I don’t think trying to change the system is “not an option.” It’s an option with a bad risk-reward ratio on an individual basis, but to say “that’s the way it is, and there ain’t nothing you can do about it” denies that human progress is possible.
Throughout history, there have been people with the courage to stand up for honesty and the right of ordinary people to be treated fairly. Most of the time they get squashed like ants, but every once in a while, they strike a chord and opressive systems fall. Sometimes they are even replaced by less oppressive systems.
Yes, human progress is possible (even for Russians)!
Your assumption is that Russians actually want to live in a democratic society where everyone has rights. Perhaps Russia’s culture is such that its people appreciate and respect strong rulers who can provide a political vision for the country. Not all functional societies require a democratic government, and some countries, such as Egypt, are just not ready for democracy.
You have the point. But society is comprised of people, and if some of them immigrate to democratic countries and are capable/willing/prefer to live by its rules, then how come the rest of Russian people in Russia itself cannot?
Russians are very cunning and adapting. Where you will protest against something or create a revolution in case of being unhappy, we would always try to adapt to the system, and try to exploit the system to our own benefit.
I guess it is hard to comprehendm but it is so. Many of my friends are now in public service because currently it is nicer there, while the same public ‘servants’ are oppressing small and medium sized businesses. Instead of resolving the problem they simply adapt and become the oppressors themselves.
Instead of fighting ‘the evil’ we chose to join ‘the evil’.
The lazy way (and the way the things should be) is for 140m to go on the streets and protest.
One more example
PhD from a shitty Russian university is a necessary requirement to progress in the public service. And guess what? All of them are now working on their ‘nobody gives a shit about’ PhDs.
Ivan, I usually agree with almost all you say but in this case I disagree. Protest leads to change where as adapation allows for perpetuity. Change can not come from the inside because once you are affiliated, the system will change you. Without confronting the actually problem, the issue will persist. Consider the fallacy of contemporary economics. Instead of directly changing (protesting) some policies, we instead incorporate quantatative easing. This is an adaptation (and given where major indicies are now it seems to work) but eventually things will come falling down and at an exacerbated rate when compared to the alternative of addressing the problem today. Moral of this stretched out monologe, protest is addressing the problem today, adapation is procrastination.
You are right. Instead of fighting the problem Russians:
adapt or
leave or
protest (absolute minority)
drink vodka (absolute majority), especially in province
And the political elite got so used to the fact that there is no real resistance that they can do whatever. Therefore this ‘adaptation’ is extremely detrimental. But it comes from the Soviet times when you could not do number 2), 3) and sometimes even 4). (there were prohibition periods)
I understand what Ivan Drago is trying to say. Collectively trying to change the system might be good for society in the long run. However, individuals will probably realize the highest utility by working within the system. Otherwise, it is often advantageous for individuals to emigrate to some other country. People who emigrate from China to the US might have “run away” from the problems in China. However, the best choice for them was to just leave China, rather than stay and be miserable trying to change the system.
My family used to host a few grad students studying abroad from the Ukraine. I was younger at the time but their perspective on worldy views def influenced my way of thinking today. If i recall correctly, this person dispised Moscow and Russia.
A few interesting things I can recall. One, I also got the exchange student to buy me a playboy. Two, for some reason this one kid would only eat imitation crab meat and ice cream.
Ukrainians are a different subject. In a nutshell these guys are in a much bigger shit and they hate Russians believing that Russians (especially during the Soviet times) led them to what they have now. They ignore that they are the same Slavics and have what they have because they allow it to happen. As a side fact Ukraine always takes the 5.000 quota for American lottery (more than any other country, i think). That just confirms their ‘patriotism’. Basically the whole country applies for lottery. In the last 20 years population there decreased from 52 to 45 million.
Moreover, it is imperative for a Russian who immigrates abroad to bitch about Russia and Russians as if they were made of different dough.
I saw numerous sites on the web where Russian immigrants tell their ‘success’ story through a prism of how shitty Russia is. Yet i have to agree with them, but that just doesn’t sound right. It reminds me of those who complete CFA and tell everyone how useless and stupid it is. Why not to do this when you were back in Russia?
