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Dear mr. Ex-KGB
I wrote this ten months ago, but given how much response I received about the article where I drew parallels between Michael Moore's "documentary" and Russian propaganda, I thought this article would make a nice weekend read.
I received so many emails about the WSJ front page article in which the Russian expert, a professor and ex-KGB agent predicts that the US will falter and be split up into five zones (here is a link to the original article and here is a link to his video interview) and each zone will be controlled by another country like China, Canada, Mexico, and EU. Alaska would go to its rightful (more like wishful) owner Russia. You get the gist. I could not contain myself, I had to respond with a letter to Mr. Ex-KBG.
Russia: "primitive resource-based economy, systemic corruption, lack of pluralistic democracy"
Russia's President Medvedev
Russia's President Medvedev
Dear Mr. Ex-KGB,
Desperate times call for desperate measures. No kidding. I understand why you took the collapse of the Soviet Union model added some wishful thinking and applied it to the United States.
The Great U.S. of A is not the Soviet Union, this analogy doesn’t work on this country. The Soviet Union was a collection of loosely assembled countries that shared little in common except … well, actually with the exception of common borders I cannot think of a single thing that united them. Flag? Hymn? No, they were quick to disembark from the Soviet Union, turn the red flag into a doormat and erase the lyrics of the Soviet hymn from their memory.
Ukrainians, Belorussians, and Russians had something in common, but Georgians, Armenians, Tajikistanis, and Uzbekistanis were always looked at by Russians as secondhand citizens. Estonians disliked Russia, but don’t blame them, they did not join the Soviet Union voluntarily. The former soviet republics were happy to return to the pre-Soviet Union state.
Unlike the Soviet Union, in the U.S. we share similar values, goals and traditions that developed over more than two hundred years. Geographic state borders have little significance with the exception that in some states you are allowed to carry a concealed weapon; in some, until recently, you could not buy alcohol on Sunday. That is just plain wrong, but I still remained in Colorado and did not announce my allegiance to the California Republic as you would call it. In some states food is very spicy — and that is alright. In some gambling and prostitution are legal — and this is alright too. America is a melting pot. Sure we make fun of the New Yorkers’ fast talk or the Texan’s drawl. But tolerant we are.
Due to the ease of mobility of employment, we constantly migrate from state to state, thus our geographic loyalties don’t go further than our Alma Matter’s football team. Our geographic preference of habitation is a function of climate, employment, proximity of mother-in-law — it has to be at least two hours away, by a very fast plane if possible — and pure randomness. We have no allegiance to a specific state — we are citizens of the United States. Culture doesn’t divide us, like it did the Soviet Union, it unites us.
You discuss the return of Russian dominance. I don’t know anyone who takes it seriously, except Russia, of course. Russia’s recent dominance is a blip in time (sorry). Unlike the U.S., Russia has a very narrow economy that has mostly been driven by natural resources and was brought to life, for a short moment, by a global commodity bubble. If Russia did not have nuclear weapons and a large army, we’d spend as much time talking about it as an election in Mozambique.
Take high commodity prices away and you find … well, Russia today: limited property rights, corruption, bribery, semi-dictatorship, and government control of the press. Newspapers and television are controlled by the government, journalists are dropping like flies.
No, Russia is not the United States. The United States has its problems, but these problems are not structural and time will heal them. Despite all of our problems, the U.S. is still the best economic and most stable political system, period. We have peacefully elected our president every four years for over two centuries. I bet you if every country in the world opened its borders to unlimited migrations in and out, you’d find the U.S. population balloon and Russia’s shrink. People from all over the world want to live here.
Dear Mr. Ex-KGB, the Russian economy is crumbling. To divert attention from the internal problems (and more importantly from him) Mr. Putin is redirecting attention onto the “evil” United States. After all, we created the global economic crisis, sabotaged the oil market, and whatever else is wrong taking place in the world, we must have had a hand in it. Now it is even a common belief in Russia that the CIA was responsible for the September 11th attacks.
Anti-Americanism is on the rise in Russia. You made an America-fall-apart prediction public almost ten years ago, but it was only recently picked up by Russian (predominantly government-owned) media. You are a superstar in Russia — you get two interviews a day. Unfortunately predictions that would have been taken as lunacy by most Russians in the past are now turned into wishful thinking. And wishful thinking has disappointed the Russian public since forever.
Sincerely,
Vitaliy Katsenelson
Central North-American Republic, formerly known as Colorado
Note: Here is a link to read the story of my childhood in Murmansk, Russia and emigration to the US.
Explosives brought the buildings down. And every sample of dust contains the proof. http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.comme...
People who continue to mindlessly bleat the official myth do so at the risk of being rightly treated like the flat-earthers they apparently are. But then again, who needs credibility in America today? None of our leaders have it, so why should folks like you aspire to.
Whats with the anti-semitic anti-Israeli crazy dude posting as Anonymous.
Nutty bro, just nutty !
i am anti-Israeli ( actions, not the state or the people ) ( better to say anti-Zionist ); does that make me anti-semitic. Go read a book and stop spewing garbage.
Gal Costa - "happiness is impossible if you are alone" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12GpDr1AsrE&feature
Vitaliy, you must be an idealist - like Frank Capra the film-maker, also an immigrant. Read his biography - very educational, and apropos. The facts nevertheless remain that no prey was ever able to come up with a plan contravening that of the predator(s). Delusions is all it can muster. Sad, but true....
I liked it, good job Vitaliy
We are in deep shit, no doubt, but lets see what happens after we default, maybe this will be the impetus to throw these bastards out, maybe it will have to get worse before it gets better, in the meantime...
I'm not going to give up on us yet.
ps
Stop insulting the guy ya stupid fucking cry babies
Anyone familiar with Dmitry Orlov and his "collapse gap" theory? Pretty interesting stuff. He states that the Soviet Union was better equipped to handle a financial meltdown than the USA is. I guess you can say that the more reliant a society is on free markets, fossil fuels, and overall luxury, the harder that society falls.
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/23259
He's got an interesting blog as well for all the "collapsarians" out there:
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/
good read, thanks a lot.
"If Russia did not have nuclear weapons and a large army, we’d spend as much time talking about it as an election in Mozambique."
But they have huge reserves of something the US needs very badly, oil and natural gas. We'll be kissing their asses in a few years.
"The United States has its problems, but these problems are not structural and time will heal them."
Do you actually read any of the columns on this site?
"We have peacefully elected our president every four years for over two centuries."
And the same people own each one. Hint: "we" aren't those people.
"limited property rights, corruption, bribery, semi-dictatorship, and government control of the press. Newspapers and television are controlled by the government, journalists are dropping like flies."
We have the same here to a lesser extent and it's accomplished in far more subtle ways. For instance, here journalist careers are at risk if they buck the system, not their lives. Thus, the mainstream media becomes a government spokesman and corporate news more entertainment than news in order to attain a greater market share which they get by telling people what they _want_ to hear.
you said it - "to a lesser extent"
there is no absolute freedom, all is relative, and relatively speaking where would you rather have a house here or in Russia? why don't invest in Russia, buy an oil field there, see how long it will take before it's nationalized :)))
do you really think then being fired is the same as being fired at?
LOL, you malcontent people just like bashing America and yeah, it's NOT perfect, but please don't even try to compare it to Russia.
and oil if a few years will be replaced by other sources of energy, what then?
Yep, the only people equating losing jobs to losing their life are those who have never been threatened with the latter.........
I do think GG should man up and move out of the country to expunge some of the bitterness of unemployment.
Really you know, you can get work if you really try........
Well said! Krauthammer has a long but great piece titled "decline is a choice" that presents the choices facing the US very well.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000\000\017\056lfnpr.asp?pg=1
All of you people (Russians or otherwise) who disagree with the article, why don't you just move there and see how you like it. Go and enjoy freedom and democracy Russian style!
GG should go first. Sell US dollars, buy Rubles, take your gold and move. See how long you will survive.
To add to this article, it's going to take Russia at least 100 years to get to the level of gay right and women's rights we have here. Americans are talking about animal rights often, Russians don't even understand this concept, and why would they? They need to get basic human rights first.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHHAAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! BTW Vitaly, it doesn't do your argument much good to be posting comments in your favor as Anonymous.
It seems that all that unites the US is US dollar and the benefits it brings. Take this away, and all bets are off. Not that I venture to predict which way the dominoes may fall, but it seems to me that there is as much division here as there is unity.
I came to the US from Poland in 1982. Much of what I see in the US reminds me of waning days of state socialism, though it is not all the same, of course. The nouveau communist party, the fifth international, is on wall street, which is attempting to seize control of the society by the manipulation of money. Like with state socialism, these attempts finally bring down the real, physical economy, as they destroy incentives for productive work, and productive investment. Social upheaval follows, and there is no telling what follows that.
????? ???????????? Google Translate, ?? ??? ???
I'm sure I'll get flamed for this.
The US is NOT its government. Its is the people. That may be blurred now. The people may have been dupped. But lets not forget that for the most part, we are still a good country (I didn't say great), and you have to believe that there are good people.
I enjoyed the part about the Mother-in-law. Sad but true.
You are a paranoid dude!! What? Gorverment control of the media? dictatorship in Russia???? OMG! Did you just wake up from coma after 20 years of sleep? I will give an example, while the whole Russia was shuddered by unexpected attack of Georgia(don't mix it up with the state of Gerogia in the US) in Aug 2008, the US media kept telling that it was Russia who attacked Georgia! That was a real shock to see what American media was doing there. I think everyone knows what and why really was going on... So, dear ex-USSR citizen, you really need to do a lot of research about what's happening nowadays here in Russia and I want you to know one thing. I am one of those many Russian people who dearly love the US as the friendliest nation in the world and really hopes that their economy gets better soon, because, being pretty well informed and educated Russian I understand that the economies of all countries are more or less interdependant. So speaking negatevile about, by the way YOUR MOTHERland, you just make yourself look really ridiculous before the readers of this absolutely "objective" description of the reality.
Be careful, my dear comrade,
world traveler
Funny how even now in America's struggles, the US receives the highest amount of Foreign Direct Investment in the world (18.6%). France is 2nd with 6.9% and China is 3rd with 6.4%. Funny how the world still wants to invest here. Russia is mired in corruption that puts it in competition with Nigeria and Bulgaria for most corrupt country in the world. I also find it interesting how the Russian oligarchs who plundered Russia all are running to the safety of Switzerland, London and the south of France to hide their stolen wealth. It seems if you are rich in Russia, the first thing to do is to move to London and buy a $50m townhouse. Then enroll your kids in the best private schools in London and bribe your way into society to "cleanse" your robber baron reputation. Not a great endorsement of Russia is it?
I also find it interesting how the Russian oligarchs who plundered Russia all are running to the safety of Switzerland, London and the south of France to hide their stolen wealth. <\i>
isn't it because they know that their stolen wealth is better protected in these places (and in the US for that matter)? if you steal in Russia you risk conviction and jail sentence. if you steal in the US you get your bonuses paid out by the government. so who is more corrupt?
as to the foreign direct investment, isn't it just foreign gamblers buying your bubbling assets? or maybe i've missed something and the american economy is booming with all the new factories and shit build all over by real investors?
when the jewish oligarchs took over after 1992, all they did was play the game of privatization. anyone ever hear of that word? so now they do in public, what they used to do in private. they call it freedom and democracy. but the russian people are quite aware of what is going on. many of the sons of bitches ran to israel too, while we are on the subject. it seems the terrorist state of israel,(which refuses to allow inspection of its nuclear facilities at dimona) is a repository of any jew who gets in trouble in his host country. sad but true. so while israel whines about purported nuclear activity in iran, it has about 400 nukes in its possession and this fact(according to the former jewish nuclear technician , Mordechai Vanunu,) who by the way spent 18 years in solitary confinement, in a israeli prison , for daring to talk about this to the world thereby warning the world of israel's insane policies about it all. so how is this all connected to the russian problem. oh my friends, it is all connected, just like it is connected to our problems. any of you want world peace? just make the europeans and russians who moved to israel and called it good back in 1948, just make them all move back to their countries of origin and let the people of the middle east live in peace. of course it takes money to make money and all of this nonsense about israel can be also traced back to the same banking cartel which rules amerika at this time, the rothschild banking syndicate, which were the primary benefactors and movers and shakers for getting the terrorist state of israel started in the first place. to them i say a hearty thank you and to satan, i say this. you days are numbered and you know it.........
Twas brillig, and the slithey toves did gire and gimble in the wabe.
all with a runcible spoon no doubt...
Ixnay on the Abberwockyjay
What you fail to take into consideration is the fact that the eggheads inside the beltway are so busy trying to reconstruct the Byzantine Empire that they fail to notice that Rome is in a state of corruption and decline. So, just maybe your ex-KGB friend is on to something.
Although, why the Russians are still coveting Alaska when they have their own huge deep freezer in Siberia is beyond me.
I say we inhibit global warming, usher in a new ice age with glaciers, which should re-open up the Alaskan-Siberian land bridge thereby allowing all the Chinese peasants, or in Global Corporate Fascist newspeak, free movement of labor, to immigrate over and search out the lowest cost labor benefit.
All hail the Vampire Squid!
Zatkiniz Kalhoznik Gavnusko!!!
I guess, pizdet' - ne kuli vorochit'
Well done Mr. K.
"MARK IT ZERO, DUDE"
Vitaly what does it mean to you, to be a "citizen of the United States"...? be sure and think before you answer that.
hey Vitaliy, most russians who move here are constantly warning us about what they are seeing happen here? what planet do you live on buddy? maybe you have been swimming in the sewer too long and you need to climb out and take a shower so it will clear your thinking and your sight. good grief man. if you really want to know what is happening, talk to a hungarian. they will set you straight real fast. the russian that is talking about the break up of the united states is probably not far off the mark, since the united states is now broken up in 5 seperate FEMA districts, in case of "emergency" doncha know. also one more thing sir. i notice a lot of you new immigrants seem to think that amerika is just some place where you can come and make money. that was never the reason for this place and it will never will be the reason for this place. it is so much more than that. probably you will never understand that.
Phyles, as in, "The Diamond Age" and "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson.
Good article thanks for posting.
I agree with pretty much everything you said about the US except...
The United States has its problems, but these problems are not structural and time will heal them.
Not so sure about that one...
anti-americanism is on the rise not just in russia, but in most of the world. also, awesome pictures GG; and IMHO, the most stable country in the world is Switzerland, than Norway, then Finland.
Minnesota is stable too. Same people.
Bullshit. The world loves America now that BORACK O's been elected. He has a peace prize to prove it. They give those away in Europe you know. So the shit is legit.
"MARK IT ZERO, DUDE"
HAHAHAHAHAHAH; you're awesome ...
These countries share something beyond stability and high qualities of life. I think it rhymes with "bocialism".
WOW !! you should really pick up a book; because, see, posts like this just make you look ridiculous
Hey GG have you ever lived in the USSR?
March on Washington, Sept. 12, 2009
The US is NOT a Police State
Everybody has freedom of speech and the right to protest peacefully; oh so much better than the U.S.S.R. Nice! (G-20 protests, Pittsburgh)
Are you really sure about that Mr. Katsenelson? How about this:
http://www.xomba.com/end_us_dream_no_takers_20k_h1b_visas
From your article it appears that you have fully bought into the US Government's propaganda.
Likely the reason these H1B visa's aren't being grabbed up is the "Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008" which makes green card holders liable for US taxes on their worldwide income for up to 10 years after they leave the US. Any hard working person with talent would be a fool to come to the US to work, unless they come illegally of course.
Yeah, no s--t. Who would wanna be ROBBED for 10 years after they leave the US? 20% unemployment helps too.
Funny seeing the Canadian flag in the middle of that march on Washington...
Slant much GG. Holy shit man. You ought to work for the whitehouse.
"MARK IT ZERO, DUDE"
Cheers GG. All so true.
There is much more on a variety of topics as well. I have traveled the world and have seen my fair share. Hate to be the one to break it to ya Vitaliy, but there are many Americans who are their state, home town or whatever that has far more significance that simply a college football team. Sheesh. What a Grebervore this fellow citizen is!
Jesus man! The guy seems to be reading directly out of US governments' propaganda book. All those cliches - sounds like a hollywood movie script. He probably doesn't wanna face the fact that he stepped out of the frying pan into the fire.
Wait until those extensions for unemployment finally run out! Then we'll see how much cohesion there is in these "United" States. It does not fool any of us that the reason for Max Baucus's Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2009 is to quell the inevitable unrest from unemployed citizens. The Act even makes special compensation for the "hard-hit states". These would be the first areas to rise up and break a few windows, pillage a few electronics stores, and show a total disregard for law enforcement. The so-called temorary extensions of unemployment will turn into permanent extensions soon enough. I'd rather not hear from those who say that this is the right thing to do; the right thing to do is create jobs.
Anyone else find the Public Service Announcements from Homeland Security urging everyone to stock up on water and food a little eerie?
For God's sake, Gordon, get some damned perspective.
Just because a nation of 300 million has tens of thousands of dyed-in-the-wool left-wing protesters who will do their best to spike any capitalist event doesn't mean the nation is a "police state" when it inevitably has to tase some of them.
How about this? This is definitely not a "dyed-in-the-wool left-wing protester spiking a capitalist event":
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=82447
I could go on as long as you want. If you still refuse to accept the reality of what USA has become or think it can't happen to you - think again.
You are funny, the G-20 protesters do not protest, they destroy. That is what the police are for, to protect citizen's property and lives. Contrast it to the march on Washington. Peaceful assembly and protest, with no disruptions, police attacks, violence or damage.
Have you ever lived in a real police state? You are are very spoiled. My family lived under the hospitality of mother russia in the Slovak republic, mister Katsenelson in right on.