Quote (Norlander @ Dec 8 2022 04:41pm)

Hopefully, not. Don't forget about my Ukrainian roots, well not quite Ukrainian, but the relatives think that they truly are, speak Ukrainian (thanks to USSR), despite the fact they are ethnically Hungarians. Everything is complicated when you belong to a Union: Soviet, European, you name it.

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ 8 Dec 2022 19:52)

Yeah the EU is basically the exact same as the USSR...

Quote (Meanwhile @ Dec 8 2022 04:51pm)

Aren't Russians (the ones in moscow & close areas) a bit "jealous" of Ukraine joining the "free and rich" West ?

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ 8 Dec 2022 20:02)

I'm trying to understand the Russian mindset. Obviously generalizing. It does appear they never reconciled the collapse of the USSR. In the same way that Germans have had to reconcile with defeat of WW2, the British have had to reconcile with the loss of Empire and diminished role on the world stage, the United States has had to accept its shortcoming in racial equality and civil rights.

Its appears to be a denial of something that was deemed to be a catastrophe by many who experienced it. The Russian people went from being rival world power, to collapsed system. Literally overnight.

Combine that with 20 years of autocratic rule, essentially by a cartel of oligarchs. Strict control of the media, the social narrative, restriction of protest/ refusal of political plurality.
What we have ended up with, is 140 million people living in a completely insulated version of reality.

Quote (Norlander @ Dec 8 2022 05:21pm)

Not many Russians in sane mind want a restoration of the Soviet Union under any souce.

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ 8 Dec 2022 20:25)

I actually didn't say they did. However I would disagree with you. It appears alot of Russians would be fine with certain parts of the USSR returning. Mainly the inclusion of Ukraine and other periphery nations.

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ Dec 8 2022 05:02pm)

I'm trying to understand the Russian mindset. Obviously generalizing. It does appear they never reconciled the collapse of the USSR. In the same way that Germans have had to reconcile with defeat of WW2, the British have had to reconcile with the loss of Empire and diminished role on the world stage, the United States has had to accept its shortcoming in racial equality and civil rights.

Its appears to be a denial of something that was deemed to be a catastrophe by many who experienced it. The Russian people went from being rival world power, to collapsed system. Literally overnight.

Combine that with 20 years of autocratic rule, essentially by a cartel of oligarchs. Strict control of the media, the social narrative, restriction of protest/ refusal of political plurality.
What we have ended up with, is 140 million people living in a completely insulated version of reality.

Quote (ferdia @ Dec 8 2022 05:35pm)

briefly:

its more apt to say that the germans, british and US have had historic issues that they struggle to move on from today.

to expand:

germany has been reluctant to take up the leadership role in the EU noting the historic events of ww2.
england voted for brexit in a vain pursuit of past glories which they dont have a hope of achieving.
the US does not accept its shortcomings in racial equality and civil rights.

I would argue russians did reconcile with the collapse of the USSR but that putin could not and can not reconcile with a further breakup of ukraine turning pro european.

each still has a psychological weight over their psyche relating to the issues you mentioned.

generalising of course, and again this is just my personal opinion.

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ Dec 8 2022 06:25pm)

I think you have it backwards, just my opinion.

Knew you'd sneak brexit in there somehow :D

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ Dec 8 2022 05:02pm)

I'm trying to understand the Russian mindset. Obviously generalizing. It does appear they never reconciled the collapse of the USSR. In the same way that Germans have had to reconcile with defeat of WW2, the British have had to reconcile with the loss of Empire and diminished role on the world stage, the United States has had to accept its shortcoming in racial equality and civil rights.

Its appears to be a denial of something that was deemed to be a catastrophe by many who experienced it. The Russian people went from being rival world power, to collapsed system. Literally overnight.

Combine that with 20 years of autocratic rule, essentially by a cartel of oligarchs. Strict control of the media, the social narrative, restriction of protest/ refusal of political plurality.
What we have ended up with, is 140 million people living in a completely insulated version of reality.

Quote (Prox1m1ty @ Dec 8 2022 05:02pm)

I'm trying to understand the Russian mindset. Obviously generalizing. It does appear they never reconciled the collapse of the USSR. In the same way that Germans have never reconciled with events of ww2, or the British have never reconciled with the loss of Empire and diminished role on the world stage, or that the United States has never accepted its shortcoming in racial equality and civil rights.

Its appears to be a denial of something that was deemed to be a catastrophe by many who experienced it. The Russian nation went from being rival world power, to collapsed system. Literally overnight.

Combine that with 20 years of autocratic rule, essentially by a cartel of oligarchs. Strict control of the media, the social narrative, restriction of protest/ refusal of political plurality.
What we have ended up with, is 140 million people living in a completely insulated version of reality.

Quote (ferdia @ Dec 8 2022 06:28pm)

your original comment was:



i think if you had said:



see my various bastardisations of your quote. no offence intended, just changed to a narrative i agree with! hope this does not cause you to throw stones at meeeee.