then just a glance over, you would have noticed that he the redneck culture originated in Britain. Amounts of rednecks did not stop GB from becoming a world power, so your only feeble attempt at countering my comparison is a glaring non sequitur. Thanks for trying. Please move to the next window.

REITH: This list contains not crude generalizations but documented facts, not a single one of which you have refuted with any evidence of your own. You never bring any value to any discussion, but only engage in personal attacks upon those who have done so, in the manner of a classic Russophile propagandist.

You have not put forth one single fact, backed up by supporting evidence, that indicates a reason to be Russophile. Nor have you refuted with supporting evidence any fact put forth in this list as a reason to be russophobe. Instead, you've haughtily pontificated and personally attacked, and in so doing you have made the case against Russophile nutjobs like you better than La Russophobe herself possibly could have done.

So thanks!

Wow, you are one hilarious bigot, "Phobe". LOL

Just when we were all becoming bored to tears with American Arab-hate, along come 'Phobe with a funny new twist in hatemongering.

Notice you are already "democratically" banning people from your blog. Can dish it out but can't take it, eh?

Do speak or read the Russian language?

Oh, and noticed the little jab about "supporting Palestinian 'terrorism'" - gets one to wondering what you think about America's little Nazi Apartheid in the Middle East otherwise known as the "State of Israel". Maybe you can spare a few illuminating words on that particular piece of US-sponsored state terrorism.

ANONYMOUS: Are you the same one who began the comments on this post by asking whether anyone reads it? Are you at all humiliated by the fact that this post now has 32 comments on it and just recorded its 4,000th visit yesterday after less than three months of existence?

I haven't banned anyone, I have stated the conditions under which they will be banned. All blogs and forums have such standards, I suggest you read some before you open your big fat stupid mouth. This post is full of comments that criticize this blog, you illiterate moron.

I speak and write Russian. I have lived in Russia for several years, probably in more different cities than YOU have lived in.

You have not refuted a single fact on my top 10 list, nor have you contributed a single fact of your own. In other words, you are a totally useless, classic Russophile fool, exactly the kind who is bringing Russia to the verge of extinction.

And your jealousy is showing. You can badmouth this blog all you want, but the facts make you look like the total moron you are.

PS: maybe the fact that you find one Russian woman being killed by her husband ever 40 minutes "hilarious" explains why it happens so often. Have you killed your own wife just for laughs?

LR, nope, we are all different anonymous:-) and the previous anonymous is not me:-)

where did you leave in Russia "for several years?"

and what is this insulting, childish and irrelevant comment to the other anonymous?
"probably in more different cities than YOU have lived in"
LR: "I have more toys than you have..."
quantity vs quality could be a good debate:-)

why not trying living just in one town with way above average standart of living?:-)

so you probably lived on grants like a miserable goat, moving from town to town... now you received another grant for doing this... then you will lose this job, so you will need to move to another town/country to support your Xanax prescriptions:-)

I never received any grant, I was paid exclusively by Russians. You are one of the world's great morons.

so is this why you are so bitter? Those stinky Russians paid your salary:-)... how can a proud russophobe accept that?

I think that we all need to know our heros a bit better:

1. How many of you are there?
2. What are your nationalities?
3. What are your ages?
4. What are your current countries of residence?
5. What are you day jobs?
and most of all:
6. What are you names?
7. What are your quests?
8. and how many coco-nuts can an a European swallow cary?

I think that by answering these questions, it would create a sense of intimacy on this blog.

So "ladies" first...

ANONYMOUS #1: The Neo-Soviet man often confuses the recitation of facts with bitterness. That is what Brezhnev said about Solzhenitsin, just before he kicked him out of the country. But Solzhenitisn had the last laugh when the USSR toppled and fell.

ANONYMOUS #2: Oh, am I your hero? Thanks, I'll try to live up to your expectations. As for your questions, my mystery is part of my identity, just like "Primary Colors" and "Huckleberry Finn." Sorry to keep you in suspense! And keep reading La Russophobe! (By the way, if you want to earn your hero's respect, then post a reason to be Russophobe or a Russophile).

It is a great blog.

Although I mostly like the comments section (the rest qualifies as "bred"). I hope the comments section will stay as democratic as is the blessed country hosting the blog/blogger. We should pick and stick to identities so we can develop some character.

LR is clearly a nut cake. Why else would she have travelled to Russia?

LR, what was your purpose of visiting Russia and were you there prior to 1993 or just recently?

I think any foreigner (have to narrow it - westerner) visiting Russia will come out a Russophobe (may be not as nuts as LR), to get a shot at being a Russophile you have to be born there.

BTW, LR, is it OK for us to use expletives here?

In a good LR tradition, I should correct my handle with a post-post post:

it is not "Big Black Bear with a Big Hiu"

the correct name is "Big Black Bear with a Big Hui"

Any fish caught on vacation, LR?

You seem to me and to a number of friends I showed this blog to as an attention seeking maniac. You probably thought: "Since there are so many Blogs depicting Russia in its true colours, why don't I be different??" and you made this Blog of bullsh!t. Right? By the way my friends had a good laugh at your points, they are so overexaggerrated. Is that the way you get your visitor counts? Friend's friends' laughs? Probably. Heck I wanna see you in person. You probably are a 40 year old woman who acts like a b!tch yet never had sex. Right?

BIG BLACK: As a matter of fact, I did get three nice rainbow trout. Thanks for asking!

K: Are you saying one Russian woman isn't killed by her husband every forty minutes? If so, you're the Goebels because you don't cite your source. Or are you admitting they are, but contending that we shouldn't talk about it? If so, you're the Goebels because you seek to censor the facts by using personal attacks based on slurs.

So basically, either way, you're the Goebels.

LUCIFER: It's rather sad that you find one Russian woman being killed by her husband every 40 minutes to be funny. Is that because you beat your wife? If you do, shame on you.

If you challenge any of the factual statements contained in this post, provide evidence that they are wrong. Otherwise, you are a vacuous idiot who is exactly what you accuse me of being.

People told Van Gogh not to paint because there were already so many good painters. He only sold one painting in his life. Yet he painted. A clueless moron like you wouldn't understand why. I pity you in that regard.

STEREOMIND:

Don't you think it's rather ironic that while pretending to despise hatred you express hatred of La Russophobe? We guess you mean it's bad to hate people STEREOMIND doesn't hate, but just fine to hate people he does. One day, perhaps we'll become as enlightened as you.

Thanks for confirming that Russia, after 1,000 years of existence, doesn't even have its own cuisine. You've overlooked, though, that New York City has a huge population of Russian immigrants, so if they can't cook it right then it probably can't be done at all.

If you think Russians are more generous than Americans in terms of donations to charity per capita, document your claim. Otherwise, you just sound silly. And before you claim that we don’t have any other evidence, you might at least try to give our blog a fair reading. If you has done so you would have seen this about how Russia blocked any discussion of aid to Africa at the recent G-8 meeting.

It's rather odd that you criticize us on #3 for a limited survey (read our link please before you speak) and then base your comments in #1 on your personal experience with your wife and kids, isn't it? You have not added one single shred of value to this discussion. You've brought in no source material of any kind, just spewed out your own personal opinions as if they were all that counted.

If America is hated more than Russia, then why does Russia have FIVE TIMES fewer international tourist arrivals than America does? Doesn't really make sense, does it?

You criticize the manner of expression on this blog, yet you don't point to your own as superior, so we don't really care what you think on that point. What's more, you ignore the fact that this is the most heavily trafficked Russia specialty blog in the world and, as documented by Technorati, in the top 0.1% of all blogs in the world of any kind in terms of influence on other blogs.

So I guess what we're bascially saying is, grow up and get over your jealousy, little boy. Or maybe just don't listen to your headphones quite so loud and often ;)

PS: We're glad you think there's a grammar error in our Russian. See, that means there's two possible ways you (or any Russophile) can respond: thanking and admiring our attempt to bring Russian language to our blog, or ridiculing us for doing so "incorrectly." In fact, that's why we call ourselves La Russophobe too. It's an interesting little test of the bona fides of the reader. At least, we think so. But then that's just us.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe!

STEREOMIND:

You wrote: "It's amazing how much time one can spend expressing (poorly) their hate towards another. A full time blog about hating Russia? I hope you have a day job."

We say that's full of hatred. We think any normal person would agree. I guess you think it's full of love. Given what goes on in Russia these days, maybe that is how Russians define love. If so, we don't care to know how they define hate. You've been caught in hypocrisy and your attempt to wiggle out of it has come to nothing.

We admire your ability to admit to your own laziness. We have contempt for your smug pride in that condition.

It is not correct that you cannot add value to a zero or a negative. We suggest you return to grade school, take up with a math teacher who isn't drunk, and learn one or two things. But then you're lazy, so maybe in another life, right?

If you wanted to understand the reason for our attitude towards Russia, the thing to do would have been to ask us. Sorry if that was too much to expect of you.

If you want an explanation in a nutshell, it's all the facts listed above in this post. It's the fact that Russia is killing itself. We find that outrageous. We're also not that pleased about Russia providing aid to arch American foes like Iran, Hamas and Venezuela while screaming to high heaven if America wants to aid Chechnya. We don't want to be shot by Russian guns given to Venezuela or nuked by Russian bombs given to Iran. Sorry if that was too difficult for you to grasp. You couldn't care less. We agree to disagree.

We're curious: We assume that you think Russians who hate America are just as wrong as Americans who hate Russia. So could you link us to a public comment you've made to such a Russian expressing that view? Or are you just a run-of-the-mill Russian hypocrite?

We're sorry to burst your bubble, but your denial of jealousy isn't convincing, and your inability to do what we do better than us disqualifies you from having a meaningful opinion. You might be interested to know that people said Van Gogh's style of painting was a "novelty" and only one of his paintings sold during his lifetime. Lot's of brilliant ideas in history have been dismissed by tiny little minds like yours. Thankfully, those who actually do and create choose to ignore your kind. First you say our blog sucks, then you admit it's wildly popular but won't last. That's the kind of childish excuse for reasoning that has brought Russia to its knees.

By the way, you've ignored a number of the points we made responding to your criticism, which is typical of your ilk. We take the time to support our statements and you, realizing you were wrong, fail to admit your error. Que sera sera.

STEREOMIND:

You really are quite an unprincipled idiot, aren't you?

Your attempt to twist our words is so childish and so pathetically unsuccessful that we pity you.

We didn't say our blog had no value, we said EVEN IF IT DID that wouldn't mean you couldn't add value to it, as you incorrectly stated. Our blog is the most trafficked Russia speciality blog in the world because it is the most content rich. You're the one who has no value, and spits poison out of jealousy.

We never denied our blog is full of hate. If you had read the THIS POST THAT YOU ARE COMMENTING ON it says so in so many words and explains why.

Our point was that YOUR post is ALSO full of hate so YOU ARE A BLAZING HYPOCRITE. You can't say that hate is bad while espousing it, you helpless moron.

I expect that if you say hatred is bad, you don't engage in it yourself.

Given that you don't even know who I am, I'd say you're clearly the one who is delusional by offering to make psychological diagnoses of someone you can't even identify.

What's more, you illiterate fool, the vast majority of content on this blog is written by professional media outlets. So if you think they are insane, we suggest you write letters to their editors.

Meanwhile, we find your arguments very convincing, are heavily influenced by them, and will do everything you say. Happy now, delusional moron?

Dear Fuck:

Thanks for clearly showing how reasonable, intelligent and successful Russophiles are! Your serious, fair-minded comments expressed so respectfully really show us a great example of what we should have been doing all along, and how very wrong we were about everything.

We'll answer your questions:

1. We've spent many years living in Russia.
2. New York City is full of Russian immigrants who can cook food just like in Russia.
3. If you read our site, you'll see that Russia's president blocked the G-8 from discussing aid to Africa. There's lots of evidence of Russian greed, and if Russia is poor then the world should stop saying it's rich with oil money, shouldn't it?
4. Russia is gaining on Africa very fast. Is Africa now the standard for Russia not Europe? Pretty sad if so.
5. Excuses, excuses. The one sport Russia is truly great at! The thing is, the world thinks Russia is rich from oil, that is why we mentioned this, to show the world is wrong.
6. The point is that choosing between Russia and America, the world chooses America.
7. The quality of Russian education is awful because teachers are paid slave wages. Corruption over diplomas is a minor issue. But Putin bought his diploma and didn't need to.
8. If you admit it's a problem, try to fix it!
9. Russians learn how to say words. They don't learn how to communicate with other cultures. They can't, because their teachers are paid slave wages so they can't learn themselves.

This blog is tedious and self-contradictory.

LLSNK: whereas your comment is original and fascinating! likewise your nigerian truck art!

I view this blog only as a practice grounds for *debating* for his author, since information, given here, is mostly lies or just too much speculated.

just to give you simple example,
CSKA, russian football (soccer) club, won UEFA in year 2005.
and if you want more, just open any site about olimpic games and check out how many gold medals Russia got.

i cant be assed to argue about how gross is national cousine in Russia (btw when US people speak about anything NATIONAL makes me chuckle)
or why it is simply stupid to judge ALL russians by a statistics - since in this country very different people live, and i doubt that its a good idea to generalise in cases lke this.

quoting Natalia, i do belive that racional critisism is what this country (even - my country) needs, but your blog is nothing to do with racionality.

ps
again, that national cousine thing really cackles me.

pps
to author - i actually thing that you write this more as a *game*, i dont think you are stupid enough to give shit like this seriously. good game, what can i say.

буагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагагаггагагаг

IGOR:

You're the liar.

Why don't you mention the fact that Russia didn't even make FIFA this year. Even America made it! Russia didn't even medal in ice hockey when the world championships were last held in Russia, in Piter.

You don't point out a single fact error in this entire blog or give any source material of your own. In other words, you're a classic Russophile failure, just the kind of person who is destroying Russia utterly. You sound just like a Soviet man.

You are asking why Russia didn't even medal in ice hockey this year and I remember a queue in Canadian ambassy - half of the guys were 16-18 yr old Russian ice-hockey players leaving the country for professional career. You would say 'they choose America' but I would say 'they choose monies'. You would say 'Russia pays slave money to its ice-hockey players / professors / etc' and I would say 'America built that ugly pop-art pyramide where minorities dealing with advertizing biz (yes yes! ads in hockey/football tv shows pays for all) earn money worth of the whole counties in Russia'. And then you say we are inefficient. The truth is that you (USA) print your bucks when you need to pay someone - how many trillions is national debt in US? And Russia does not print its currency (well it pumps natural resources out of its soil which is shame). That's why when there is a earthquake somewhere on Earth USA pays monies (prints them) but makes it bound only to buying goods in US for this financial help. Russia just packs several airplanes with medicines, blankets, tents and foods. If you calc the price of these goods in local currency and convert into Dollars you'll get far going reasons to compare charities.

Again: you print your monies and buy the best people from all over the world. Why nobody buys Americans after all?

SERGEY:

It's really sad that after so many decades of dismal failure Russians still haven't learned that you can't defend Russia by attacking other countries. That is what they tried in Soviet times, and now the USSR no longer exists, yet you are still doing it. You can't give a rational defense of Russia because there is none, so you just attack America like a little boy.

What's more, your facts aren't even correct, just as in Soviet times. You can't make a nation of lies and illusions, you will just destroy yourselves. For your information, when the World Champsionships were held in Russia (St. Petersburg) in 2000 NEITHER THE UNITED STATES NOR CANADA TOOK A MEDAL. The three medals went to Czech Republic, Slovakia and Finland. American money had nothing to do with it, only Russian failure, and the same is true of your comment to this post, you ignorant baboon.

Wake up before it is too late a second time.

I don't know what is 'baboon' so I don't care about your politeness. If you can't even put up simple logic why the country that is loosing its best sportsmen could not take a medal, no matter who won - Finland or Canada, how can you judge the whole nation. If you loose 90% of best sportsmen in 5 years, next 5-10 years your country won't be able to win world championships. It does not matter where exactly they quit - they are just not here because someone offered them more money. And I blame only these people (sportsmen) not America, and I can't even blame them. They just used the opportunity to earn more. Modern sports is just another branch of show business where huge bucks are distributed among players, so medals are not at all a good sign of quality of a nation.

Since we focused on your sports reason to hate Russians, let me tell you my yesterdays impressions. My two kids go for swimming and I drive them to the pool at weekends. Every other weekend there are different entry level championships in the sports hall where the pool is. Last Saturday it was dance contest, a week before - carate contest. Intensive sports activity goes on morning till evening, 7 days a week. This is to contradict to your lies about Russians being to sports like oil to water.

A question to you: what rusophobes hate - Russia as a country or Russians as a nation? Or both like you do?

SERGEY:

BABOON = павиан

If you want to see one, just look in any mirror that is handy.

Czech Republic, Slovakia and Finland have all lost players to the NHL. But there is NOTHING stopping such players from coming home to play for the national team when the World Champsionships arrive.

All you can do is make excuses for failure. That is what Russia has been doing since it began and that is why Russia will soon cease to exist.

I'm glad to know that your children go in for sports. But it won't do them much good when the are arrested and thrown into a neo-Soviet Gulag, will it? You look out for your children the way a wolf looks out for sheep, dooming them to future of black misery.

Russophobes don't hate Russia, they love it and try to save it. Just like Solzhenitsyn. It's RUSSOPHILES who hate Russia and try to destroy it, by preventing reform.

Why did Russia call Solzhenitsyn a "traitor" and throw him into a Gulag then kick him out of the country? Because he DARED TO CRITICIZE RUSSIA. Why did he do it? Because HE WANTED RUSSIA TO IMPROVE. And how did Russians react? They reacted to him EXACTLY the way you react to me, like a primitive man seeing a match being struck.

Russians can only see criticism as "Russophobia" and try to kill the critic. They can't reform. That's why Russia is doomed.

La Rusofobka:

I will never understand why you called me a baboon and what's wrong with me and other baboons. Maybe all baboons are Russians? So I tell you in baboon language: Solzhenitzin criticized USSR not Russia. USSR ended up 15 years ago. Solzhenitzin is now living in Russia and welcomes most of Putin's politics, and Putin uses Solzhenitzin's latest articles as a basis for his speeches (сбережение нации for e.g.) I am not Putin's fun. But you mentioned Solzhenitzin and I clarified not for you but for your readers. You seem to know everything about Russia and baboon language so I can't say anything new to you. Thank you for nice words about my children - this kind of arguments is what exceptionally well demonstrates your mental disability. Don't bother to reply - I won't ever come back to your blog. But if I see you some day I'll buy Polonium at eBay and serve you a sushi. You will die slowly and every newspaper will print your hairless face. At least all your readers will know how you looked like.

LaRa, ty gde zhila v Rossii?

I wouldn't be surprized if LaRa and her family were bitter Soviet Jews - the whole Jewish family runs the blog!! Morons!

Change "z" in suprised to the capital "Z"....

GREG in San Franscisco sends this comment by e-mail:

Hi LaR!

Just came across your blog.

Here are my comments on some of your 10 (Now 23) reason to be a Russophobe:

10: I don't know what it's called but my friend Rosa in St. Petersburg makes a chicken and dumpling dish that's out of this world. The babushki really can cook. Also next time you're in St. P. try "Cat" Georgian restaurant on Stremyanna.

9: True in a lot of cases. However every time I've been there the average Person-on-the-Street has, in spite of my half assed broken Russian, helped me out.

8: True, but organizations like AFEW and Humanitarian Action recognize how bad things are & are trying to do something about it.

7: On my first trip there in '84, customer service didn't exist. ("They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work") every trip back there since then it's gotten better. McDonald's in Moscow in '92 was pretty much still Soviet in style. Today, the McD's on Kazan is as friendly and efficient as one here in SF - Take a GOOD look at Russian youth next time you're there.

7: I'm not a sports fan, but, Dynamo looked pretty good to me last game I went to in '98.

5: Putin is bad for Russia and the world. Prof. Steven Cohen thinks we were all better off with Comrade Chernenko or that Gorby would have reformed the Communist state. You agree?

4: Which Russians? My friends are all pretty mellow. As for sexy - the straight guys and lesbians I know there are still bonkers for Oxana Federova.

3: Some parts of Russia - Karelia comes to mind - have tremendous tourist potential. I think the trend is up. Oh - I think most of the world - Including Russians admire rather, than loath, the US.

2: Er ... ah ... like other countries aren't .. think Iraq.

1: Again - Which Russia(ns)? I do note that most of my Russian friends who are divorced work w/ their former spouses for the kid's sake than a lot of Americans.

And now for some of the updates:

11: Hey - I agree. No way I'd drive in St. P.

16: Huh?? My experience in both Moscow / St. P. and the provinces has been a that a LOT of Russians speak at least a little English.

20: No kidding! Hey, it's a second world country. Also - the number of decent public restrooms is increasing and the TP shortage seems to be finally over (Didn't have to use my back up roll once last trip).

22: I agree - See my article in JRL # 7435 24 Nov. 03 "Russia's Infrastructure Crisis."

23: I'll add that: Most of my women colleagues I go there with find Russian men unattractive. All of us guys, however, agree that Russian women are absolutely beautiful.

Snoven Godom

Greg in San Francisco

GREG:

Thanks for the comments!

10. Just beause a dish is made by a Russian doesn't make it a Russian dish. I make pizza all the time but that doesn't make me Italian.

7. I'd look pretty good playing basketball against my six-year-old niece, but that don't make me Air Jordon.

5. I think we'd all be better off without Prof. Steven Cohen.

16. Speaking a little English is like being a little pregnant.

20. Tell that to the Russians and ask them to resign from the G-8.

22. The JRL sucks.

23. Do you mean because of their physical features, or their disgusting habits (smoking, drinkinig, not bathing, not brushing teeth, etc.) or both?

-:))) This is the funniest and most provocative blog on Russia. Its marvelous and marvelously shitty at the same time. Only something related to Russia can stink like this. I envy you for having such a good time, though. A person who can find an outlet for all of his hatred is bound to live a long happy life.
I would like to think I know Russia and Russians a bit. Russians are perhaps the only people who can never take any criticism of anything or anyone Russian, even as a joke, especially as a joke, from an outsider. It has taken me a while to understand why - because Russians basically hate themselves and their country. They can not accept that fact that they have lost it all despite all the enormous sacrifices they have been making as people for false ideas and fake greatness.And I think they know they are lazy drunk scoundrels who sell their women, beat their wives, drink, catch disease and die like sewage rats. I hate a lot of what you say and you are a bitch for saying it but every bitch has a right to its demented life too. And dont we all like to sniff a bitch's back side!
Keep it going. Do not let anyone tell you a Russphobe does not have a right to existance.

Shut the fuck up about hockey, no one asked you. The rest of it, fine, whatever, have your opinion.

BRHIMBERGER: Are you saying you think the Russian hockey team is doing well? If so, what's your evidence? If Russia was a successful state, wouldn't it be able to keep its talented players at home rather than losing them to the USA?

hockeyhockeyhockeyhockeyhockeyhockey
hockeyhockeyhockeyhockeyhockeyhockey

I'll say what I like on my blog ;)

METAC: Lots people hated what Anna Politkovskaya said too, and Solzhenitsyn. Were they "bitches"? Quite often, that thing people hate most to hear is the one thing above all else that they absolutely must here. Quite often, people simply cannot stand the sound of truth.

So you are comparing yourself to Solzhenitsyn and Politkovskaya now? But I guess you hate them too because they are Russians. You hate Russians because you want to be like them. You wish you could be like Politkovskaya. She was a brave hero. And that is because she had guts of a Russian. Same Russians who beat Hitler. But more than anything else you are a self-loathing bitch and you must have done some loathsome things in your life and Russians must have kicked you on your ankles when you were lying stoned in some ditch to have have so much hatred for yourself. Or may be Mark Ames pissed on your face and does not even remember he did it to you.
I am sorry, you cannot be a Russian. You can only be a bitch. Russian women are too good for you.

ODESSAAPTS:

I'm sorry to hear you think it's "funny" to learn that 1 Russian man kills his wife every 40 minutes and one Russian person commits suicide every 10 minutes.

I'm sorry you think it's funny that 1 million people are lost from the Russian population every year, and that Russians work for an average wage of $2.50 an hour.

I'm sorry you don't have a blog visited by nearly 400 people every day and with more Technorati links from blogs than any other blog of its kind in the world.

And most of all I'm sorry to see you're such a propagandizing liar. The fact that Russia has more medals per capita than America in the Olympics means nothing. Many so-called "Russian" athletes are in fact not Slavic but people from other nationalities that Slavic Russians regularly kill on the streets. If you are comforted by higher per capita medal production while still losing the overall race to America and being humiliated in soccer and ice hockey, the national sports, then you are a classic russophile moron.

NONE:

You are a really amazing hypocrite! You complain that we call you idiot instead of addressing your arguments respectfully, and say we only imagine we receive obscene comments, then you use the word "bullshit." You're a classic Russophile maniac!

By the way, your comment proves that we were right to ignore the issue of the Olympics and focus on Russia's failures in World Cup hockey and soccer and on the tennis court. We didn't raise the issue of the Olympics, ODESSAPTS did. Try to read a bit more carefully next time, can't you dear? And if you use profanity again, your comment won't be posted. That's our rule.

This is what I don't understand.

If it weren't for Russia, you, dear La Russophobe, and all your overweight Big Mac-gubbling relatives, would probably be speaking German right now.

Why don't you go like, I dunno, win a World War first, have 25 million of your people die for world freedom, and then open your mouth.

ANONYMOUS:

This is what we don't understand.

Why do you call yourself "anonymous" when we specifically asked you not to?

How do you consider the USSR to have "won" World War II when it LOST 25 million people and whole cities like Stalingrad, and when a few decades after that the country ceased to exist? Isn't your definition of "victory" a bit to generous?

Do you really think that your accusations about us being fat Americans are likely to change our minds and cause us to agree with you? Are you that enormous a moron?

Russophobe:

Any statistics on child abuse? As I remember, child-beating (beating, not spanking, if there is a difference) was considered a normal part of upbringing. I think it's an omission on your part that you didn't discuss it.

Regards,

R.

i don't read much but i must say i enjoyed these blog entries. La Russuphobe you sure have your way with words. Well educated in your language and ability to express urself well including ability to tell back. and i admire that. and so did Steromind along with many other who contributed. what interests me mostly isn't the subject matters covered but how each of you interacted with one another. La russuphobe started discussion that points to negative elements of what she calls russia, there were ppl who disliked her "arrogance" tried to defend against it. people then started freely expressing what they disliked. it was symphony of insults opinions defenses criticisms all those that make up a reality of those whom contributed to this blog. in the bigger scheme of things these are small voices and nothing will make change. world as we see will never change. when we grow old and die world will still continue with many faces and charactoristics. in the end, the most ferverent will suffer deepest heart attacks and leave remnants of it's racy retoric to others like rippled plague. mend your fear against what isn't your world and start embracing different worlds with kindship.

Russians are cold people. All russian, what I met sayes the same 3 jockes from 2 old russian comedies;)

They sometimes call themselves europeans, but if russians call europeans - romanians blacks, then they clearly isn't europeans.

INHO russian is the most hardest langue for europeans to learn. Russian is very long langue and with 3 sh sounds and 2 zh sounds;) For example, if I'll translate this sentence in russian, it will be by at least 1/3 longer.

I like russina visual art, some they songs, but not they mentality.

One more reason LR to be a Russophobe:

I would add: russians are xenophobs. There are popular wievs, that all Russia problems are from 'jews and other blacks'. These other blacks mostly are emigrants from caucasus.

These feelings are supported by Kremlin.

great blog !

I have taken people from from six different ethnic backgrounds to a small ukrainian restaurant close to the campus of New York University. All but one person (Chinese. as in, real Chinese - not an immigrant.) loved what i ordered for them.

Russian food isn't your thing. Alright. But it is still loved by many; sweeping generalisations are to be expected from kids - but since you're asserting your opinions as though you a major authority on Russia, you may want to be a little cautious.

While we're on the general topic of food - you've mentioned that after a thousand years Russia still doesn't even have a national cuisine. Neither does China - there's no one Chinese cuisine. No large country can have a national cuisine because the different ethnic groups which make it up all have very different variations on the same general theme. Point me to one purely American restaurant in all of New York and i will build a monument to your greatness.

At least general observations can be made about Russian and Chinese cuisines. American food is... what, burgers? Buffalo wings? They are but culinary babysteps on the road the country you're so proud of has to travel before its cuisine matures the way local cuisines have for most of the world centuries ago.

I've grown up moving from country to country. I'm living in London now, am moving to Tokyo in April. Hong Kond some time thereafter, then most likely Dubai. What draws me to new places is culture, as characterised by the general mindsets of people in any given country. You can make sweeping generalisations about Russia - how we're inefficient and lazy. Etc etc. Though you're only choosing to look at the negatives, you're still implicitly acknowledging that there is a distinct culture, a distinct national character. And personally, i have found a lot to appreciate in it; plenty of new ways to derive pleasure from life. Just as i have with Japan and the Emirates and the Czech Republic... Egypt, Germany, Korea... the list goes on for quite a bit.

The point i'm making is that although there are and will always be more negatives for people like you to point out in Russia, there are also innumerable positives, of which at least a couple make it (and much of the rest of the world) superior to America.

Yes, America has been the dominant economic power for most of the previous century. But its reign is at an end - as a banking strategist, i'm drawing this conclusion from the full knowledge base of one of the biggest financial institutions in the world. It is still just a personal opinion and i'm sure you'll ridicule it the same way you've ridiculed every other piece of criticism on this page BUT the simple truth of the matter is that America is now in the middle of the age of decadent decay that has preceded the collapse of all great nations. Your opinions, borne out of the arrogance to be expected in this age, are as much an echo of the collapse of Soviet ideology as they are an ironic hint as to why and how America will fall.

Once it does, i doubt tourism to Disneyland and Hollywood will remain at its current levels. And arrogance will give way to all-out hate - as it did in Russia. Your blog would get even more hits (if it's still running) and you would have great reason to revel in your superiority...

... even as Russian reality becomes yours.

p.s. do get a job. national welfare systems tend to be among the first things to go.

MARIS: Thanks!

ALEXEY,

No offense intended, but your comment is completely psychotic. Let me count the ways:

(1) Do you seriously think the tone and content of your comment would be likely to change my mind? If not, you're guilty of EXACTLY what you accuse me of.

(2) A UKRAINIAN restaurant serves UKRAINIAN food, not Russian. Try to think a bit before you post.

(3) Did it ever occur to your feeble little mind that your friends might have been lying to out of politeness? Did they ever go back to the place on their own? I never said people who like Russian food can't be found. I said that there are extremely few Russian restaurants in NYC despite a vast Russian population because the vast majority of people hate Russian food. And the critics agree. You cite no evidence to the contrary, in the typical style of an ignorant Russophile.

(4) If George steals Mike's wallet, does that mean it's OK for Mike to steal Pat's? Only if you're a psychotic neo-Soviet Russophile, I guess. The fact that you can't get past justifing Russian failure by pointing to the failure of other countries explains why Russians work for $2.50 an hour on average and Russian men don't live to 60. If you choose to ignore those faults and focus on the positive, you are more dangerous to Russia than any foreign enemy.

(5) Some people "only chose to look at the negatives" of Stalin. If we'd listened to those people (instead of apes like you) then millions of innocent lives would have been saved.

(6) Would you like to bet money on America losing its leading role and being replaced by Russia? If so, how much can you afford to lose? I will cover your action.

(7) I have a job, you lying freakish loser. You, on the other hand, are the one with a blog Technorati has never heard of. Jealous honey? Are you just to busy flipping hamburgers that you don't have time to make a real blog? BTW, I dont' see to many positive facts about Russia on your blog, you might want to attend to that. Not that anybody will read them, of course, but it might make you look like less of a hyporcrite.

(8) It's really sad that instead of admitting Russia has a problem with food and looking for ways to improve, you choose to rationalize Russia's failure. That's what destroyed the USSR, and it will destroy Russia just as surely. I pity you.

A little cranky, aren't we?

(1-4)

You may want to brush up on your history, Madame. Ukraine has historically been either part of Russia or closely related to it. Kiev used to be the Russian capital. To this day all Ukrainians (except for hardcore nationalist grannies in little villages) speak Russian. The cuisines are quite a bit more than a little similar.

And i think i can tell whether or not people i've known for four years are lying. By the way, your wonderful response made no mention of any purely American restaurant; come on, Madame - surely the country you're so proud of succeeded where Russia apparently proved to be inferior and failed.

(5)

You mention Stalin and how his removal from power would have kept millions of people alive. About 30 million people, to be precise. But if Stalin had not had the chance to force Russia forward in terms of industrial development, Hitler would have succeeded in conquering Russia in his initial blitzkrieg - as he was planning to. While America waited on the sidelines, cowering, Russia maintained a solid front against a military power which had crushed most of Europe. We soaked the earth with our blood, and for you to now insult it - to insult that sacrifice...

Hate Russia all you like, but the EU would have been formed under the Nazi banner if not for it.

(6)

I didn't say Russian would take the leading role. Just that America will lose it. Is losing it. If that's so difficult to believe for you, pick up the WSJ or FT one of these days.

(7)

I don't care about Technorati - i have friends to confirm my self-worth. The fact you need web hits to compensate for that quite frankly makes me pity you. And as for flipping burgers... where do you work, exactly? Deutsche? Goldman? UBS? We won Risk magazine's 2007 Derivatives Research House of the Year Award. What's your claim to professional fame?

(8)

Ah, so you do acknowledge the presence of some little shred of rationality in my little spiel. I am flattered, really.

Dear emigrants, if Russia is so nice, why you leaved it for 'rotten western countries'?

10 Russian cuisine is wretched.
---
There is some nice cuisine in Russia, like bolgarian kefir, caucasian shashlik or central asian plov;) And russian pickled cucumbers. But this isn't for restoraunts.

9 Russians are greedy and arrogant.
---
It is. Russians are very greedy. For example russian oil billionere (oligarh) Roman Abramovich vasted hudge millions on english football club Chelsea and top players, but nothing to charity.

7 Russians are lazy and inefficient.
---
There exist russian saying (and believe) that all russian are idlers and drinkers: "все русские, сплош алкоголики и леньтяи", but it isn't throu. Throught many russians are forced to work long hours couse work effectivity is low. For employers in Russia it is more easy to find some imigrants from СНГ and province, than spend money for new tehnologies and education.

6 Sports and Russia are like oil and water.
---
And allways it is fault of referees;) Throught russian oil billionares put great money in football and hockey clubs.

5 Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
---
I love russian talks, that Putin do all right, but problems are becouse of bad ministers, deputies and bureaucats. Good tsar but bad bayars (Хороший батьюшка царь, плохие баяры). Still Putin is more liberal than most of russians. Clerly Putin have talent. When ordinary russian folks sees Putin on TV, all thinks that Putin understands them, cares about them and actualy are one of them (unlike these bad bayars - officials).

4 Russians are crazed authoritarians.
---
Yes. Many russians more than Putin themself, wants Putin 3rd term. Many are woried, what would they do without Putin. Есть ли жизнь после Путина;) All with no initiative, wants to stern hand to guide them.
But Russia don't have thousand years of history. 1000 years have Kiev Rus, country with the same capital as modern day Ukraine, and most of its teritory in Ukrain and Belorus. When tsar Peter 1, changed his state name from Muskowy (which him tought as backwards) to Russia his state started to have 1000 years of history;)

3 Nobody likes Russia.
---
Just who knows Russia well, don't like it;) From side it even could look nice. So the worst relations with Russia have with it's closest neighbours. Russians can talk about 'brother slavs' but all slavs despite them.

2 Russia is insanely aggressive and militaristic.
---
Iran have elected president;)
Most of russians try to avoid service in army. Some half-year ago all TV chanels showed that after hours of beating in army, medics amputated recruit's legs and 'other important organs'.
Just try search for "рядовой Сычов". After minute of search (yandex.ru) I found:
http://www.newsru.com/russia/26jan2006/deda.html
-----------------
Подробности дикого инцидента в Челябинском танковом училище, когда из-за издевательств "дедов" рядовому Андрею Сычеву пришлось ампутировать обе ноги и половые органы, становятся достоянием общественности. Пьяные "деды" заставляли рядового батальона обеспечения Сычева "делать стульчик" и "смотреть телевизор". Информацию о том, что его насиловали, военные пытаются скрыть всеми средствами. А министр обороны Иванов "ничего не знал". Будучи "высоко в горах", он самонадеянно заявил, что если ничего не доложили, значит, не произошло ничего существенного.
-----------------

1 Russia hates families, especially women and children.
---
IMHO most of those kills are in alkoholics families.
But it seems, most of women don't like russians. Many russian females in soviet times emigrated to arab countries, now they emigrate to both Europe and arab countries.

#11 35,000 people are killed on Russia's highways every year.
---
I would not recomend to fly with russian aeroplanes, exept Aaeroflot. They are even more dangerous than russian highways.

#12 Russia is literally going extinct;
:)

#14 divorce
---
I don't see something bad in that.

#16 Russians are horrible at foreign languages.
---
It is even suprising, how they are horrible. If one living some 15 years in different country, can't learn langue, they must seek some specialists not teachers.

Throught the most important reason to be a russophobe would be russian xenophobia. One of few russian words which made they whey in english are vodka and pogrom.

to stereomind:
About Bush... please read this:
SEEING THE UNSEEN
http://russophobe.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-is-lr-russophobe-why-arent-you.html

мдааа, нарочно не придумаешь. глубокая клиника. паноптикум. ей там, наверно, ужасно одиноко, раз она столько злобы на нас изливает. доктора, доктора сюда, срочно!

Вниманию всех россиян, русских, русскоязычных, вообще всех тех, кому небезразлично то, что стоит за словом русский, и кого задевает, раздражает, оскорбляет эта писанина. Не расстраивайтесь. Так задумано, этот блог ведется вовсе не для того, чтобы “спасти Россию от советизма”. Это всего лишь еще одно средство информационной войны. Они ведь не могут больше официально заявить, что Россия, мол, газ продает не тем и дружит не с теми, а потому давайте-ка ее совсем добьем, пока не одыбалась. Вот и создаются, как бы невзначай, статьи о вечно пьяных русских, да репортажи о непрерывных катастрофах в России.

И теперь вот это... Хоть убейте, ни за что не поверю, что у одной, пусть даже самой одержимой любительницы русского тенниса найдется столько злобы, изобретательности, да просто времени, чтобы содержать эту агитку в лучших традициях геббельсовской пропаганды.

Одно хорошее подтверждение моих слов - любые попытки наладить содержательный диалог, обсудить реальные проблемы российской и американской политики, методично отметаются. Конструктивная критика регулярно вымарывается, остаются лишь жалкие попытки самооправдаться...

Они ведь так открыто и заявляют - это ловушка для русофилов, то есть для тех, кто любит Россию. Если вы расстроились, значит ловушка сработала. Поэтому лучшее средство защиты - забвение. Давайте будем выше той грязи, которую на нас здесь льют. Всего вам хорошего!

I see you have censored out my other comment. Good job, you are getting better at propaganda war. I'm not expecting that you will let this one through either, so consider it a personal message. I don't think you realize that instead of creating a negative image of Russia you are achieving exactly the opposite effect - further undermining the already poor image of your own country. You Americans keep forgetting about Newton's second law, also known as the law of karma - any action equals its counter-action. You think 'We are strong, let's hit 'em hard, and rule the world!' But there's always blowback. It's only natural that you get hatred for hatred, violence in response to your violence. Currently I am working on translating the works of Noam Chomsky and Chalmers Johnson into Russian and Chinese - more people should know THE TRUTH about your country.
www.americanempireproject.com
www.warcrimeswatch.org

Russky: Although I don't agree with all the items or all the observations on Russophobe's list, your comment illustrates yet another reason to be a russophobe: a mentality obsessed with conspiracy theories. Whenever, whereever someone says something negative about Russia -- why, some bad-ass, enormous, bulbous, billion-member world-wide conspiracy must surely be behind it. Because: Why would anyone possibly dislike Russia unless they were paid to?

Wow, what a racist site this is. And no doubt, it IS racist. Go on, I dare you to make a blog called "La Antisemite" and see the reaction you get.

> your comment illustrates yet another reason to be a russophobe: a mentality obsessed with conspiracy theories. Whenever, whereever someone says something negative about Russia -- why, some bad-ass, enormous, bulbous, billion-member world-wide conspiracy must surely be behind it.

But of course, noone ever tries to harm Russia and insult her citizens:
http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060710&s=cohen

Guys: Its much simpler than what you all think. This woman's real name is Claire. She spent time in Moscow and tried dating a number of Russian men. She got kicked around a bit and then she tried with some American expats in Moscow. No one paid her any attention and one night she threw herself at Mark Ames who was dead drunk but not pissed enough to sleep with am American. The rejection and frustration have been building up and you can all see that her hatred has turned her into a compulsive obsessive maniac. This woman spends more than 5-6 hours a day posting on this stupid blog and then goes to other blogs to post comments so people will notice her.
She is desperate for attention. All this time she lives on junk food and has become obese. She has not had sex in two years and she has pictures of Mark Ames and Limonov all over her wall.
Please do not hate her. She is really sick and pathetic.

"But of course, noone ever tries to harm Russia and insult her citizens:
http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060710&s=cohen"

Of course, everyone is always trying to harm Russia and insult her citizens. In fact, Russia has been under attack throughout its history from everyone from the Jews (naturally) and the Livonian knights to the Jews (naturally) and the Americans today. Anything that's wrong with Russia (if anything) is never Russia's or Russian's fault; it's always the fault of Tartars, Germans, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseam. It's as if Russia was unconscious for 1500 years, while this or that enemy was having its way with her. So many peoples and countries have apparently existed for no other reason than to harm Russia, it kinda makes you wonder. In any event, if only about 95% of the Earth's population suddenly evaporated or something, life in Russia would become a regular malina.

It's Tatars, not Tartars - tartar is in your mouth you stupid.

Germans have never attacked Russia - Russians have made it all up.

Cut the shit, I'm sick of this delirium. Do you have anything to say on the article? Or you think Mr. Cohen is Putin's secret agent?

Why do you think everybody outside your CNN-brainwashed world hates the USofA, while Russia-haters turn out to be compulsive obsessive maniacs?

"Go on, I dare you to make a blog called "La Antisemite" and see the reaction you get."

Rest assured, there are plenty of anti-semitic sites on the Internet. In fact, I'd venture a guess they far, far outnumber the russophobic ones; and I doubt there are any sites calling for outright extermination of Russians to match those that call for the extermination of Jews.

"It's Tatars, not Tartars - tartar is in your mouth you stupid."

Calm down, spelling Nazi. Throwing "stupids" around is a more or less persuasive argumentation when preaching to the choire, but one who fancies himself a Platonic logician should never fall so low.

"Germans have never attacked Russia - Russians have made it all up."

Perhaps. But whereever there is a leaky toilet in Russia, it is the Germans' fault, for sure. Or the Americans'. In any event, vo vsem vinovaty evrei i velosipedisty.

"Why do you think everybody outside your CNN-brainwashed world hates the USofA, while Russia-haters turn out to be compulsive obsessive maniacs?"

Okay, so your assumptions are: (1) the world which relies on lenta.ru for its news is NOT brainwashed.

(2) attitude towards the US is the lithmus test which distinguishes between a fine news source and "propaganda".

(3) there is no such thing as mass hysteria in Russia (of course not).

(4) you have a supernatural power of clairvoyance which entitles you to make sweeping generalizations about MY world. For your information I don't watch or read CNN -- which is another reason for you to hate ME, o enlightened one.

(5) you speak for the world.

Now to answer your question: everybody in that "world" you defined hates the USA because "everybody" is an non-obsessive, reasonable, level-headed intellectual. After all, how can anyone who HATES can possibly be obsessive? :)

"Do you have anything to say on the article?"

The article speaks for itself. Whether or not I agree with the author's ultimate conclusions is neither here nor there. His is just one name in a million.

"Or you think Mr. Cohen is Putin's secret agent?"

As I previously indicated, I adhere to a school whose principles pretty much rule out conspiracy theories. However, the mere fact that Mr. Cohen is not Putin's secret agent does not make him right. It may seem totally crazy in Russia in light of the country's history, but the authorities -- their sponsorship or lack thereof -- do not always shape people's ideas.

Claire/Kim/lar:
Why did you start calling yourself "Anonymous"? To create an illusion that there are scores of "Inquiring Questioners" around here?

> Calm down, spelling Nazi.
You're the only Nazi here. "Russian is not a race, it is a nationality. Therefore, hating Russians is not racism."
Of course, it's just Nazism.

> However, the mere fact that Mr. Cohen is not Putin's secret agent does not make him right.
Sure. Cohen is not right, therefore he is wrong. Ironclad logic. It's easy to deny things without understanding them - just close your eyes and you can't see them any more. Tell me which part of the article is wrong, and WHY it is wrong:
... The extraordinarily anti-Russian nature of these policies casts serious doubt on two American official and media axioms: that the recent "chill" in US-Russian relations has been caused by Putin's behavior at home and abroad, and that the cold war ended fifteen years ago. The first axiom is false, the second only half true: The cold war ended in Moscow, but not in Washington, as is clear from a brief look back.

... As a result, in December 1989, at a historic summit meeting at Malta, Gorbachev and Bush declared the cold war over.

... The real US policy has been very different--a relentless, winner-take-all exploitation of Russia's post-1991 weakness.

... A growing military encirclement of Russia, on and near its borders, by US and NATO bases.

... A tacit (and closely related) US denial that Russia has any legitimate national interests outside its own territory.

... Even more, a presumption that Russia does not have full sovereignty within its own borders.

... Underpinning these components of the real US policy are familiar cold war double standards condemning Moscow for doing what Washington does.

... Finally, the United States is attempting, by exploiting Russia's weakness, to acquire the nuclear superiority it could not achieve during the Soviet era.

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060710&s=cohen

Great article.

Soviet fascist crimes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1wBk4NakqU&mode=related&search=

> Soviet fascist crimes: ...
And so how many people have those "Soviet fascists" killed out there? Now think about how many people get killed by US cops every single day. How about US occupation armies?

>"It's Tatars, not Tartars - tartar is in your mouth you stupid."
Calm down, spelling Nazi. Throwing "stupids" around is a more or less persuasive argumentation when preaching to the choire, but one who fancies himself a Platonic logician should never fall so low.

That once again demonstrates the US arrogant ignorance of the world outside its borders. Can you find Japan on the map? Do you know where Paris is located? Not Paris Hilton YOU STUPID!

I agree with this site in 100%. Im russian, but I started to have a fear to prolong living in Russia. There is no freedom, no democracy, no safety anymore...Eltsin gave us opportunity to "smell" a bit freedom and happiness. That was a great time from 1985 untill 1999..Now russian people are pushed to go back to their "soviet reality" full of fear, lack of freedom etc..
Im running away of this country because IM HUMAN BEING who wants to have LIFE and STABILITY..I do not want my family shiver every time our phone rings. I do not want myself to answer stupid questions of FSB people crossing the border every time Im going for vacation..I do not want to be arrested for nothing and tortured with compiling the fake case against me.. I do not want to spend the rest of my life in the concentration camp like GULAG..I was not created by Russian government but by the God, so why should I have fear to die from the hand of Kremlin people.. They do not have rights over my life..

By Mikhail:

mrizhanskii@yahoo.com

I am glad I found your Blog.
Am Jewish, my father spent 1941-1944 in the Riga ghetto (Latvia) and was liberated from a Nazi concentration camp in 1944 by the Soviet Army. I consider the actions of Estonia part and parcel of West' efforts of depriving Russia of the proudest memory of being (once again) victorious in the Great Patriotic War. Born in Riga and studied in Leningrad.

I love Russia and all things Russian and am happy to see Russia ascending despite the destruction of the post-Soviet era. I also consider the dismemberment of the Soviet Union the largest geopolitical catastrophe of modernity. The world was safer then and our country (USA) would have not become the modern Evil empire, warmongering, aggressive, with hate of all people weak and misfortunate (with the exception of those that are pro-and per-Western). It is good to know my enemy and for that I thank you.

You can send your hate mail (in Russian as well) to mrizhanskii@yahoo.com.

10

I don’t understand the point. So what? In Italy it’s full of Chinese people and Chinese restaurants, and many Italians absolutely hate Chinese food, yet these restaurants still work. Anyway, does the fact that Chinese cuisine represented by the large Chinese diaspora in Italy is not appreciated by Italians demonstrate that Chinese cuisine is in some way ugly? I don’t get the logic. If YOU don’t like it, it doesn’t mean that it’s objectively disgusting/ugly or whatever. You bragged all the time about that you publish facts. I don’t see facts in this point which could have a universal value.

9

What is this supposed to mean? As someone else said it before, most common Russian people barely earn enough money to support their respective families, many of them should get aid as it happens for instance in the case of Everychild, an organisation which I volunteered for, which tries to prevent separation between children and parents in 17 countries of the world, and in Russia as well, by providing in many cases financial aid. Instead of bragging about Technorati, since people could never care less of your virtual successes, why don’t you go and volunteer for some charity (yeah, volunteer, no money paid for your work), maybe for one which is trying to help common Russians? But unfortunately you hate them. Even common people, as far as I could understand. By the way, I don’t see all these serious sources in point no.9. Yeah, super – rich Sharapova is extremely representative of every single Russian person out there…By the way, you still poorly tried to support your “Russians are greedy case”, but where is the arrogant element?

8

You said you lived many years in Russia, yet you don’t seem to have grasped the mentality and anything has been going on there. First of all, Putin’s popularity is not that much you accredit him, and it wasn’t even that much when you wrote your point. First of all because many Russians (and they are a lot) whom I know and spoke to are disappointed of him. Yet they say he’s still better than Eltsin was. Indeed, the anonymous guy stating that he had fun from 1985 to 1999 must have been probably you ! No single Russian common person, and by common I mean those who don’t have millions of petro and gas dollars, could have fun in 1998, when the still weak middle class found itself to be poor again and the poor absolutely poor. Even many rich businessmen, who weren’t “smart” enough to keep all of their money in hard currency banks abroad, suffered great financial losses. You want a source? Well I spend my time socialising with people in the real world, not sitting in front of a monitor and exciting about Technorati ratings. So if you take my word on it, it’s fine, otherwise I couldn’t care less. Anyway, common people oppressed by the everyday quest to survive can see at least in Putin someone who “it seems” is trying to put order in the country, though, as I said, many of them are disappointed with this regard. In Eltsin’s times, people simply were afraid of living their homes after dusk, now they’re a bit less. By the way I noticed that you don’t like if people respond to your criticisms by criticising the US, but why do you make comparisons between the US and Russia in the first place (in your references for instance)? Are you maybe trying to establish American superiority over Russia? What for? Well, if that makes you happy, than be it. Oh yes, I don’t see why the whole Russian nation should be hated without compromises in this point. Who told you a family who has and alcoholic doesn’t care about him/her in Russia? Or do your sources prove that actually it doesn’t?

7

The article you linked doesn’t at all prove that every single Russian person is lazy. Ever heard of “labour heroes” for instance? By the way, do you know where the expression “stakhanovist” comes from? But let’s leave the past alone. I know many people in Russia who are actually working 24 HOURS, 4 days a week (I don’t even understand how the heck they manage to) and they sleep 24 hours the other three. And that’s they regular way of working, not an exception. Why do they work like this? Well they’ll work in any way, the important thing is to work and send children to school, so don’t talk me about laziness. You want sources? Sorry to disappoint you again, I DO NOT base my words on sterile information gathered here and there on the net, I meet people in their everyday life. As someone else said, if a person in Russia gets underpaid for working hard, it doesn’t mean that that person is lazy. So much about the low GDP. By the way, much of Russian oil, gas, coal, diamonds, gold, silver, copper, aluminium and other natural resources is in private hands, consequently to the rabid privatisation permitted by good President Eltsin. So they shouldn’t be considered as national wealth.

6

When I first saw this, I definitely lost any respect for the author of this entry. So, if a Nation isn’t doing well in sports because of enormous internal problems, let alone the external pressures, it is a horrendous nation to be hated. Well, that’s infallible logic, what can I say… As far as I know, the Holy See has no national sports delegation, so, according to your logic, the whole world should hate it. Congratulations!

5

On this point I would have said Eltsin.

4

Yeah, ok, fine. 1600 people out of 150 million are very representative. The poll was carried out in 128 towns. If maths doesn’t deceit, it’s an average 12,5 persons per town. If the 18% of these 12,5 would support Zhirinovsky, that means an average 2,25 persons per town. To sum up, you’re basing your hatred on a total of 288 persons preferring Zhirinovsky out of 150 million. Because you don’t know what the remaining 149,999,712 think, right? And what about “the sexiest man”? 33%. That doesn’t seem the majority for me, since it’s anyway 528 persons or an average of 4,125 persons per town. What about the rest? Do you know the opinion of every single Russian in order to judge and hate every single of them? By the way, you didn’t even mention that Medvedev had 18% as well, and that Ivanov and Zyuganov are just behind them, with respectively 17 and 16%. And what about 35% being against all candidates? You mention only those parts of your sources which fit your hatred. Do you think people are so stupid? That they’re not even going to read what you call “facts”? Anyway, you should know that statistics generally are not to be trusted. I can’t see all the sound sources of yours, not even in this point. If the previous anthem was brought back? So what? Where are you getting? Don’t just say things, explain fully what do they imply according to you. Honestly, I never heard about Russians being convinced that Putin is going to continue in power. What are your sources ? Anyway, I already explained why many people support their president, so I’m not going to spend other time on this. I just don’t see where the reasons lie to judge Russians as authoritarians.

3

La Russophobe, why are you constantly making comparisons with the US? And after this you expect people not to make their own criticisms about what they feel is wrong in with the US? If you didn’t want it to be criticised, why are you speaking of it in the first place? There are plenty of tourists going to Russia, as far as I could observe in REALITY, not through sterile numbers and a monitor.

2

Many countries have a draft, in various European states it has been cancelled just a few years ago. So we ceased to be militaristic just a few years ago, according to your logic, right? Russia’s selling arm to rogue states…Right! I tried in every possible manner to refrain from making this kind of comments, but that just sounds so “bushistically” brainwashed. By the way, are you that informed of which country sells weapons to which government or you just pick up what suits you and shout it out to the whole world?

1

I just do not understand how can you be so manipulating. I lost every hope that there was no malice in your writings. Anyway, do you REALLY believe that a woman in Russia gets killed every 40 minutes? Oh gosh, at least of many Russian women I know, should be dead now? Or were they just lucky? Give me a break. Unfortunately, there’s much domestic violence in Russia, I don’t deny it. Most of it due to extremely poor conditions of living. By the way, it rarely happens in families where the poverty is not absolute. This applies to the case of children, which unfortunately is embittered by the lack of effective legislature protecting children’s rights in Russia. This is all sad, but I don’t see why the heck every single Russian should despise families, children and women. By the way are you talking about male or female Russians? Or the children maybe? You know, they are Russian to? You’re not trying to say that, since Russians hate women and children, Russian women hate themselves, Russian children hate themselves and the people who hate themselves the most are Russian little girls? I hope that’s not what you’re trying to say. And what about those statistics you mentioned about murder rate? If you are arguing that Russia should be deemed a bloodthirsty country because it’s fifth on that graphic (actually it’s sixth), it might be well argued as well that Italy, allegedly dominated by Cosa Nostra (another ignorant stereotype, not yours, don’t get me wrong, you never said it), is actually less bloodthirsty than the US, being the first 47th and the second 24th. And all western European countries are well behind the US. So are we less bloodthirsty than the US? According to you simplicistic logic yes, but I think that’s just simple nonsense. By the way, you omitted to mention that your source covers the 1998-2000 period, the same when the very serious economic disaster perpetrated by good president Eltsin occurred. You also fail to underline that given the limited covering of years, the data can absolutely not have a universal judging value. But of course you’re not going to do it, why would you? You hate Russians and you grab every single opportunity to distort “facts” (utilitarian or what??) and show your hatred.

11

It’s almost the same figure as in Italy (30,000). I remember an Italian spot a couple of years ago about it. Are you going to be “La Italophobe” for this?
12

In case you haven’t noticed, the situation in Russia is not one of the best. By the way, why don’t you mention Putin’s initiative to help expats repatriate and granting funds to families with more than one child? Maybe that doesn’t fit your hate.

13

Should I really answer to this? Don’t you see how trivial things you’re bringing up to foment hate against a nation?

14

Unfortunately, this is again mainly caused by the difficult situation in the country. But roots of it can be found, I think, in the Soviet custom of permitting marriages and divorces to be very easy. I today’s Russia, to get divorced if you don’t have common properties and children, it’s still very easy to get divorced. Should in any case this mean that Russians are against families? May be there is an institutional lack of protecting marriage, but you (probably on purpose) going to far by stating that Russians are against families and so Russians should be hated…Oh yeah, by the way, the statistics refer to 1996. Oh gosh, 11 years ago! And, by the way, a very dark period and just 5 years after a major geopolitical cataclysm. Anyway, why don’t you dig out some figures from the 19th century? Just off topic: Italy is one of the last countries in the list, while the US is 12th. According to your logic Italians love far more their families than Americans, therefore Italians should hate Americans. Well, congratulations again!

15

Oh my divine entity! What a distorter! Where exactly you got from that diplomas are for sale “from every university including Russia's versions of Harvard and Yale”? “Your source” doesn’t say anything of that kind. In Russia, unfortunately diplomas CAN be bought at high prices, but that doesn’t mean this practice is institutionalised. You would have been surprised of the high level of education of many Russian students, if you cared to investigate. Who are the “many Russian experts”? Where are they?

16

Is that your personal experience? I wonder the kind of people you might have hanged out. Actually, I know several Russians who speak an almost flawless Italian. For instance, many MGIMO students. And where is that legendary Russian incapacity to communicate with the outside world?

17

Again and again distortions. Just mention that it’s 44% indifferent (sample size of 2100 people, out of 15 million, now “that’s what I call representation”), not that 79% of them “were in favour or indifferent”. You might say 44% were indifferent anyway!! Well, did the average US citizen care about Saddam Houssein, before someone told him to do so? I don’t like making this kind of comparisons, but I see that’s the way you reason. I don’t try to find excuses for the 44% of 2100 people out of 150 million being indifferent to Lukashenko, but as they say in Hungary “you see the chip in others’ eyes, and not even the beam in yours”.

18

I don’t see sources here, you are disappointing. I don’t see, anyway, where the two mentioned NGO’s are expressing their deep hate against Russians as a nation…They might be criticising the government, but that’s far away from hating every single Russian, as you seem to do.

19

Do you get that Russians are proud of the corruption in their country from the source you mentioned? I don’t. So what you’re exactly talking about. There IS much corruption is Russia, but what makes you think Russians are even proud of it? I’m getting really sick tired of this.

20

Well, I don’t get how can you raise serious and fully respectable concerns about divorce rate and domestic violence in Russia, along with loos? I just don’t get it. Anyway, you haven’t recently been to Russia, have you? By the way, as far as I could see, the alleged sensation that 1 house of 3 in Russia has an outhouse is completely false. I’m just saying what I’ve seen. Not the undocumented rubbish written by some Beth Knobel. Anyway, Russia is to be hated even for this, right?

21

Suicides. I’m tired of saying that living in Russia is not a fairytale. By the way, the highest rates are in the so called “Glubinka”, and that’s not a case. And again with the US…Do you get some perverse satisfaction from the figures-game? By the way, yeah, sure, hate Russians because many of them are desperate.

22

At last. I’m exhausted. Well, again the comparison with the US…Now I’m sure you get some psychological orgasm out of it. Oh, you’re so good, you’re better than the Russians, those bastards, right? Yeah, fire safety in Russia is not that great, that’s true. So are you going to hate each single Russian person for that? Don’t forget, they already hate themselves, why would you add to it? What can I say? Actually, before starting to read your entries and just after having read your motto, I thought you might be critical of the Russian government and I was interested in what you might have had to say. But you do nothing else than declare your all-out hatred against every Russian person. Why the hell would you care that Russia is killing herself, according to you? You hate that country and her people anyway. Why would you care about late Ms Politivskaya? She was Russian anyway, you hated her anyway by default. And you accuse others that the don’t add any value to the discussion and they don’t try to find a solution. Well, tell me where on Earth YOU are trying to find a solution for Russia’s problems? Well, probably you are convinced that throwing continuous distortions and deliberately vicious interpretations on Russia, you’re saving her. Now that’s a logic. You might at least use the principle of “constructive vote of no confidence”, analyse, deduce and propose something, but all you’re doing is throwing shit again and again. Well, I don’t see any results in Russia getting better after your so an intense activity. Your pseudo-objective of trying to “help Russia” is so evidently poor that it turns out to be fake. Is that so difficult to understand? Ok, countries might have governments with debatable policies, and they’re being criticised, that’s fair enough. But you totally hate the land and her people, what or who the heck are you helping then? By the way, the majority of your entries (not all, though) refer to criticisms against Russia’s president’s and his government’s policies, and that’s fine, but what is this visceral hate against common people? Did every single of them harm you in some way? And anyway, why would you defend the case of Russian women and children being killed in domestic violence? They are Russian, your mortal enemies, don’t you remember?

Well, that’s it for me for the moment. Now do your best. Insult me. Say I’m a Russophile propagandist. In any case, in your narrow-minded logic, if I’m not with you, I’m against you, right? Say, I’m an illiterate moron, stupid or whatever. Confirm that you are not capable of engaging in a debate, but just offend. And remember: I'm not trying to find excuses, I'm just trying to make clarity.

P.S.: Your use of Plurale Maestatis just undermines any credibility you might have.

Dear La Russophobe,

I came across your blog by curiosity, and I wanted to comment on your attitude towards all the people who reply to you.

It is not my intention to judge you, but, if you want to take a piece of advice, I think you are mistakenly managing your blog.

It's the first time in my life that I have seen a blog where the owner keeps insulting all the people who are trying to open a debate.
To insult is too easy.
If your mission is to convince people to step on your side and hate Russia and become russophobes, well, your strategy is all wrong.
In this way, you are losing potential allies, you are delivering free and unsolicited insults to people who did not harm you at all, instead of using the power of soft diplomacy!

I believe you should reconsider your attitude and be more positive.

As far as your comments on Russia are concerned, I totally disagree with you, but not because I am right and you are wrong, simply because we are different people who see the world from a different persective.

Kim (aka"la Russophobe") I do agree with one of the things ou say here. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. I dislike him too. I have disliked him ever since his reaction to the sinking of the Submarine Kursk in August 2000 when he was on vacation and the US offered help and he refused cause he didnt want any secrets getting out. Seemed secrets were more important to him than lives. And......I saw this on our news ere (Im from Canada) .....a woman didnt like Putin's rection, which I cant blame her, so she was criticizing and crying, and one of the cronies from government stuck a needle in her arm to quiet her. Truthfully? Putin is a jerk. But I think u shouldnt hate Russia just because lots of people voted for him. Over here many Canadians vote for dickheads too. Does that means you would advocate hating Canada?

Nothing but a typically anti-Russian rant. pathetic and just simply sad.

Russians:
http://warnet.ws/news/9784/comments/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwDzATryei8

ROGER WATERS “Leaving Beirut”
When I was 17 my mother, bless her heart, fulfilled my summer dream
She handed me the keys to the car
We motored down to Paris, fuelled with Dexedrine and booze
Got bust in Antibes by the cops
And fleeced in Naples by the wops
But everyone was kind to us, we were the English dudes
Our dads had helped them win the war
When we all knew what we were fighting for
But now an Englishman abroad is just a US stooge
The bulldog is a poodle snapping round the scoundrel's last refuge

Are these the people that we should bomb
Are we so sure they mean us harm
Is this our pleasure, punishment or crime
Is this a mountain that we really want to climb
The road is hard, hard and long
Put down that two by four
This man would never turn you from his door
Oh George! Oh George!
That Texas education must have fucked you up when you were very small

Is gentleness too much for us
Should gentleness be filed along with empathy
We feel for someone else's child
Every time a smart bomb does its sums and gets it wrong
Someone else's child dies and equities in defence rise
America, America, please hear us when we call
You got hip-hop, be-bop, hustle and bustle
You got Atticus Finch
You got Jane Russell
You got freedom of speech
You got great beaches, wildernesses and malls
Don't let the might, the Christian right, fuck it all up
For you and the rest of the world

Not in my name, Tony, you great war leader you
Terror is still terror, whosoever gets to frame the rules
History's not written by the vanquished or the damned
Now we are Genghis Khan, Lucretia Borghia, Son of Sam
In 1961 they took this child into their home
I wonder what became of them
In the cauldron that was Lebanon
If I could find them now, could I make amends?
How does the story end?...

Comments to the youtube video:
i couldn't agree more. some of the folks writing here are apparently not well-read, or have limited understanding of how the world works. IMO, the bush doctrine comes closer to being fascism than the Islamic authorities. i speak about how the rest of the world sees us.

Fascists don't look at themselves. That's why we need to make it very clear why being an aggressive fascist doesn't pay

Think this is what Jonh Lennon would do if he was alive by now

it s wonderful!!!the music the lyrics!!!this tour!!my best show ever!!!end off course fuck bush,the puppet in capitalism s hands and the rich american sionist motherfuckers!!!let the world be free in peace!!!

PADRUGA:

We've listed facts, and you've said nothing to alter them. Russia is losing 1 million people from it's population ever year, and you preach tolerance. With tolerance like yours, Russia needs no enemies. Your attitude is far more dangerous to Russian surivival than that of any foreign enemy. Did you know that Russians said about Solzhenitsyn exactly what you say about us, and threw him into a gulag, then exiled him? Russia always destroys its patriots and elevates its traitors.

SVETLANA: Martin Luther King said that "white moderates" who allow "dickheads" to get into power are more responsible for racism than racist "dickheads." We agree. Making excuses for the outrageous conduct of the Russian people only causes Russia more suffering and degradation.

ANONYMOUS: What's "sad" is that you can't even think of a name for yourself, much less offer a single word of substance, much less write your own better blog. You're just a pathetic, useless, Russophoile moron, exactly the kind that is destroying Russia.

KAPTUR:

One million people are lost from Russia's population every year, and all you can do is make unsourced propagandastic excuses for the status quo. That's why Russia is a failed country. Think about it, before it's too late.

Please tell me: are so so deeply convinced that YOU actually offer undebatable and precise sources???

All you do is drawing almost totally subjective conclusions and deliberately distorting information. These are your "sources".

You haven't even addressed my objections on your "sources", which are everything, but valid to aliment hate against a nation...

Am I making up excuses to defend any policy or official organ or representative? No!

Am I trying to defend a nation against callonious and malevolent accusations? Yes!

And what about the million people lost every year? Yeah, sure! Since ITAR TASS stated that a quarter million died in the first quarter in 2006 (which is a horrendously big figure, unfortunately), it's obvious that in the other 3 quarters another 750.000 will die, making one million in year 2006. At least, that's what you're saying. Oh no, actually you're saying that this figure sould be applied as a general pattern for every year!

Tell me, do you have the actual figures in your hands for entire year 2006 or you're just guessing?

KULTUR:

You are a despicable LIAR.

We have NEVER said that our sources are perfect. We simply said that you had NONE of your own.

ITAR-TASS is government-owned media. It goes without saying they will minimize bad information. Their numbers are the best case scenario, and for you to quibble ove whether it is 500,000 or 1 million is INSANE. Instead, you should be working to make it ZERO, like we are. Instead, you allow your PSYCHOTIC Russian ego to make your pride more important than your life. That led the USSR to ruin, and will do the same for Russia.

Russians live in a police state with state-controlled media telling them 50% good news. You have no real facts, yet you dare to rely on what you are fed by your masters. That makes you a coward and a moron.

I was so expecting this.

Once again you demonstrate that you're not even able to comment on posts without offending.

Do you actually have a vocabulary wider than "moron" and "coward"? It doesn't seem so.

Why on EARTH you concluded that I'm living in Russia? Who told you that, your sources?

You never explicitly stated that your sources are perfect, yet you seem to deliberately elude one single issue that I commented on: your sources do never ever confirm what you're saying! I read all of them and I never ever found anything of the kind you're saying. What I've seen instead is taking your sources and partially or completely distorting them in your comments.

Maybe I haven't made myself clear enough and probably I've used the wrong words.

Your sources aren't a problem; I'm actually confuting your totally distorting comments that FOLLOW your sources. I can't believe that you don't realise that your sources actually DON'T say what you're trying sell to the world as uncontrovertible truth.

No man in Russia is my master, since I don't live in Russia and I'm not Russian, sorry to disappoint.

You ignored me on purpose when I said that 250.000 deaths is a horrendously big figure. But of course you need soundbites, so 1 million makes quite an impression right?

Just to finish with the "sources" issue, if you used them in a different manner (i.e. presenting them without distortion), I had nothing to say. And I'm not going to repeat myself by explaining what I mean by "improper use". I've been lenghty enough in my first comment.

Codiali saluti

P.S.: Again: Are you trying to be funny with that Plurale Maestatis? By the way, do you know what Plurale Maestatis is? Don't cheat with Wikipedia!

P.P.S.: I'm Kaptur, not Kultur, but that's fine, as long as it's not Kuptur!

I wish you were killed in domestic violence. But then, who'd want to marry such a pathetic creature in the first place?

I am from Russia and I can definitely agree with most of the reasons why Russian sucks. Don't know about sports, but even if some country's team wins a lot, it doesn't mean the country is good to live in or to have any international relations with.
I would like to add my 2 cents (or 5 kopeks) in form of some statistical data. If someone needs any links to the sources - get in touch:
- 28% of the Russians think that the Sun moves around the Earth.
(All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center survey)

- Right order of the colors of the Russian flag is known only to 55% of the respondents.
- 53% of the respondents are proud of the Russian state anthem. But 67% don't know the words to it.
(All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center survey)

- More than 1/3 of the Russians never read books and don't have books at home. 1/2 of the Russians have never bought any books (survey carried out for the Russian national library).
During the soviet years the propaganda used to say that USSR is the most reading country in the world, which is BS, first of all, because there is no international system of collecting and calculating that data. And secondly, because that opinion was drawn from the number of book published in the USSR, but the huge part of that circulation included works of Lenin, Stalin, Brezhnev, Marx etc, and NOONE read them. Plus compare the total circulation and the population figures - the population was huge, especially including the Asian republics.

- 50% of the Russians consider the role of Stalin in Russian history to be positive.
- 7% consider the communist repressions to be necessary and useful.
(All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center survey)

- 51%-58% of the Russians approve the nationalistic slogan "Russia is for the Russians".
(various studies)

Most of the surveys are pretty new - 2007-2008.

How can you comment on this article:
http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=43&num=117212

...which seems to be the polar opposite of what you're saying?
Have you tried you see Russia from a different perspective? Perhaps the polar opposite of the one you have, in order to get a clearer picture of what's going on? Are your beliefs well founded, from a philosophical perspective then?

Those are my questions for you, La Russophobe.

ALEX:

Your comment is full of ignorance and hypocrisy.

You don't seem to know, for instance, that Pat Buchanan, the author of the piece you cite, is viewed as a dangerous freak in most of the Western world, or that the publication you cite is obscure and insignificant. Every day on this blog, we report from the world's major newspapers facts in support of our views. Mr. Buchanan doesn't give a single fact in his crazy diatribe.

You ask us to see Russia in the "polar opposite" perspective of the one we have, yet YOU yourself don't do that. Instead, you try to change our perspective, while not allowing us the same courtesy. That's classic Russian hypocrisy.

The whole point of this blog is to provide counterpoint to crazed Russophile propaganda such as that you cite. Russian men don't live to see their 60th year, Russian people work for $4/hour, and yet you want to see the "good" side of Russia just as the old Politburo always wanted. They destroyed the USSR, and you will destroy Russia. That isn't love for Russia, it's pure hate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaN6Rx8X6_I&feature=related

I don't understand why you are so passionately hateful of a whole country that is thousands of miles away (the main goings on at least) and has never affected you personally. I, for one, am Russian - and as you continuously hurtle out bitter hatred and poison which isn't terribly accurate (the way you exaggerate it) you not only insult the country from which I come from, but you insult me too. Some of the best times, moments, and people I know come from Russia: and it is unfair to judge a whole, enourmous country solely on political rumblings and some food you don't like. And DON'T call me a Neo-Soviet - I happen to be a very reasonable man - with traditional good manners and values - who loves his mother and stands up straight. Am I therefore automatically degraded just because I am Russian? Finally, I leave you with a quote:
"When I left Russia, I left my home. When I left home, I lost myself." Sergei Rachmaninoff, composer.

GAVRIL:

If you bothered to read our blog instead of just spewing out EXACTLY the type of attitude you claim to be criticizing, you'd know that we DON'T hate all Russians. Just the ones who are destroying the country. We love and fight to protect the others.

Your statement that Russia has never hurt us is mind-bogglingly ignorant. You don't know us. Many of us have spent MANY YEARS living in Russia.

Moreover, Russia is right now providing arms to America's biggest enemies (Iran, Venezuela, Hezbollah) and many of us are Americans.

We leave you with a quote: "You're more dangerous to Russia than any foreign enemy. People just like you created the USSR by failing to oppose it and rationalizing it, and are doing the same thing now all over again. With 'friends' like you, Russia needs no enemies."

I usually do not comment on blogs like that, but these rantings are just really hard for any sane person to ignore. Nice marketing strategy, LR! Kudos

First of all, I am sure that many people here who tried (and failed) engage you in any kind of substantive debate are not crazed Neo-Soviets, but some of the more progressive people out there. You, on the other hand, respond with rage and hatred to every comment. Most paradoxically, while making unsubstantiated and slanderous attacks against a whole country, a whole nation, you expect the people of this nation to join in with you in hating their own country. It is one thing to see a problem and to be able to analyze it and offer a solution, quite another to pick out some dubious data and use it to attack your opponents. You claim that you “love and fight to protect” the Russians who are not “destroying their country”. Could you be more specific and enlighten me as to who exactly belongs in this, probably very small, category of the people you “love and fight to protect”?
I assume you are an American, forgive me if I am wrong. Don’t you think that your own country is deeply and profoundly messed up? I am not Russian, by the way, I am from Netherlands and I live in DC, studying international development. So, when I really care about some issue, like healthcare here in the US and around the world, I do something about it, like raising funds and treating kids. What exactly do you do for the people you claim you “love and fight to protect”? Or your only purpose in life is spewing out hate? We have too much of it in this world, trust me.

P.S. As to “we don't want to be shot by Russian guns given to Venezuela or nuked by Russian bombs given to Iran”, why would you be “shot by Russian guns given to Venezuela”? I don’t think that evil Venezuelans will attack you one day, using Russian guns. Oh, I forgot, you are probably still thinking in terms of not-so-distant past of US foreign policy in Latin America: support for contras in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, assassinations of Latin American leaders, staging coups and so on. Well, may be than the possibility of another country having weapons to defend themselves might be threatening.
As to Iran, go do your research as to what exactly Russians are giving to Iran (yeah, baby, they are shipping NUCLEAR BOMBS down there) and what is the status of Iran’s nuclear program.

Quote: 'If you bothered to read our blog instead of just spewing out EXACTLY the type of attitude you claim to be criticizing, you'd know that we DON'T hate all Russians. Just the ones who are destroying the country. We love and fight to protect the others.

Your statement that Russia has never hurt us is mind-bogglingly ignorant. You don't know us. Many of us have spent MANY YEARS living in Russia.

Moreover, Russia is right now providing arms to America's biggest enemies (Iran, Venezuela, Hezbollah) and many of us are Americans.

We leave you with a quote: "You're more dangerous to Russia than any foreign enemy. People just like you created the USSR by failing to oppose it and rationalizing it, and are doing the same thing now all over again. With 'friends' like you, Russia needs no enemies."'

How rude. You need lessons in good manners and etiquette. You may be a journalist or a media person from New York, but you simply cannot go around calling people Neo-Soviets and Evil Russian dictators as it’s just simply abusive and upsetting on every level, and impolite. I did read the blog - but there's no need to call me Russia's worst enemy. I'm not really much of an enemy to my country anyway, especially as I live in England now with my English mother. Currently, I am on vacation furnishing our apartment in Madeira and you have really upset me by saying that - especially as that was my first post. I won't say I am angry - but I am saddened as I feel that my opinions of Russia today are not misguided and I feel that my perspectives are justified. If you people spent years living in Russia, why didn't you just "accentuate the positive" as the song goes - go to the Bolshoi Ballet, listen to Rachmaninov piano concerti and look at the Art Galleries? I know that you will say that it would be pulling the wool over your eyes, but most people just mind their own business without looking for over-exaggerated trouble. Please don’t grill me - it’s just been the Christmas season and I’m feeling relaxed, 2008 is here and our Martha Stewart Signature Furniture will be arriving at our house in England soon – plus my Seasonal Affective Disorder seems to have disappeared.

Why don’t you just chill out? - Do some gardening or something focused on being constructive. I hope now you realise that I am a perfectly decent person so please don’t be mean to me again – also can you remove the animation of Putin’s head decomposing to a skull? A political cartoon is one thing but that is just graphic. I am going to leave this blog now forever, if I can.

I agree with Gavril. That was quite a harsh thing you said back there - and I hope you apologise to him for such an extreme reaction to such a mild comment. I won't say anything here about what I feel on politics - but I will say that I don't think there's any real point in this McCarthyist fuss over Russia (as Gavril pointed out, is a country thousands of miles away) and we should all just get on with our own personal lives and problems.

Normally I wouldn’t bother taking time to formulate a response to someone/people who are as clearly mistaken as this webpage indicates. However, the vitriol spewed out in page after exasperating page of this blog deserves at last some attention. While this message is certainly intended for any/all members of the La Russophobe ‘team’, it is especially directed at editor/leader Kim Zigfeld, who appears to be responsible for the bulk of the material presented here. Your insults and poor-sport attitude toward the people who respond to this blog are something you should be ashamed of.

One of the most striking problems with your writing and perspective is that both entirely lack any sense of irony or subtle undertone hinting that you understand Russian people or Russian culture. Furthermore, the topics you choose to crusade about are often silly. The fact that you at one point actually engage in a discussion about whether or not one can buy powdered sugar in Russia, or that you list in your top ten reasons why you are a ‘Russophobe’, and thus your reason for writing this blog, is that Russian food is ‘gross’, shows what a complete nitwit you are. For any well-informed person, having a discussion with you about Russia is like a qualified evolutionary scientist arguing with a creationist. Any response you give is completely opinion- or belief-based and irrelevant.

Rome was not built in a day, the Soviet Union didn’t collapse overnight, and Russia will not become a well-ordered, well-organized and safe democratic country in the blink of an eye or even in twenty years. It probably won’t happen in our lifetime, even if the government were to allow substantive systemic changes to occur. The fact that you don’t understand this, and don’t think that the average Russian wants change, shows that you don’t understand anything at all about Russia.

In fact, I doubt that you even understand (let alone speak) the Russian language well enough to understand fully what is going on around you there, as is the case with nearly all Americans unless they have a graduate degree in Russian language. I imagine during your alleged residence in Russia, you hardly knew a single Russian personally, never sat down and had a decent conversation with a single one. You were, in all probability, too horrified by the unfortunately ugly reality of life for everyday Russians to risk being burdened by the heavy weight of their real-life accounts of real struggles. You would rather read your pathetic, exaggerated statistics, formulated by who knows who (and who cares, as far as you are concerned), and go on self-righteous tirades about all of the gossipy, over-reported atrocities made public by Russia shock-media sources. That is more satisfying to you, sitting in your comfortable armchair in New York or a fancy Western-style apartment, ironically isolated in the core of Moscow, than actually hearing from the people you so dishonorably criticize.

Part of the reason, in fact one of the top five perhaps, that Russia is so quickly and efficiently back-sliding into business-as-usual, is the shame that average Russians feel about their country’s many centuries of turmoil and injustice. Your offensively so-called tough-love approach is salt in the wound, and no less patronizing and insulting than the words of those in the West who believe ‘normalcy’ is too much to expect from ‘such a backward country/people’. Your rhetoric only serves to make average Russians more ashamed of themselves and angrier towards the West, thus inspiring movements such as Nashi, and neo-facism. Don’t forget basic anthropology – you are the outsider, and the words and ‘advice’ of an outsider will never ring as true and clear as those of an insider. You cannot possibly have made enough friends among native, non-émigré Russians through your alleged experience in Russia or your offensive publication to claim any credibility among those in Russia you claim you wish to inspire.

I’m not claiming that we should just ‘try to understand Russia’, or simply ‘accept Russia the way it is’, or give up on trying to make positive inroads to a country and system that could use a good overhaul. Contrary to your statements, one can be a Russophile without being an enabler. Russia, and the current regime in particular, deserve real, substantive criticism. However, making meaningful changes in Russia will require at least an ounce of genuine empathy and deep understanding. Your understanding of the country and its culture is nothing other than superficial, as you have well demonstrated in your pages.

You rely entirely upon the same hyperbolic, judgmental, trumped-up, unsophisticated, abusive rhetoric that Anne Coulter uses. To her well-established list you add ethnocentrism. However, the difference between you and Anne Coulter is that she writes and talks about issues that a large number of people care about. You, on the other hand, write about things that are so fringe that only people who are well-informed care to cast a second glance at your pages; and anyone who is well-informed about contemporary Russia can see immediately that you are an idiot. For your information, on the worldwide web, 4,000-odd hits in three months does not equal heavy traffic on your webpage. Yet another striking difference between you and Coulter is that she would at least appear to be motivated by the huge amounts of money she derives from offending people with her public rudeness. You, on the other hand, are mean-spirited all on your own, with no apparent justifiable motivation whatsoever. Bravo. Nicely done. I’ve done my due-diligence on you, and your blog is not important. It amounts to the deranged ravings of a sidewalk fanatic. I hope you and your publication will enjoy rotting in obscurity. And I would love to see you be denied a Russian visa for this trash the next time you apply for one.

MATVEYEI:

It's absurdly infantile to claim that this post doesn't deserve a long response and then to give one. Only little babies with very little brains who play with their doo-doo say stupid things like that.

"I hope you and your publication will enjoy rotting in obscurity."

This is the most famous and highly-trafficked Russia blog in the world, you're totally out of touch with reality. This post alone has well over a hundred comments on it. Where did you get your brain? K-mart?

"And I would love to see you be denied a Russian visa for this trash the next time you apply for one."

Typical Russian fascist remark, you can't handle the facts so try to repress and hide from them. Exactly what destroyed the USSR. And, are you really insane enough to think that going to Russia is a desirable thing, that people would sob and cry if they couldn't?

Sir, you're a maniac. You respond to this blog EXACTLY the way you complain about us responding to Russia. In other words, you're a classic neo-Soviet hypocrite.

Meanwhile, of course, you haven't refuted a single one of our facts. Instead, by rationalizing Russian failure, you've shown yourself to be more dangerous to Russia than any foreign enemy could dream of being.

And another thing - about that quote at the bottom here about women reproducing themselves and making men obselete: THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENJOY HAVING SEX.

Dear La Russophobe,

Why don't you reply to sophia's comment? Is it just lazyness, or are you actually not capable to formulate a decent answer?

La Russophobe, I do agree with the facts you posted BUT you cannot make complete assumptions based on these facts. And I cannot agree with the way you posted them! Exaggerating is not the best way to present things. Yes, my country is fucked up. But it does not mean that 100% of its population is fucked up. Otherwise you wouldn't call your slogan "Что-то типа Новой Газеты на английском языке." (Translation: Something like Novaya Gazeta, but in English). And you cannot deny that Novaya Gazeta is the product of Russian minds you hate so much. If you hate Russia SO much why bother? What it has to do with you? I find the posts in your blog interesting but your position has disappointed me. Does hatred burn you from the inside? Take it easy. I criticize my country because I see its bad sides BUT I want it to become better. I was born in this country and I cannot do much about it. One cannot choose a place to be born, but one can choose what it can become. Our politicians are fucked up, legislature, medicine - oftenly corrupted and inprofessional but does this mean that you can apply your rage to the whole country? Do you have Russian friends? Have you ever been to Russia? Stop generalizing everythhing by single facts. And stop being juvenile, it's not your opinion only which has to be right. Accept criticism and think what you can do about it. Be reasonable! If you want your comment makers look bad you won't look any good. And for the last time: why Russia?
And btw if Russian quisine is wretched and nasty then you must have been to the wrong places.
Good luck to you.

Dr Oetker:

We're not sure where you find the arrogance to announce rules of conduct for this blog, but we suggest that if you want to run one you make one and see if you can get anyone to pay attention to your drivel. We have no obligation to respond to any reader's comment any more than Vladmir Putin has an obligation to respond to us. It doesn't "prove" we are write when we attack him because he doesn't respond, nor does it prove he has no response, and only an imbecile like you would think otherwise.

Having said that, Sophia wrote: "Don’t you think that your own country is deeply and profoundly messed up?"

This is classic Russophile propaganda which we've answered a million times before. It bores us. The fact that America is a mess isn't an excuse for Russia to be one, and only someone who truly hates Russia and wants it destroyed, like Sophia, would suggest otherwise.

LILIA:

We don't think 100% of Russia is messed up, and if you took the time to actually read our blog, you'd know that (we don't allow profanity, yet you ignore our rule about that as well).

We compliment many Russians, and have lionized Oleg Kozlovsky, a great Russian patriot. If you read our content, you'd know that the whole purpose of this blog is to try to help save the good Russians from the bad ones.

But what exactly do you do for the people you claim you “love and fight to protect”, dear Kim?

We do exactly the same thing Solzhenitsyn did to get him expelled from the USSR. We challenge their enemies in writing, documenting their crimes and influencing policymakers around the world.

We do exactly the same thing Politkovskaya did to get her killed.

Now, you baboon, what do YOU do to help the people of Russia, and why didn't you tell us before you asked us?

Since i am in the states, i can't know fully if any of these are really true....but from what i read (various sources) some of them seem to be...and my heart goes out to those that are being constrained.....nationalism will get one nowhere, for what did you have to do with you being birthed---speak out in terms you have something to do with....and at the same time, recognize, what others have to go through....opinions and voice to all...

aside from such, dostoevsky.....the beauty and truth of life, but i'm just a malignant citizen of the us....

i do like reading what so forthrightly is silenced, no government can be right.

Hi. Sorry my english.

I am russian, and I really have a serious reasons, for hate this country. But most - I hate this culture. I am absolutely
seriously warn you about this danger. It`s not a myth, it`s not a superstitions, it`s not a joke, it`s not a product of sick sense - it is a real danger for all Western world.
If you want to kill everything, what you love - just let true russians come to you. I promise you - russian culture will kill your countries "at once".

Good luck.