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Look In The Mirror, America!
Submitted by L. Todd Wood of LToddWood.com,
Listening to the media gleefully hype the numerous construction flaws and rumors of corruption at the Sochi Olympics, I couldn't help thinking that Americans in general have no clue about Russia. Since I spend a lot of time in Moscow, I thought I would point out some of the similarities and differences.
So let's talk about corruption. Yes, Russia has systemic governmental corruption from the local to the national level; politicians up and down the line have their hand in the pie. Yes, there were billions stolen in Sochi. This corruption pushes up the cost of everything in Russia and prevents her economy from modernizing. That is why Russia was recently voted 92nd in ease of doing business by the World Bank.
However, these billions don't come close to the $800+ billion that was wasted by the economic stimulus the Obama administration enacted in 2009. Most of the money went to pay back supporters and lined public service union pockets--attempting to head off the rightsizing of state governments that will eventually have to take place. What about the auto bailouts where again billions were paid to unions and bond holders were left holding the bag, preventing the rationalization of labor costs that would have taken place in a normal bankruptcy process? How about the Federal government using the IRS and other government agencies to target the opposition? And come on, does anyone believe the case against Dinesh D'Souza was brought as a result of a normal FBI review? What about the $600+ million that was spent on the website for the Affordable Care Act? There is a strong case to be made that corruption in the United States siphons more money out of our economy than in Russia. Luckily the American economy has been resilient enough to overcome this hurdle.
Yes, Putin and other officials have palatial dachas in the countryside. But I wonder if they were more expensive than all of the global vacations the Obama's have taken? And yes, Putin has stifled the free press in Russia; in America, the corrupt press does the bidding of the Democratic Party. Which is worse?
Moving on to infrastructure, Russia has serious infrastructure deficiencies, especially outside the major cities. However, if you ever want to see a true, massive work of art, ride the Moscow metro. Every station is a gleaming architectural masterpiece with marble, statues, mosaics, and chandeliers. And, it's clean and well maintained and safe. All one has to do is ride the New York subway once to see the difference. Talk about third world! The tiling is falling off, escalators often don't work, riders are accosted by the homeless and panhandlers, the elevators stink of urine, etc. And I have to agree with Joe Biden, LaGuardia is a third world disgrace. JFK and Newark are second world. I wish Americans could see Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, then they would understand. It's a gleaming metropolis of modernity with a very nice Aeroexpress train to the capital city.
Let's take a look at culture. In Russia, most people speak several languages. Education is valued. Kids are loaded down with work every night in mathematics, literature, the sciences, history, etc. The Russian historical appreciation of the arts is well documented. And I'm not talking about a canvas smeared with feces, I'm talking about ballet, classical music, and theater. I heard recently a young girl tell her mother in Moscow, "Mom, there was a girl in my class today who hadn't heard of Vivaldi. Can you imagine not knowing Vivaldi?" I think that question speaks for itself. Just ask your child who Vivaldi was. In contrast, the American education system is collapsing under a union driven agenda of dumbing down our children and the promotion of socialist values. It was recently reported that one fourth of Americans don't know the Earth revolves around the Sun, case closed.
And speaking of airports, one notices another thing getting off the plane in America. We are fat. We are not sturdy, or strong, or plus -sized. We are fat. There is no obesity epidemic in Russia. People spend time cooking with things like fresh vegetables and enjoy the taste of things rather than filling themselves to the gills with processed carbohydrates and sugars.
And last but not least, yes there is organized crime in Russia. It's a problem. Like any country, there are places that are not safe. But what you don't see are gangs of teenagers looking to knock out someone of a different race. Instead of looking for who is committing crime in America, the administration looks to remove the consequences of one's actions by making it illegal for employers to conduct background checks and campaigns for felons to be able to vote (to garner more Democratic votes). I haven't even brought up our refusal to enforce immigration law.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a patriot. I served my country. I'm proud of her history and what she used to represent. But I'm not proud of what's going on today. I don't recognize America. She is sinking into a moral and cultural black hole of corruption. Russia is regaining her rightful, historical place in the world that was sidetracked by the communist revolution. America is spending her days thinking of ways to pick your pocket--we'll cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you.
Russia is rising. Maybe we can give her a high five on our way down. Instead of criticizing others, look in the mirror America.
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Comedy night on ZH. I hope you're joking when you compare the US to Russia as equals (or soon to be equals).
He's a typical coastal idiot. Russians are thin because they are dirt poor, and always have been.
Look at the vast center of the country, between the Blue Ridge and the High Sierra, and you will see that America hasn't changed that much. Neither has the ignorant, drunken, cruel Russian peasant.
What a pile of feces is this post. Seriously, $800B worth of roads and bridges is the problem? $20T handed over to banksters - now you're getting warm.
And the small detail in the article about the Press doing the bidding of the Blue Team? How about the Press is doing the bidding of the fake Team paradigm funded by the international corporations and banksters who literally own the press and who foster the illusion of choice so they can keep their foot on the throat of the American economy. Sad to see ZH give voice to articles like this.
raise your hand if you have been to russia before you critisize
Never been to Russia, but I have been behind the Iron Curtain, and worked with several Ruskies.
I was never impressed. The women are hard as nails. The men are arrogant, but clueless like Obama, free of any real experience or expertise, they bluff and bluster about everything. There is a fatalism, a deadness of spirit about the Russians, which I always associated with long term prisoners, probably for similar reasons.
Kaiser, it looks like ZH is run by RT, so in a few moments you'll get a bunch of down votes for speaking the truth about Russians.
...and, btw, I've been to Russia. It's a shit hole.
It's not easy to explain to those who haven't traveled, how hopeless and primitive some of these places are. Any small Midwestern town has a depth of field, men who know what they are doing with electricity, plumbing, road work, whatever, and if they don't know, they will figure it out. In the third world, orders are given from on high, and nothing works for long, because no one will maintain it.
The idea that Russia is sustainable is hilarious. Without it's oil and gas money, and nukes, it would quietly sink back into the middle ages.
Anyone want to argue that Russian women are NOT hard as nails? Thought not.
ok , even i wont argue some of your points
tough women...driven towards a survival bent i'd say
fatalism , most assuredly
though i felt it had somewhat of a midwestern feel
and an ability to engineer and repair
considering they just dont have much they do well with it
and are quite inventive and 'git er done'
hard working
fun to drink with
but russians are ethnically diverse and it definitely depends where you are in the country
i have seen hopeless and primitive places
just not in russia...maybe just depends where you go
i have seen it in the ozarks though...my friend poe never owned a shoe til he joined the army
seen it in saudi arabia, zaire, haiti, dominican republic, s. africa, s. korea
and it varies by degree...you can have a backward shit hole without hopelessness
Fair enough. The whole world is getting pock marked with diversity. Not always a bad thing, but it makes predictions tricky, and the drug abuse scares the shit out of me. Showing up everywhere.
I wish we had more reliable allies left in the world, and a little free speech. The financial collapse may be the least of our worries.
Why ? Most of the really horrid stuff is from the "alternatives" manufactured with kitchen chemicals and driven by the cost. A direct result of drugs being illegal. The best ones grow on trees and would be practically free if there were no laws making them illegal. All would prefer straight opium, heroin, cocain if they could get it and the health effects are nowhere near as bad. Finally ... people who can't control their addictions will eventually die out peacefully and it is called eveolution - is this so bad ? Drugs have been unregulted and openly legal for 95% of our recorded history and we managed to get from the dark ages to a not so bad place by the 1900's.
I agree some of the desperation seen with these kids making drugs from kitchen chemicals and injecting intraveinously ... terminating their lives in front of their own eyes is heartwrenching ... a tougher appraoch will only ever make it worse. Ban the kitchen chemicals and they use nuclear waste if you force them to.
+1 but the bloody site won't let me click on your comment!
Leftclick into the grey field (not the name), hit 'tab' two times, until the "'" is shown at the up-counter, and hit return - there he goes one up.
Damn. This magic doesn't work for me.
Well i got it to work but wtf is up with that?
Something to do with the italic text in the first line, I believe.
If drug dealers weren't such assholes then it would be so much easier to agree with you. And don't try to tell me that I can "just say no". I've been saying "no" for decades now and the social pressure associated with such a legitimate request is mind-boggling. It also explains why I have NEVER SEEN ANYONE ELSE say "no". I guess what I really want is the right to hospitalize any heap-of-shit fuckwit who won't take no for an answer when I speak to them politely.
In some countries, cocaine tea is legal and is used to combat altitude sickness. Cannabis is said to prevent glaucoma. As long as drugs are illegal, any decent investigation of any good they can do will not be investigated. Legalize the shit and take the money out of it. Then perhaps we can investigate what the drugs really do and what the "backyard additives" really do. Let anyone grow whatever they like in their own backyard. But I still think that won't solve as many problems as it creates. Make it legal to grow it but illegal to sell it - or don't enforce theft laws if illegal drugs are involved. That should increase supply and prevent big money being associated with the drugs. (Note use of weasel-word "should".) Ex-husbands are forced to pay alimony. Can we force dealers to pay for the addicts and zombies they create? Can we stop using drug-use as an excuse for crime? Or even triple the penalty for crimes performed under the influence given that they could so easily been avoided?
I think the drug problem will always be here in one form or another. How do civilisations collapse again? Something about a drunken orgy? ...
the diversity thing appeared to me to be something that had always been there
other places seem to 'import their diversity'
and with that you lose commonality of purpose
which is worrisome
and the drug abuse thing is scary
heroin here and abroad is brutal....they had something there...reminded me of alligator or something similar...there was an area of the town that was rife with it...the addicts appeared to be straight up rotting from it
It's called "Crocodile" and is made from household chemicals on the kitchen stove to replicate heroin because they cannot afford the real stuff. Horrific side effects.
Saw a documentary about that. One big reason why it is an epidemc is because it is so cheap to make...much cheaper than heroin as well. After just a few months, you end up looking like a zombie from the Walking Dead. I shit you not.
You want to see unsustainable - fix your eye on New York City when the food shortages start. Or Las Vegas when the water supply to it is turned off.
Food, Water, Energy are things Russia has in spades.
As for the midwest - I think you've watched too many truck commercials. Most of those people, outside the big cities, are inbred idiots not derided as such because they aren't Southerners.
Ever been to rural Indiana? That place would be White Somalia if the electricity went off for more than a week.
@Johnny Cocknballs:
Absolutely 100% spot on. People need to read, then re read, and then commit to memory his comments.
DEATH TRAP.
When it comes to survival in a rural area - stick close to the old folks. The old folks know how to feed themselves. The young folks know how to collect free shit just as well as their ghetto counterparts.
Free Food - From an Old Man
The land area we call Russia may have those things in spades, but the people we call "Russian" are dying out fast while the non Russians breed to replace them.
I grew up in the Midwest, not far from Indiana, two farms in the family, and Amish neighbors coming into town to trade. I know a thing or two about self-reliance.
When the lights go out, things will get interesting, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in any city or around any Russian thugs.
Johnny, I have to disagree with you on this one. Maybe Satoshi would agree with his meth head characterization of rural America. I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Jasper Indiana that is full of industrious German immmigrants. I grew up in the rust belt as the son of a professional. There is a normal distribution of intelligence in the country as in the city. My classmate who showed me how to do long division in 4th grade drives a truck, but he is quite intelligent. I went on to study a STEM discipline and left the area I grew up in. I am now a corporate slave in suburbia. The top student in my 6th grade class went to cosmotology school, cuts hair and now owns a little salon just like her mom. She could have been a chemist. She was smart and got the top grades.
First you drive through Barstow - for that "depth of field" if your gage is low on it and get inspired by watching men "who know what they are doing".
And then road gets to Las, most beautiful City ever built.
As someone who too has lived behind the Iron Curtain. I'm amazed to see the true colors of ZH. Anything to make America look bad..A N Y T H I N G. I always thought ZH was sort of libertarian leaning. Now it's clear this is nothing but a yellow journalism for doomers.
I mean seriously ask anyone (not Russian) in a former Soviet country what they think about Russia and Russians. You will get the same answer everywhere. No one will believe when you say Russia will ever surpass the United States. I've been to both countries several times. And it does not even compare. Most McDonalds workers in the U.S. have more buying power than the average Russian specialist worker. It's not even close.
Plus the corruption truly is on EVERY level. It's impossible to do business in Russia without greasing someone...
This article is BS pure and simple..
I've been to Detroit dozens of times.
It's the biggest, most heart-breaking shit hole in the world.
It took about a half-century to go from one of the best cities to one of the worst.
luckily for you, if you want gratuitous Russia bashing, you can find it in spades all over the media, from Fox News to the NY Times... so one wonders why you have to cry and stamp your feet about it when people here are wise enough to notice said media blitz and hold the United States to the same sorts of standards people like you pretend to care about.
You've "been to" Russia - the largest country on earth - and saw enough to declare it a shithole?
I have to wonder what foreigners would think if all they saw of the US was Detroit or D.C. away from the tourism, or East New York, NY.
Fuck you.
We have met the enemy, and it is us.
Aye.Back when it was the USSR.
Also dealt with burocratic DC. more recently, reminded me of the USSR.
A lot.Even down to looking down upon you with suspicion at all times.
I went to the local court house to file some real estate documents. There were four deputy Sheriffs, starring at my keys and loose change as I went through the metal detector. Of course, no cameras or cell phones are allowed. Why, you could probably take out a whole division with a cell phone, if you fling it like Bat Man.
WTF? This is back woods no where. Is someone gonna steal the damn building? If so, what will they do with it?
Maybe you are some sort of domestic terrorist wannabe who reads and posts on sites like ZH.
No way.
But for future reference, my all wood cross bow and rattle snake went through their detector without a hitch;)
I was in Moscow about 10 years ago. They must have found a lot of money lately. The airport was a disaster--crowded, cold, and stunk both coming and going. The subway system ditto though they were trying. Crystal--in a subway system; IN MOSCOW. Surely you jest. Not on my tour of duty.
Overall, other than around the Kremlin, the city was mostly depressing. Milestones
I went to Russia. The women are beautiful and the men are free. What's not to like?
You went there to buy men?
Ahh yes the old "Fake Team paradigm" dodge, no one gets targeted for removal from the apparatchik class, dated but clever, bravo..
There are always predominant paradigms to be vigilant against say those for example who would build their powerbase with parasites, now both parties fund supporters but go ahead, make a judgement call.. bot
.
Yeah, I gotta take a point off for that as well. Of course, that's the brilliance of the US political system. A guy like this author, who can see the squalor and decay both in Russia and in the US, and who can perceive the ongoing decline of the US, is still utterly hoodwinked about the illusionary two-party scam.
The mainstream media aren't doing the bidding of anyone except The Owners.
The Owners also own the US political party, the only party in the US one-party political system (which masquerades as a two-party system). Of course the media are going to do the bidding of the party.
He's dead-on when it comes to crime and corruption, though. The US government is as rotten and hypocritical as any that have come down the pike.
Who are the owners?
<>
Who are the donors?
Yep, entire article made NO mention of the thieves inhabiting our banks, corps or who infest Wall St.
The poor people here are fat and have better cellphones than me.
So eat more, exercise and earn less; what are you, a retard?
Kaiserhoff, you obviously do not see the correlation between education and obesity. In the USA, the least educated citizens are the fattest. This is the same in most parts of the developed world. Obesity is a health problem, therefore to be willfully obese is akin to self-harm. And only mental and/or ignorant people engage in self-harm. Given that most Americans are both mental and highly ignorant, it is little wonder that there is an obesity problem in the USA.
Russia has ample food for its people. Do you really think that they are so poor as to be starving? I have no doubt that the Russian peasant is ignorant, but I would have to say that their intellect must be leagues above the intellect of the American welfare zombie. I think you will find that the difference between obesity rates of the USA and Russia is driven by differences in intellect. It has nothing to do with poor vs. rich. Both countries have plenty of food for their people.
Anatole France. In many respects, I agree with you. Obesity is mostly a problem of ignorance, and laziness, but there was plenty of food when Stalin was starving the Ukrainians, and we see the memories of that being played out today. Some of the spoiled mom's basement crowd, have no idea what a real dictator is like. I'm afraid you are about to find out. If you find Putin attractive and amusing, god help you.
Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I live in Australia; a total Fool's Paradise. I live next to some of the poorest people in my country (welfare recipients) and they are living in apartments worth about $500k just 1.5km from the CBD. I have absolutely NO idea of what a dictator is like.
However, I reserved no comments for Putin. I was simply challenging your claim that Russians are thin because they are dirt poor. But for the record, Putin, while being a bit on the short side, is quite attractive for a man of his age... :P
I think we should let the Sheilas be the judge of that, Mate;)
You're in Sydney? Paddington?
Perth, East Perth area.
Nice to meet ya. Perth, Western area :)
Oye. Get a room, ya cunts.
.. that would be unfortunately these days for sure. I think I'd prefer the animated contest of freedom to this drowning in a sea of the willfully ignorant.
Brisbane :)
Heh I've been drowning so long I'm surprised I haven't developed gills.
Well fellas, we've enjoyed quite a show these past 6 years. Given our bountiful raw resources, we have ended up being on the recieving end of all the hard printed money coming out of the US and China. This has only strengthened the resolve of those who would live wilfully ignorant of the ways of the world. Why ask questions when life is just so damned good?
Last night I lay thinking that the good times are over here in Australia. All the things we've been watching happen in other countries are starting to happen here. I'm trying to contain the general feeling of dread that seems to be settling over me.
I'm trying to contain the general feeling of dread that seems to be settling over me.
Don't let it get to you and look at it as a positive. Soon we won't have to pay 10x average yearly income for a house - The fact that Perth is currently as expensive or moreso that London or New York is bloody rediculous. Melbourne and Sydney have a slightly higher medium but in both of those cities you can still buy on the cheap where as we have places 30+kms from the city commanding still ludicrous prices. The whole thing is a farce and I can't wait for it to end.
As an aside, have you noticed the huge discrepancy in rentals? $300 a week is pretty much the floor across the board for a small 1 bedroom flat. I'm currently renting and ended up having to choose between the old housing commision type joints in Vic Park, East or West Perth for $300 a week or $300 a week near the beach. It was a no brainer really - I just had to wait a bit for the latter.
Can´t say I know jack about Perth, but I do like what comes out of the Perth Mint, and thus I help them stay in business.
Perth is great.
A person who lived in Vic Park saved my life.
Tom was his name if I remember correctly. I would absolutely be dead if not for him.
jesus.
carbohydrates are both very cheap and very addictive - the correlation is between poverty and obesity.
The US does not have "plenty of food" - it grows far too much wheat and corn and depends heavily on imports for much or most of anything else.
Agree on the carbs and the correlation between poverty and obesity, but there are plenty of cattle, chickens, pigs, and dairy products being eaten in the USA. Just not enough.
I agree. Look at other parts of the world, like Scandinavia. The standard of living is equal to or better than America. They have an abundance of food yet no obesity problem. It's the culture not the availability of food that keeps other countries lean and healthy.
I grew up in a small town in the U.S. I didn't think it was so great. There were nice folks, but there were also many bigoted, ignorant, uneducated, narrow-minded assholes who wouldn't accept the slightest non-conformance to their own provincial norms. I left as soon as I could and was glad to be gone.
Exactly. Comparing Moscow to NYC? Try our capital, Washngton, DC, dear author. THERE, you will find equally impeccable subway stations.
Warts and all in other respects, given, dear author, but your knowledge of America is limited and/or dwindling...as are your grey cells.
Just another anti-American bitchfest. Waaaaaaaaahh!!!!!!
Whaddevah. Saturday night's alright.....
You mean Washington, DC, the Washington, DC that siphons 3+ trillion dollars from the economy every year?
Does a large chunk of DC still look like a budding Detroit?
And do you realize that because of how your brain is wired, had you been born in Soviet Russia and not left, you would probably be a patriotic Russian right now?
I wouldn't call the subway in Washington impeccable, in some respects it may be comparable to Moscow, but it is one step above above third-world transportation compared to many other systems.
If your public transportation requires some waterproof plastic/metal seat "fabric" that can be hosed down to clean up after the animals have disembarked, as opposed to actual fabric, the local people treat property without respect and the State (or transportation owner) has no respect for people's capacities to behave as human beings.
Yea! Let's all cheer the corrupt Oligarchy that Putin has running over there. So much better than what we have in the states.
Take away reserve currency status and we are much, much worse.
"Comedy night on ZH. I hope you're joking when you compare the US to Russia as equals (or soon to be equals)."
I also think that the author was joking. I do not understand how you can seriously compare the military-police dictatorship in the United States, with a normal country like Russia.
- U.S. leader in the world, the number of prisoners per capita.
- In the U.S., any person can be arrested and kept in prison for life, without a court order.
- In the U.S., anyone can kill a missile fired from a drone, without a court order.
- United States - it is a country in which all power has in the hand a one-party system. It is a latent form of dictatorship.
This one is the only ruling party in the U.S., called "The Party of big business."
- This party has captured the right to print money, that contrary to the Constitution of the United States and for this reason, the regime of dictatorship, has unlimited power in the United States. It is the real military and police dictatorship (stratocracy).
- Theatrical struggle between Republicans and Democrats, which we see every day on the TV, it's only screen to conceal from the people real power of dictatorship in the United States.
Partisan politics enables us to point fingers at each other instead of the puppeteers in control, then nothing changes and those puppeteers are left to their craft, unaffected and ready to perpetrate the next assault on both parties equally.
- In the U.S., people have only two freedoms:
1. You have the right to be a slave and to praise the one-party regime of the military-police dictatorship of the United States.
2. You have the right to be a slave and to remain silent.
- But in any case, you have to believe that Republicans, Democrats and changing the presidents - this is the real power in the United States, and not theatrical farce for enthusiastic crowd of idiots.
ZH's only goal appears to be balancing out the other articles so the Putin Mancrush team does not blow a gasket.
Funny Mainstream media gets blasted for showing two sides of a one sided point. Is ZH doing the same thing here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-l4w-DIiXk
I rest my case -- vodka, anyone?
America; FUCK YEAH
We peaked 20+ years ago, it was all a matter of time and now we must wrestle the downside. I'm ready.
No fucking shit we peaked.
But tell me a good reason why you should wrestle the downside.
I'm living in Russia right now.
There are more people in furniture and home improvement stores here than there are where I am from in the U.S.
U.S. had it's time. It will experience a long bad time before it experiences another good one. This is simply a cycle of power from east to west, and it's a continuous cycle. America will not be forever lost (I think) and never be glorious again. But it will not be glorious in the near future.
There is zero shame in moving to countries with rising economies, and then moving to another country once that country's economy has peaked. It is the boom bust cycle. Why make yourself a victim?
"There is zero shame in moving to countries with rising economies, and then moving to another country once that country's economy has peaked. It is the boom bust cycle. Why make yourself a victim? "
A rational response to an irrational situation
"This corruption pushes up the cost of everything in Russia and prevents her economy from modernizing. That is why Russia was recently voted 92nd in ease of doing business by the World Bank"...
World Bank?
Now there's an institution that knows something about corruption!
.
Yep, they wrote the book on it.
Or was that John Perkins?
All good...
https://twitter.com/BlogsofWar
China Orders Army To Commence War Against Japan “When Appropriate”
A coordinated Russia on Ukraine and China on Japan move soon???
Hopefully not. The weakest attack first. I believe China will continue biding her time and force the USA to make the first 'move'. China has learnt many lessons about national sovereignty. I highly doubt they are silly enough to play into the hands of the USA so easily. The Chinese have only ever defended their country, and have only invaded others when they were attacked first. I don't see this changing. Read the Art of War if you haven't done so already. The Chinese wrote that book which means it is in their culture.
only invaded when they were attacked first?
theres this dude you need to talk to about that
he is in fact the Dahli Lama
i'll let you digest that before i mention that china invaded tibet without provocation
If it's North of the Himilayas and south of the Wall it's China... Look at it from China's point of view.
Many would argue that China liberated the downtrodden peasants from their depraved theistic feudals masters. Notice that it's the Tibetan monks who burn themselves, not the peasants.
Edit: I was wrong about that last bit; seems that all kinds are into self-immolation in Tibet. http://www.freetibet.org/news-media/na/full-list-self-immolations-tibet
Us empire is collapsing and they just smell blood in the water sun don't shine on the same dogs butt all the time
I live in Malaysia. The infrastucture is wonderful there. No gangs hanging on corners, and no drug addicts begging on streets. Now, I'm not familiar with Kulua Lumpur, but Penang is so safe, a young woman can walk down the street without fearing for her safety. And the police don't usually carry guns and don't wear jackboots. The kids dress in uniforms to school, and the uniforms are clean! And the kids call you, sir.
And criminals in Malaysia are actually punished rather than being 'understood'.
Malaysian cops don't carry guns? Change your optician, buddy. They pack even bigger hardware than the average Thai cop, and that's saying something. Read The Star newspaper daily like I do when I spend three months in Georgetown, Penang, each year, and you will see that Malaysia is full of horrific murders, rapes, muggings, etc.
It's desperado country.
Kuala Lumpur... If you can get past the sight of dying beggars-with open gangrenous wounds- and glue sniffers on the sidewalks, and the smell of raw sewerage wafting from the various 'canals' that run through the city, it's actually quite a nice place. I've been there twice.
All you need now is for John Spartan and Simon Phoenix to show up, :)
Amazing what happens when laws are actually enforced.
My experience in Malaysia is 12 years ago and is as follows:
DEATH TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS on the train ticket.
I checked my bags like rain man.
Went 4 hours North to a former Portuguese city; drank two tigers one liter beers, kareoki, and got a massage, shave, haircut, hot towel on face, for 2 dollars.
Yes. 2 dollars.
Was the only White I'd seen for 3 days, walking down Main Street with my family to be, swilling 2 Tigers beer - no hassle.
Didn't see any cop or soldier the entire time, took bus home on a 4 lane highway that was as liquid smooth as it was unused.
Drive past a golf resort then a structure that looked like it was bombed in '42 and never rebuilt.
My point is this: live like a God on 50 bucks per week, and as long as you're not harming someone do as you will [drugs excluded. They frown on that] - go rent Return to Paradise.
Makes me laugh the fin morons who slobber about da fleedom in the USA - you reveal just how much of a fin inbred retard you are. FU, you MSM watching dickless retard.
Confirmation bias is always in top gear when it comes to patriotism.
Ingroup=survival, outgroup=threat to survival
All true, but this won't go down with the Amerika-First-ers, uber-patriots, military-worshippers, Duck Dynasty fans or the religious right...
Russia has a VAST territory with a small population, immense natural resources, and a sustainable, economical standard-of-living. Leadership not afraid to speak its mind. And gold. And...CAPITALISM.
Unlike the fat, insolvent United Socialist States of America. "People of Walmart" land.
Please don't use standard of living and Russia in the same sentence.
Russian housing looks and smells like an American prison.
And America has the best, most utilized, most profitable prisons in the world!
Profitable maybe, but Scandinavian prisons are like spas, with nice looking female "guards."
How can I get my ass deported to Sweden?
Try Austria instead. Contemporary art in the lobby!
5 Star Prison in Austria
kaiserhoff, your perception of russia is pretty accurate, it worries me to see the prevailing bias on ZH.
"it worries me to see the prevailing bias on ZH."
It is both worrying and strong. I have tried to play with them and shock them into recognizing it by pointing out their Mancrush, but it is too deep.
I believe it is an outgrowth of the red team blue team fight. The enemy of my enemy is always my friend type thinking. With a little bit of "if I could just kick some Ass, everything would be alright" thrown in for good measure.
"I believe it is an outgrowth of the red team blue team fight. The enemy of my enemy is always my friend type thinking. With a little bit of "if I could just kick some Ass, everything would be alright" thrown in for good measure."
that's exactly what it is.
they should spend their next vacation in russia to notice the difference between RT and reality. not that RT isn't doing fine job in USSA as is ZH but if they can't detect the inclination of particular media outlet, then they shouldn't take its information at its face value.
+1
Slight edit. Hope you don't mind.
Plenty of truth in that, but go to Russia, and talk about Putin, like we describe our Poof Fairy in Chief, and SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Go for it, I'll hold our coat and take care of your dog and your gold. Have a safe trip;)
Well you would be slandering Putin, unlike here.
Here its called free speech.
EVERY PUBLIC person is subject to it. Slander is completely irrelevant, you can tell an outright lie about a public official and it is understood (or it used to be anyways) that it is up to the RECIEVER (the reader, the listener of the lie) to determine the truth of it and decide if the teller is worth ever listening to again.
If the reader/listener is too fucking lazy to determine the veracity of what is said...its called democracy.
If the reader/listener is curious and confronts the liar for lying...its called a freemans republic.
The MSM's "free press credentials" notwithstanding, of course ;-)
Russian standard of living is declining in most areas of the country especially east of the Urals and it is capitalist? Yeah right. It is organized kleptocracy wbere those who speak out or try to oppose those in charge are liquidated/imprisoned/told in so many terms to leave immediately.
Alcoholism,life span, birthrates. Russia is no more ascendant than Europe.
Problem is, though...it has a future.
Have you looked at their demographics who will work for their future?? Maybe they can import 20 million Mexicans and I can screw 10 Ukranian blondes a day you know to make up for our shitty demographics..
There is something that never fails to amaze me: Ask someone what they think about the way the media portray gun owners, the NRA, and everything 2nd amendment related. They will probably tell you that they are full of shit. Then ask them why they take the same media at face value when it comes to things outside the US. I have played this joke on people countless of times and I always get a blank and sometimes shocked stare at the end. Cracks me up.
I stopped paying attention to the media when a couple of times there were stories about which I was intimately familiar with the reality of the situation. All were distorted almost beyond recognition.
Either
I never believe what I see on the media these days. It is only useful as an indication of what is being spoon fed to the masses.
If we look in the mirror, we see that we also have "organized crime" in USSA.
Except that our Criminals are orders of magnitude more Organized than anyone else on the planet.
Moscow is not Russia
DC is not America.
.
Correct. DC is Vichy.
Detroit is the US.
“If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst. [One may know the condition of a whole army from the behavior of a single man.]”
? Sun Tzu, The Art of War
In the early 80s, When I was a kid in high school, and St. Reagan was president, me and my buddies used to make fun of Pravda - it was a regular gag.
Who's laughing now, bitches?
Oh, wait.
I used to listen to Radio Moscow and Radio Havana Cuba* on shortwave for that same reason, back when Reagan was marionette-in chief. It was always good for a laugh. With all the insanity being spewed out of Vichy DC, it makes it seem like it was just yesterday, except from the other side.
*The only other broadcasts from Soviet-bloc countries that I got decent reception from were Radio Sofia and Radio Kiev, but their broadcasts weren't nearly as top-heavy with propaganda as those from Radio Moscow and Radio Havana Cuba.
Did you request QSL confirmation? I did. Got a lot of packages from Radio Moscow and Radio Kiev. Must have kept the local FBI office busy as I was an active SWL before ham radio.
Do you remember the endless announcements of tractor production according to the latest Five Year Plan? Hilarious! "27,254 tractors were produced at Godforesakenski State Manufacturing Facility. This exceeded plan by 6,731 tractors." At least that's how I remember it.
But their music -- that was what really drew me in. Exotic, strange ... funny that Lady Gaga and Ice T (or whoever is being pushed today) doesn't quite measure up.
Hard to pinpoint which event hurt the US the most...
1. 9/11 - not the actual damage but the over-reaction on the side of security and destruction of the Constitution
2. An interventionist Fed that keeps blowing bubbles and trashing the dollar
3. The globalization of jobs, and policies that encourage American companies to move jobs outside the US
4. The purchasing of Congress by the banksters
So did Russia 'rise' up to America's level, or has America sunk to Russia's level? Worse, is that while Russia has its own problems, it does not face these crippling problems that the US has going forward...
Debasing the right to vote.
Menudo.
The band, not the soup.
Going off the gold standard, gutting Glass-Stegall, LBJs great society, the debasing to our education system, the Community Reinvestment Act...
Garbage.
5 Fails Of The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHkHfhDzgY (2:46)
Sochi Olympics: Olympic ring fails to open at opening ceremony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--KHLA8woPE (1:45)
~//~
& the gold silver & bronze for meddling goes to ???
The Russians all drive like Ted Kennedy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itMdLTd1l4E
What Russians do when they kill handful of people, on icy road, while speeding, reckless driving and on tyres not ment for icy condition? They blame the road maintenance for it.
No different on the other side of the earth.
Stack ON
Holy shit. Clearly they only put one pedal in Russian vehicles.
Where's Boris? We need some clarificaiton!
Mining for copper, out near the old forge.
Careful with that saws-all, Boris, and be sure to pull the main breaker.
Todd, may I call you Todd? Gee, thanks.
We may be fat (well, some of us) but by & large we think its generally not a good idea to allow corrupt officials to line ther pockets (along with their cronies) to build state of the art airports for your ease of travel between states run by those same types of oligarchs. And they can, in fact, lose weight, that is, if the oligarchy would quit allowing EBT card users to grab up arm loads of candy bars at the local convenience store.
Thats right bitch, it happened right in front of me not more than two hours ago.
Furthermore, because the GOVERNMENT RUN EDUCATION SYSTEM has done such a marvelous job of dumbing down our children, we're really not into the whole year round indoctrination camp program you envision for our children. Quite a few of us prefer to let them be children now, correcting the statist mindsets when they come home from school, instead of letting them become little robot "citizens".
Thanks for listening and fuck you, Todd.
Which costs more, EBT or the MIC?
Just wondering - persoanlly I don't see it as either/or.
In calendar year 2012, military spending declined from $711 billion to $668 billion.
(http://www.cfr.org/defense-budget/trends-us-military-spending/p28855)
The final totals are $59 billion, 3 percent of the total federal budget, for regular welfare and $92 billion, 5 percent of the total federal budget, for corporations. So, the government spends roughly 50% more on corporate welfare than it does on these particular public assistance programs. (http://thinkbynumbers.org/government-spending/corporate-welfare/corporat...) & (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/b...)
Good to know. +1
Uh, Dude, we have a little fallacy of equivocation problem here. Aircraft carriers don't breed more aircraft carriers, and corporations do things for that money. It is not all greed and graft. Well, the idiots doing Scumbama care do less than nothing, but still.
The hoochie mommas breed, and turn food into shit. See the problem?
The hoochie mommas breed, and turn food into shit. See the problem?
I guess it's a problem for Walmart, one of those "corporations (that) do things for that money."
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to use his EBT card and you feed him for a lifetime.
Build a man a fire, and he will be warm that night. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.
I see the problem and I was just posting the costs, those are quotes from the articles not my own thoughts.
As stated below this post from OldWood - Dependency kills..
My apologies. Blogs are like that. Easy to be misunderstood. Maybe Tyler should charge us less;)
HAHAH right?
SNAP benefits costs $76.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2013
and that is just snap
our contributor above was quite low with his numbers
just sayin'
That was from 2012, thank you for correcting that though. Honestly. I think below we talk more about how bad this "dependence" really is. It's fucked on all levels!
I just pulled those from the sites I listed ..... brief google search.
.
...yet somehow they multiply.
Cloning?
Bitching about how much welfare costs is as dumb as bitching about the cost of crack cocaine. Its what the entitlement programs are doing to Americans that is important. Dependency kills...everything.
I didn't mean to come off as comparing apples to oranges on that post, just was chalking up the numbers.
Dependency kills...everything. - Truest words my friend.
And don't misunderstand me either. We are broke, bankrupt, and getting worse and yes spending IS the problem. Its just that they are being allowed to do it because so many, and not just the poor, are dependent upon this corruption. At some level almost everyone is afraid to see the corruption end for fear of what effects that might have on us. Our jobs, our savings, our homes. Everything is at risk now and its no accident. The MUST have us dependent to control us. This is all they care about. Even giving them the greatest benefit of the doubt, they are like a very inept doctor who is killing his patients simply because he sees himself as the doctor and the only one who can help. A God complex layered with massive amounts of arrogance that prevents them from ever doubting their actions or even their motives. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead! We are headed for the rocks I think.
Hey I won't dismiss the fact that what you said scares the shit out of me. I know what needs to be done is a clear cutting of the cord from this system, and it's scary to know that self sustainability will need to happen for a long period before righting our nation. I've never, at 30 yrs. of age, prepared or thought this would ever come to pass. I am as prepared as I can be and constantly taken more and more precautions to protect "mine" when it all plays out. Mentally I am trying with all my power to prepare myself for knowing a time may come when protecting what's mine and those I care about comes to a life and death scenario.......and to be blunt I don't even know what that means.
So they saved forty three sense?
I don't believe it, it is too good to be true!
Gee, I wish I would have got mine.
Hope On
Personally, I don't see how Todd can say "we're all fat" and yet field a fighting force.
My point (on the above was) you dumb down the sheep, get them dependent on .gov and whatever flavor your ideology, you can pretty much do whatever you want.
Thats where we are. At least with those who choose to debate within the construct of "feed the poor" vs defense.
Which brings up another point (of debate constructs), why have a federal government at all, if its not for the common defense of all the individual states? My state can feed its "poor" (arm loads of candy aside) and we can defend ourselves.
Not sure about New York doing either of those things, without guns or the Federal Reserve in their back pocket ;-)
I looked at it from the perspective of corruption vs. baseline cost, but I don't disagree with you at all. Unfortunately, I think the "poor" are too often scapegoated 'round here. Fat stupid Americans shop at Walmart, drink soda, and support Raytheon, but Raytheon (and Walmart and Coca-Cola) are the ones who make bank.
edit: I'm also 100% in agreement with you on the failure of American education (or success, depending on one's perspective). I think the primary state education tool in our country is the tube. Schools do make handy warehousing and reinforcement centers, however.
Education....really what do they teach us?
I posted somewhere on ZH early how I never until a few weeks ago on here had ever heard of Smedly Butler, one of the highest honored soldiers in the past 100years, yet never was spoken of in history, civics, social studies, or literature?
Kids today are not reading 1984, Farenheit 451, etc. or doing comparative dialogue on how those works of lit align with our current culture or trying to disprove them. Education is not thought provoking. I've learned infinitely more on my own than ever taught. A friends kid is in high school and studying basic Algebra in the 9th grade, shit even 15 years ago I was learning advanced algebra and geometry in the 7th and 8th grades - may not seem like much to most but it's insane how dumb people are becoming.
As a former public education bureaucrat ("great" state of Oregon), I am of the opinion that the root of the problem is that Americans are taught to not ask questions, they're taught to value authority and, particularly, celebrity, and they're taught to never to be content.
Fear and desire. The real education comes from money; the "educators" in our public education systems are too stupid to see this and are all too happy to comply with their orders.
I often ask this question: Which consumer is more desireable to a company like Apple:
Your last portion made me cringe. haha. I recently purchased an Apple computer due to its split processing abilities and functions in conjunction with the type of work I use a computer for, as PC can not handle the amount of programs I operate daily and at the same time.
But man, I seriously spent weeks researching, studying new Macbook Pro's beta testing results, consumer reviews, you know? Then I compared to similar products, ended up with a Mac. Your right people don't do that, I bet someone at the store watched me buy the cheapest MacBook Pro they had and for no reason other than to one up my purchase and look cool bought the 18in MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles. It's hilarious!
I don't know if this is the right way to say it but the most valuable education I have gained or learned was when I wasn't told what to do but rather had a solid interest in whatever it was I was learning on my own. Grew up hating physics and chemistry, I live with a doctor and have found myself reading her medical books (chem, biochem, histopathology, calc, you name it) and just being at one with what I am learning and comprehending shit I never in my life thought I was smart enough to learn.
I'm replying to myself so I won't be blocked by anothers comment, I want everyone to know what was rattling around inside my head as I watched an EBT user gather up candy bars and pay with my money.
So, I walk in, second in line and there's a little half black half white boy (not that it matters but its germane in just a second), he's about ten or eleven standing at the counter. Good looking kid, normal in every way. A twelve pack of beer is on the counter in front of him.
The cashier looks at me. I look at her, then I look around for who this beer could possibly belong to.
Here he comes now, shirtless, jeans, jailhouse tatoos all over him. He's white, short brown hair, has a cross on one arm a flaming skull between his shoulder blades gibberish every else and a map of Florida down his spine.
Well, being somewhat forgiving in tastes and personal grooming habits when going out into a public place and what his personal circumstances may have been to aquire such "fine prison art"...could have been railroaded "by the man" to find himself in prison afterall (I thought to myself) I let all that slide.
He say's: "Isaiah, want some candy?" My mind says, cool. The man has his priorities straight. A little beer for me, a little candy for you. As it should be. Obviously, the man had a streak of bad luck (the jailhouse tats).
He proceeds to grab candy bars & bags by the handful. The child takes one large Three Musketeers bar.
I'm standing there (like a fool) counting as he grabs. Dollar fiddy...five...ten...twenty...twenty five. He has to stop the pile from falling off the edge of the counter.
The cashier (remember her?) looks at him as he's trying to keep the loot (ahem, candy bars from falling to the floor) and says: "EBT?"
Shrtless jailhouse boy nods affirmative.
She looks at me.
My mouth drops open.
The little boy looks at me (he knows), my eyes narrow at him as only someone who has been caught stealing can recognize, he recognizes this, I know this of him and his dad, who NEVER looks at me.
Its like after a hurricane, looters.
So, they're walking out and I say loud enough to be overheard by them: "EBT for candy?"
They never turn around. They don't even look. They walk out.
She says to me: "Yes, I see it all the time. Whenever they ple it up like that, I know how they'll pay for it."
I said, do you still accept cash here?
She said: "Yeah, thats why I still work. I don't steal."
I walked out asking myself for how long? As the pickup truck, with the two redneck hick white trash motherfuckers (one was in the truck) left the parking lot with the little boy eating the candy.
Alls fucking well.