I spent some time in Belarus a year ago and it's a nice place. A breath of fresh air from the multicultural slog that pollutes the senses here in the west. It's clean and pretty organized. I talked to quite a few people there and the fact of the matter is most of them don't like Luka and want him gone. The going phrase is "Imagine Bill Clinton being your president for 20 years". They want something new and I suppose that's understandable. But what they don't know is what'll be in store for them if Luka leaves. Western values will pour in and it will turn their beautiful country into a garbage dump. I originally visited because of Luka's stance on the covid lie. He didn't shut down his country so it became the new hotspot for liberty-loving expats from all over the world. Great place highly recommend. 😁
Agree with you, except for one thing. Multinational composition of Russia works to country's advantage vs. not. I remember like back during Soviet days I was stepping down from the overnight train from Kiev in Moscow and was immediately shocked how ethnically diverse the Capital was. Having multiethnic composition has its risks, especially now, when under Putin's style of government Russia doesn't show itself as a strong geopolitical actor, but looking at things historically, the diverse talent that Russia gets from multiethnic population has shown significant advantages over the existing risks coming from separatist movements. What if Russia was mono-ethnic? It would be like Ukraine or Poland in the best case scenario.
Multiculturalism is pushed by the powers that be. Homogenous states have lower crime, better social cohesion and greater outcomes in every single facet of life.
The Soviet Union was segregated. My family lived in all-Russian towns and cities and the only diversity they saw was the watermelon salesmen at the bazaar.
Multiculturalism = war against the ethnic slav population. No one in Russia likes the fact that Moscow has become flooded with central asians. The people, if given a choice, would prefer to live with only other Russians and other Europeans.
Russia's multiethnic composition is the essence of Russian state as we know it today. Without that diversity it wouldn't be Russia, but rather some other mid-sized monoethnic Slavic state with a small time mentality ready to become a vassal of the "mighty West". Russian approach to ethnic diversity is very different from European multiculti. Russian way can be described as cultural integration without dissolution of other ethnicity's roots. Take Tatar, Bashkir, Kalmyk, Buriat, Mari, Dagestani and countless other ethnic groups as examples and you'll understand what I mean. They retain their autonomy, language, culture and are fully integrated into all-Russian cultural context and what's important, into power structures locally and federally. US is also a multiethnic state, but if Russia acted as US toward their aboriginal population, we would have today hundreds of reservations throughout the country. Clearly this is not the case - instead we see language, religion and ethnic preservation along with political and cultural integration.
What Russians object to are the excessive numbers of people from Central Asian states that are much less culturally integrated into Russian society, but even there they begrudgingly recognize that they need their labor and choose to coexist peacefully with them inside of Russia. That is why people from countries of Central Asia continue flocking to Russia in millions to this day. I grew up in Soviet Ukraine and there ethnic diversity was very low, but I was visiting my grandparents in Rostov-on-Don region (south of Russia) during summer holidays and there community was very ethnically diverse - we had Russians (including Cossacks and Starover), Ukrainians, Armenians, Kalmyk, Georgians, Gypsies and many other nationalities. Never did we have problems between different ethnic groups living there. Let's not turn into Ukrainians - I haven't seen greater xenophobes in my life, especially toward people they consider themselves being superior to. Remember, to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture. No ethnic or skin color requirements need to apply either.
As for the war against ethnic Slavs. It is not Tajik, Uzbek or Kyrgyz that kill East Slavs by a 100 thousand. It is Russians vs. "mentally modified" Russians at behest of their own rulers. To me it says a lot about the national immaturity where they (Russians on both sides of this fight) allowed external forces to manipulate themselves to bring them to a state of a horrible fratricidal war. This is just so sad.
Apologies for a longer reply, but these are very important points to clarify for the readers.
>Remember, to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture.
I didn't know Russian growing up in the US. Luckily blood is far more important. Language can be learned, DNA cannot be changed.
> It is not Tajik, Uzbek or Kyrgyz that kill East Slavs by a 100 thousand.
All those people that you named have unleashed pogroms on Slavic peoples multiple times in their own history and ethnically cleansed Russians in the aftermath of the breakup of the USSR. Russians in Central Asia routinely complain about the treatment they are given by the local mambets. Furthermore, while in Russia, Central Asians fight a guerrilla war against the population with rape, murder and thievery.
Furthermore, anti-Russian attitude is prevalent amongst Georgians who form gangs in Russia to extract wealth from Russians and who Russia had to fight a war with. With Armenians who use their nepotism to seize control of sectors of society, most notably the media. The Baltics host US troops and missiles and perhaps soon nukes. Furthermore, they are a safe haven for the Liberal opposition. What about the terrorism and the murders committed by groups like the Chechens? Gypsies are universally reviled and hated by sane people and for good reason seeing as gypsies do not even see other peoples as human in their cultural code, only themselves. And of course, the war against Russia is almost entirely made possible because a particular desert tribe that first murdered millions in the early part of the USSR, then plundered the country in the 90s has an ethnic grievance against the Russian people.
So, sorry, but multiculturalism is a curse and thankfully, most Russians are firmly opposed to it. It is only the older generation that remembers the times of "friendship of nations" which was only made possible because these other groups feared us. They do not fear us now, so now they show their true nature.
Furthermore, xenophobia is both healthy and natural. What is not natural is to feel it towards people who share the same blood, culture, history and language. That is like an immune system turning on itself. It is a subversion of a natural function of the body of the people.
I understand that you are an older man and therefore were indoctrinated by Soviet teaching of tolerance and all that. However, I am much younger and I have a different perspective, that namely, the wages of tolerance are treachery.
Russia is 90%+ ethnically slav. We are more Russian than Israel is Jewish. Anyone who pushes the line that Russia needs more diversity to survive is anti-Russian. End of.
Furthermore, multiculturalism is a trotskyite idea pushed to wage war on homogenous populations to make them more diverse and easier to control. Slave owners since the time of the Romans know that if you want to make it harder for the slaves to revolt, make sure that you mix them up. Being pro-diversity is being pro-suicide.
All good points. I agree with you. Homogeneity is a good thing. Everything after its own kind, the way God intended. To answer Mr. Sheppard, there's no way Russia could adopt the Ukranian untermensch ideology. Not only will the Russian Soul not allow it, the strong Christian faith the Slavs have will preclude this silly sense of uber alles, that so many other nations have fallen under, from developing. Yes, our ethnic makeup is distinct. Why the need to be boastful? At the end of it all, we are who we are in Christ. Without him, we become like the rest. Pride kicked the devil out of heaven.
As Russia stole Georgian, Uzbek/Kazakh/other turkstan, Armenian, Latvian, Estonian, Lituanian and finnish lands, it appears quite logical for me to see Russians don't be loved in those states.
Still, I don't get why "Russian soul" would have to be linked with multiethicism. It's the best way to have the justification to invade again Baltic states, and those very old countries named Georgia and Armenia.
They should have better cleaned Siberia from their local red skins, instead of put Finland or Armenia in jail.
Russia didn't "steal" Georgia. The Georgian nobility asked to be incorporated into Russia to be protected from the Turks and the Iranians. Russia also has a long history of fighting on the same side as the Eesti tribes against the Swedish Empire and German crusaders who butchered them mercilessly. While they didn't ask to be added to the Russian Empire, there was no genocides or killings when they were annexed. One empire simply handed them over to another. Their nobles did very well for themselves in the Russian Empire and Finland was similarly annexed from the Swedes. The Fins enjoyed self-governance and were allowed to run their own republic within Russia. Go visit Helsinki - it is built in the same style as St. Petersburg and by the Russians. For their generosity, the Russians were stabbed in the back when the Finns harbored Marxists and other revolutionary scum and Russian police could do nothing to arrest them.
As for Central Asia, the constant raids and the barbarity of these Islamic hordes had to be stopped. Russia should have gotten rid of them then and there, but, again, too kind by far.
As for the Siberian natives, they welcomed the Russians with open arms because the Tsars treated them better than the various Khanates. They don't pose much of a problem nowadays regardless.
Oh, boy... It is truly interesting how these types of blogs, such as Rolo's, attract Russia haters such as Colbert. Is it you, Stephen with a crooked ear?
Let's just take Finland as one example. Finland was never an independent state before 1917. It was a Swedish colony that Sweden conceded to Russian Empire after a war in 1809. In Sweden Finland was considered to be just another province with no exceptions - mandatory state language was Swedish and Finns had to obey Swedish law. What Russians did with Finland? They gave it a status of the Grand Duchy of Finland with their own ruler, elevated Finnish language to the state language status, created a Parliament and allowed Finland to be governed not by Russian, but by their own laws (partially inherited from Swedish legal system). There were even customs checkpoints between Russia and Finland. In 1917 semi-independent Finland gets full Independence with approval of Russian Duma (Parliament) and continues its existence for the first time in history as a fully independent state. How does Finland pay back to Russia for all the generosity? In 1941 they join forces with Hitler and take part in the siege of Leningrad that killed one million civilians in that city over 3 years. Lithuania and Estonia have similar stories, btw.
>"Russian approach to ethnic diversity is very different from European multiculti. Russian way can be described as cultural integration without dissolution of other ethnicity's roots. Take Tatar, Bashkir, Kalmyk, Buriat, Mari, Dagestani and countless other ethnic groups as examples and you'll understand what I mean. They retain their autonomy, language, culture and are fully integrated into all-Russian cultural context..." " ...to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture. No ethnic or skin color requirements need to apply either."<
This can be directly applied to America too. But our multiculturalism has been one gigantic failed experiment and Russia's hasn't. How has Russia managed her multiculturalism better?
>"Let's not turn into Ukrainians - I haven't seen greater xenophobes in my life, especially toward people they consider themselves being superior to."<
I think it's the small, ethnically homogeneous nations that have a tendency for this arrogance. Most recently and in no order of severity - Germany, Israel, Ukraine, England, Poland, Belarus ("we are not Russians, we are BELARUSSIANs" - true story 😘 ) , Korea, Japan, and many others.
The problem lies in the idea of unity of race as opposed to unity of faith under Christ, who is the son of God. Law and morality is derived from God and God is absolute truth. If these mono-ethnic nations of the world adhered to the teachings of Christ, then there would be no arrogance and no complex of superiority to speak of. The apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13 (KJV):
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity[LOVE], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity[LOVE], I am NOTHING."
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity VAUNTETH not itself, is not PUFFED UP,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Galations Chapter 5 (NIV):
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
>The problem lies in the idea of unity of race as opposed to unity of faith under Christ, who is the son of God. Law and morality is derived from God and God is absolute truth. If these mono-ethnic nations of the world adhered to the teachings of Christ, then there would be no arrogance and no complex of superiority to speak of.
If an African moves to Russia and become Orthodox Christian, does he become Russian?
To answer your question. Being a follower of the Orthodox belief does not define Russianness. Again, to be considered Russian one needs to speak Russian language at a native level (little accent is all right) and be affiliated, immersed if you want, into Russian culture and that doesn't necessarily mean reading Tolstoy or Dostoevsky or go to Swan Lake ballet by Tchaikovsky, but it means to be in tune with national cultural vibes and this includes a sense of humor, behavior patterns, moral codes, even taste in music. First three minutes of a conversation give 90% of the information to raise either "свой парень" or "чужой" (our guy/stranger) flag. So the answer to your question is no, if a black person from Africa converts to Orthodoxy he or she couldn't be called Russian. But if a black guy or gal (and there are plenty of people like that) are born in Russia, speak Russian as a native, fit into Russian culture but follow no religion at all, such person would be considered Russian if he considers himself Russian. From the limited information I have, you, Rolo, are an American of Russian descent. Excellent background, btw, congrats!
I think it`s about time we took " The West " seriously when it keeps on stating day after day week after week that it has zero intentions of giving up the war against Russia . Defeating Ukraine is only the hors deuves in this conflict and that is far from being achieved by Russia at this moment . All major wars in history have started slowly and escalated through time and territory lost or gained and this is no different . I discount a nuclear war taking place but make no mistake this is WORLD WAR THREEE and there is no good outcome for us peasants on all sides and no there is nothing we can do about it.
Brandon's decision to add the Patriot Missile to the fray is evidence that the actual goal of the USSA is regime change and that Putin end up like Gaddafi. You've got it right, Bill. This war is expanding every day and we have no idea what the CIA is up to.
Oh wow, man. Uncle Sam is going to give Zelenski patriot missiles. Putin must be trembling.
Fucking not.
Let us look at the Patriot missile. Decades ago, its guidance system did not work. So a decade or so ago, the guidance system was redesigned. It still did not work. The US had to lie about its strikes, which in fact were zero. More recently a new guidance system was designed. It was tested for release on the wing of a B52. It would not release. Test again. It released, but would not fire.
It is junk. The Russian Tzircon is twice as fast, flies much higher (50Ks), is manoeuverable to target, is driven by scramjet (which the Pentagon does not have), and is about 1000% more accurate.
So if I was Zelenski, I would be lighting the wick and sending it back to the Pentagon.
"Ultimately, it depends almost entirely on Luka, who actually is the closest thing to an actual Authoritarian leader with actual control over his own government." - very insightful comment. Despite of how Putin is being portrayed by the West, as authoritarian or even as totalitarian leader, he exercises little real power. Pay attention to important nuance here, he actually has real power but he doesn't exercise much his right to use it. Obviously, by the given presidential rights he can initiate actions such as SMO, but when it comes to actually running a country, most (all?) of his edicts are ignored by the government. There are many examples of this type of behavior, one of the more known ones is the case with "Putin's May Edicts" (Майские указы Путина). Two times in a row he was trying to get the government to work by setting the goals and targets, in May of 2012 and May of 2018, both times right after election, and both times these edicts were completely ignored by ministers, governors and bureaucrats under them. Well, he may have been getting reports how everyone is working hard, but in reality if any work was done, it was work against set targets. The most amazing thing though is that Putin didn't fire people for failing to accomplish set plans. Luka IS a real president, albeit authoritarian, Putin just plays a president. On the standard of living - Belarus is clean, well organized, but a poorer and much less sophisticated place compared to Russia, especially big cities there. One thing Russians learned well in the last 30 years is how to live a good life. This is why the war and mobilization is met with certain resistance in Russian society - hard to trade dark roast coffee with crusty delicious croissant in the morning for a wet trench and a chance to die under Ukrainian artillery fire.
>One thing Russians learned well in the last 30 years is how to live a good life.
The only reason that theres is a large class of well-paid Russians is because of IT and oil and gas money. Belarus only has IT. In Minsk there were plenty of rich people sipping dark roast and munching on pastries. They then went out into the streets. So, they're willing to fight, but only for Liberal values.
Correct. A great number of people I met in Belarus many were IT. I was surprised how often I heard phrases like "we work in IT", "that guy works in IT". I was like, "Why IT? Is there no other industry?" Turns out I was right. 😂 There's Great Stone Industrial park and Beltract (Belarusian tractors) but for most Belarusians, higher pay comes from a computer screen.
"In Minsk there were plenty of rich people sipping dark roast and munching on pastries. They then went out into the streets. So, they're willing to fight, but only for Liberal values."
Correct again 😂. Virtually all of the IT people are anti-Luka. In fact, there are districts of Minsk that the well-paid IT professionals inhabit (new construction & upscale) and one of these professionals who I became friends with told me how sometimes the gov't would shut off the water supply to those parts periodically. A lot of these IT companies in Belarus are multi-national corporations whose values do not align with the current administration's.
So the hohols need to keep begging for weapons to waste, and the polacks are going to continue their international retard streak. My grandpa was 1/2 Polish and never missed a chance to tell a polack joke. I see his point now lol
Interesting piece. Things may get very interesting if Serbia/Bosnia and Turkey/Greece get hotter too. More and more, events are starting to resemble the lead up to WW1. Even the combat in Ukraine is trench warfare with massive artillery strikes.
I guess Z can't get more S-300 components. The Patriots have a horrible track record whereas the S-300 has demonstrated to be capable. More items for the black market I guess.
Fabulous post, Rolo. Your pic of Lukashenko with that caption inspired this letter, which opens with that photo, to an imaginary friend named Cliff who is a macho man.
---
Don't take this backwoods backward attitude to heart, Cliff. Seek help. Gender dysphoria whimsy is a treatable condition. There are also surgical solutions, which are irreversible and thus permanent. You needn't continue to pretend to be Alexander Lukashenko, Cliff. Or any other dictator. "Dicked, Ate her." That is the evil motto of men who perversely continue to remain heterosexual, Cliff. You, on the other hand, are a sensitive caring artist who lives in an advanced democracy. You can grow large attractive pendulous breasts too. Covered by most medical insurance policies.
Yours Truly,
- A demonic plastic surgeon and sex change surgeon with a practice located closer to your place of residence than you might think.
I love Luka.
I spent some time in Belarus a year ago and it's a nice place. A breath of fresh air from the multicultural slog that pollutes the senses here in the west. It's clean and pretty organized. I talked to quite a few people there and the fact of the matter is most of them don't like Luka and want him gone. The going phrase is "Imagine Bill Clinton being your president for 20 years". They want something new and I suppose that's understandable. But what they don't know is what'll be in store for them if Luka leaves. Western values will pour in and it will turn their beautiful country into a garbage dump. I originally visited because of Luka's stance on the covid lie. He didn't shut down his country so it became the new hotspot for liberty-loving expats from all over the world. Great place highly recommend. 😁
Agree with you, except for one thing. Multinational composition of Russia works to country's advantage vs. not. I remember like back during Soviet days I was stepping down from the overnight train from Kiev in Moscow and was immediately shocked how ethnically diverse the Capital was. Having multiethnic composition has its risks, especially now, when under Putin's style of government Russia doesn't show itself as a strong geopolitical actor, but looking at things historically, the diverse talent that Russia gets from multiethnic population has shown significant advantages over the existing risks coming from separatist movements. What if Russia was mono-ethnic? It would be like Ukraine or Poland in the best case scenario.
Multiculturalism is pushed by the powers that be. Homogenous states have lower crime, better social cohesion and greater outcomes in every single facet of life.
The Soviet Union was segregated. My family lived in all-Russian towns and cities and the only diversity they saw was the watermelon salesmen at the bazaar.
Multiculturalism = war against the ethnic slav population. No one in Russia likes the fact that Moscow has become flooded with central asians. The people, if given a choice, would prefer to live with only other Russians and other Europeans.
Russia's multiethnic composition is the essence of Russian state as we know it today. Without that diversity it wouldn't be Russia, but rather some other mid-sized monoethnic Slavic state with a small time mentality ready to become a vassal of the "mighty West". Russian approach to ethnic diversity is very different from European multiculti. Russian way can be described as cultural integration without dissolution of other ethnicity's roots. Take Tatar, Bashkir, Kalmyk, Buriat, Mari, Dagestani and countless other ethnic groups as examples and you'll understand what I mean. They retain their autonomy, language, culture and are fully integrated into all-Russian cultural context and what's important, into power structures locally and federally. US is also a multiethnic state, but if Russia acted as US toward their aboriginal population, we would have today hundreds of reservations throughout the country. Clearly this is not the case - instead we see language, religion and ethnic preservation along with political and cultural integration.
What Russians object to are the excessive numbers of people from Central Asian states that are much less culturally integrated into Russian society, but even there they begrudgingly recognize that they need their labor and choose to coexist peacefully with them inside of Russia. That is why people from countries of Central Asia continue flocking to Russia in millions to this day. I grew up in Soviet Ukraine and there ethnic diversity was very low, but I was visiting my grandparents in Rostov-on-Don region (south of Russia) during summer holidays and there community was very ethnically diverse - we had Russians (including Cossacks and Starover), Ukrainians, Armenians, Kalmyk, Georgians, Gypsies and many other nationalities. Never did we have problems between different ethnic groups living there. Let's not turn into Ukrainians - I haven't seen greater xenophobes in my life, especially toward people they consider themselves being superior to. Remember, to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture. No ethnic or skin color requirements need to apply either.
As for the war against ethnic Slavs. It is not Tajik, Uzbek or Kyrgyz that kill East Slavs by a 100 thousand. It is Russians vs. "mentally modified" Russians at behest of their own rulers. To me it says a lot about the national immaturity where they (Russians on both sides of this fight) allowed external forces to manipulate themselves to bring them to a state of a horrible fratricidal war. This is just so sad.
Apologies for a longer reply, but these are very important points to clarify for the readers.
>Remember, to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture.
I didn't know Russian growing up in the US. Luckily blood is far more important. Language can be learned, DNA cannot be changed.
> It is not Tajik, Uzbek or Kyrgyz that kill East Slavs by a 100 thousand.
All those people that you named have unleashed pogroms on Slavic peoples multiple times in their own history and ethnically cleansed Russians in the aftermath of the breakup of the USSR. Russians in Central Asia routinely complain about the treatment they are given by the local mambets. Furthermore, while in Russia, Central Asians fight a guerrilla war against the population with rape, murder and thievery.
Furthermore, anti-Russian attitude is prevalent amongst Georgians who form gangs in Russia to extract wealth from Russians and who Russia had to fight a war with. With Armenians who use their nepotism to seize control of sectors of society, most notably the media. The Baltics host US troops and missiles and perhaps soon nukes. Furthermore, they are a safe haven for the Liberal opposition. What about the terrorism and the murders committed by groups like the Chechens? Gypsies are universally reviled and hated by sane people and for good reason seeing as gypsies do not even see other peoples as human in their cultural code, only themselves. And of course, the war against Russia is almost entirely made possible because a particular desert tribe that first murdered millions in the early part of the USSR, then plundered the country in the 90s has an ethnic grievance against the Russian people.
So, sorry, but multiculturalism is a curse and thankfully, most Russians are firmly opposed to it. It is only the older generation that remembers the times of "friendship of nations" which was only made possible because these other groups feared us. They do not fear us now, so now they show their true nature.
Furthermore, xenophobia is both healthy and natural. What is not natural is to feel it towards people who share the same blood, culture, history and language. That is like an immune system turning on itself. It is a subversion of a natural function of the body of the people.
I understand that you are an older man and therefore were indoctrinated by Soviet teaching of tolerance and all that. However, I am much younger and I have a different perspective, that namely, the wages of tolerance are treachery.
Russia is 90%+ ethnically slav. We are more Russian than Israel is Jewish. Anyone who pushes the line that Russia needs more diversity to survive is anti-Russian. End of.
Furthermore, multiculturalism is a trotskyite idea pushed to wage war on homogenous populations to make them more diverse and easier to control. Slave owners since the time of the Romans know that if you want to make it harder for the slaves to revolt, make sure that you mix them up. Being pro-diversity is being pro-suicide.
All good points. I agree with you. Homogeneity is a good thing. Everything after its own kind, the way God intended. To answer Mr. Sheppard, there's no way Russia could adopt the Ukranian untermensch ideology. Not only will the Russian Soul not allow it, the strong Christian faith the Slavs have will preclude this silly sense of uber alles, that so many other nations have fallen under, from developing. Yes, our ethnic makeup is distinct. Why the need to be boastful? At the end of it all, we are who we are in Christ. Without him, we become like the rest. Pride kicked the devil out of heaven.
As Russia stole Georgian, Uzbek/Kazakh/other turkstan, Armenian, Latvian, Estonian, Lituanian and finnish lands, it appears quite logical for me to see Russians don't be loved in those states.
Still, I don't get why "Russian soul" would have to be linked with multiethicism. It's the best way to have the justification to invade again Baltic states, and those very old countries named Georgia and Armenia.
They should have better cleaned Siberia from their local red skins, instead of put Finland or Armenia in jail.
Russia didn't "steal" Georgia. The Georgian nobility asked to be incorporated into Russia to be protected from the Turks and the Iranians. Russia also has a long history of fighting on the same side as the Eesti tribes against the Swedish Empire and German crusaders who butchered them mercilessly. While they didn't ask to be added to the Russian Empire, there was no genocides or killings when they were annexed. One empire simply handed them over to another. Their nobles did very well for themselves in the Russian Empire and Finland was similarly annexed from the Swedes. The Fins enjoyed self-governance and were allowed to run their own republic within Russia. Go visit Helsinki - it is built in the same style as St. Petersburg and by the Russians. For their generosity, the Russians were stabbed in the back when the Finns harbored Marxists and other revolutionary scum and Russian police could do nothing to arrest them.
As for Central Asia, the constant raids and the barbarity of these Islamic hordes had to be stopped. Russia should have gotten rid of them then and there, but, again, too kind by far.
As for the Siberian natives, they welcomed the Russians with open arms because the Tsars treated them better than the various Khanates. They don't pose much of a problem nowadays regardless.
Oh, boy... It is truly interesting how these types of blogs, such as Rolo's, attract Russia haters such as Colbert. Is it you, Stephen with a crooked ear?
Let's just take Finland as one example. Finland was never an independent state before 1917. It was a Swedish colony that Sweden conceded to Russian Empire after a war in 1809. In Sweden Finland was considered to be just another province with no exceptions - mandatory state language was Swedish and Finns had to obey Swedish law. What Russians did with Finland? They gave it a status of the Grand Duchy of Finland with their own ruler, elevated Finnish language to the state language status, created a Parliament and allowed Finland to be governed not by Russian, but by their own laws (partially inherited from Swedish legal system). There were even customs checkpoints between Russia and Finland. In 1917 semi-independent Finland gets full Independence with approval of Russian Duma (Parliament) and continues its existence for the first time in history as a fully independent state. How does Finland pay back to Russia for all the generosity? In 1941 they join forces with Hitler and take part in the siege of Leningrad that killed one million civilians in that city over 3 years. Lithuania and Estonia have similar stories, btw.
>"Russian approach to ethnic diversity is very different from European multiculti. Russian way can be described as cultural integration without dissolution of other ethnicity's roots. Take Tatar, Bashkir, Kalmyk, Buriat, Mari, Dagestani and countless other ethnic groups as examples and you'll understand what I mean. They retain their autonomy, language, culture and are fully integrated into all-Russian cultural context..." " ...to call yourself a Russian you don't need to be of Slavic origin, but rather you need to be a Russian language speaker and feel affiliated with the Russian culture. No ethnic or skin color requirements need to apply either."<
This can be directly applied to America too. But our multiculturalism has been one gigantic failed experiment and Russia's hasn't. How has Russia managed her multiculturalism better?
>"Let's not turn into Ukrainians - I haven't seen greater xenophobes in my life, especially toward people they consider themselves being superior to."<
I think it's the small, ethnically homogeneous nations that have a tendency for this arrogance. Most recently and in no order of severity - Germany, Israel, Ukraine, England, Poland, Belarus ("we are not Russians, we are BELARUSSIANs" - true story 😘 ) , Korea, Japan, and many others.
The problem lies in the idea of unity of race as opposed to unity of faith under Christ, who is the son of God. Law and morality is derived from God and God is absolute truth. If these mono-ethnic nations of the world adhered to the teachings of Christ, then there would be no arrogance and no complex of superiority to speak of. The apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13 (KJV):
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity[LOVE], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity[LOVE], I am NOTHING."
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity VAUNTETH not itself, is not PUFFED UP,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Galations Chapter 5 (NIV):
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Words for nations to live by^
>The problem lies in the idea of unity of race as opposed to unity of faith under Christ, who is the son of God. Law and morality is derived from God and God is absolute truth. If these mono-ethnic nations of the world adhered to the teachings of Christ, then there would be no arrogance and no complex of superiority to speak of.
If an African moves to Russia and become Orthodox Christian, does he become Russian?
To answer your question. Being a follower of the Orthodox belief does not define Russianness. Again, to be considered Russian one needs to speak Russian language at a native level (little accent is all right) and be affiliated, immersed if you want, into Russian culture and that doesn't necessarily mean reading Tolstoy or Dostoevsky or go to Swan Lake ballet by Tchaikovsky, but it means to be in tune with national cultural vibes and this includes a sense of humor, behavior patterns, moral codes, even taste in music. First three minutes of a conversation give 90% of the information to raise either "свой парень" or "чужой" (our guy/stranger) flag. So the answer to your question is no, if a black person from Africa converts to Orthodoxy he or she couldn't be called Russian. But if a black guy or gal (and there are plenty of people like that) are born in Russia, speak Russian as a native, fit into Russian culture but follow no religion at all, such person would be considered Russian if he considers himself Russian. From the limited information I have, you, Rolo, are an American of Russian descent. Excellent background, btw, congrats!
I think it`s about time we took " The West " seriously when it keeps on stating day after day week after week that it has zero intentions of giving up the war against Russia . Defeating Ukraine is only the hors deuves in this conflict and that is far from being achieved by Russia at this moment . All major wars in history have started slowly and escalated through time and territory lost or gained and this is no different . I discount a nuclear war taking place but make no mistake this is WORLD WAR THREEE and there is no good outcome for us peasants on all sides and no there is nothing we can do about it.
Brandon's decision to add the Patriot Missile to the fray is evidence that the actual goal of the USSA is regime change and that Putin end up like Gaddafi. You've got it right, Bill. This war is expanding every day and we have no idea what the CIA is up to.
Oh wow, man. Uncle Sam is going to give Zelenski patriot missiles. Putin must be trembling.
Fucking not.
Let us look at the Patriot missile. Decades ago, its guidance system did not work. So a decade or so ago, the guidance system was redesigned. It still did not work. The US had to lie about its strikes, which in fact were zero. More recently a new guidance system was designed. It was tested for release on the wing of a B52. It would not release. Test again. It released, but would not fire.
It is junk. The Russian Tzircon is twice as fast, flies much higher (50Ks), is manoeuverable to target, is driven by scramjet (which the Pentagon does not have), and is about 1000% more accurate.
So if I was Zelenski, I would be lighting the wick and sending it back to the Pentagon.
"Ultimately, it depends almost entirely on Luka, who actually is the closest thing to an actual Authoritarian leader with actual control over his own government." - very insightful comment. Despite of how Putin is being portrayed by the West, as authoritarian or even as totalitarian leader, he exercises little real power. Pay attention to important nuance here, he actually has real power but he doesn't exercise much his right to use it. Obviously, by the given presidential rights he can initiate actions such as SMO, but when it comes to actually running a country, most (all?) of his edicts are ignored by the government. There are many examples of this type of behavior, one of the more known ones is the case with "Putin's May Edicts" (Майские указы Путина). Two times in a row he was trying to get the government to work by setting the goals and targets, in May of 2012 and May of 2018, both times right after election, and both times these edicts were completely ignored by ministers, governors and bureaucrats under them. Well, he may have been getting reports how everyone is working hard, but in reality if any work was done, it was work against set targets. The most amazing thing though is that Putin didn't fire people for failing to accomplish set plans. Luka IS a real president, albeit authoritarian, Putin just plays a president. On the standard of living - Belarus is clean, well organized, but a poorer and much less sophisticated place compared to Russia, especially big cities there. One thing Russians learned well in the last 30 years is how to live a good life. This is why the war and mobilization is met with certain resistance in Russian society - hard to trade dark roast coffee with crusty delicious croissant in the morning for a wet trench and a chance to die under Ukrainian artillery fire.
>One thing Russians learned well in the last 30 years is how to live a good life.
The only reason that theres is a large class of well-paid Russians is because of IT and oil and gas money. Belarus only has IT. In Minsk there were plenty of rich people sipping dark roast and munching on pastries. They then went out into the streets. So, they're willing to fight, but only for Liberal values.
"Belarus only has IT."
Correct. A great number of people I met in Belarus many were IT. I was surprised how often I heard phrases like "we work in IT", "that guy works in IT". I was like, "Why IT? Is there no other industry?" Turns out I was right. 😂 There's Great Stone Industrial park and Beltract (Belarusian tractors) but for most Belarusians, higher pay comes from a computer screen.
"In Minsk there were plenty of rich people sipping dark roast and munching on pastries. They then went out into the streets. So, they're willing to fight, but only for Liberal values."
Correct again 😂. Virtually all of the IT people are anti-Luka. In fact, there are districts of Minsk that the well-paid IT professionals inhabit (new construction & upscale) and one of these professionals who I became friends with told me how sometimes the gov't would shut off the water supply to those parts periodically. A lot of these IT companies in Belarus are multi-national corporations whose values do not align with the current administration's.
So the hohols need to keep begging for weapons to waste, and the polacks are going to continue their international retard streak. My grandpa was 1/2 Polish and never missed a chance to tell a polack joke. I see his point now lol
Interesting piece. Things may get very interesting if Serbia/Bosnia and Turkey/Greece get hotter too. More and more, events are starting to resemble the lead up to WW1. Even the combat in Ukraine is trench warfare with massive artillery strikes.
I guess Z can't get more S-300 components. The Patriots have a horrible track record whereas the S-300 has demonstrated to be capable. More items for the black market I guess.
What's knife or Kirpan rule in Belarus?
Would like to visit many of these places, but they will prosecute Turbaned man with blade.
Normal EDC is a 1ft bowie + 3ft talwar.
Advice & suggestions welcome.
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖਾਲਸਾਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫਤਿਹ
Are you a sikh?
Yea.
Tell me, why do people in India no longer learn Sanskrit? It seems like forgetting such an inestimable part of your cultural heritage?
Sanskrit was always elite with Prakrits or Sanskritized local tongues for the mass. Brahmins learn it but no royal patrons to employ them.
India is liberal - hate speech accusations result in decades of pre-trial detention.
Kshatriyas will patronize the original culture, their culture.
Rest are just trying to sell the nation out.
It's changing though https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1FCvnhpyC/?hl=en
Sucks. May still go see the Punjab mountain temples or Goa some day.
Non-Aryans have no business at a temple.
Fabulous post, Rolo. Your pic of Lukashenko with that caption inspired this letter, which opens with that photo, to an imaginary friend named Cliff who is a macho man.
---
Don't take this backwoods backward attitude to heart, Cliff. Seek help. Gender dysphoria whimsy is a treatable condition. There are also surgical solutions, which are irreversible and thus permanent. You needn't continue to pretend to be Alexander Lukashenko, Cliff. Or any other dictator. "Dicked, Ate her." That is the evil motto of men who perversely continue to remain heterosexual, Cliff. You, on the other hand, are a sensitive caring artist who lives in an advanced democracy. You can grow large attractive pendulous breasts too. Covered by most medical insurance policies.
Yours Truly,
- A demonic plastic surgeon and sex change surgeon with a practice located closer to your place of residence than you might think.
That was both a light-hearted and informative one. Thanks.