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The only reason you can afford this condo cash is because russians have no money so it make place cheaper.
Russians don't have money? You'd be surprised if you really knew about them. Some don't but the vast majority don't have debt either. When they buy a car they buy it cash. Americans buy one and finance it for 5 or 7 years. The interest Americans pay on financing things is debilitating. Credit kills lives and livelihoods. If we didn't have credit here things would be much cheaper too or so I have been told.
Russians aren't slaves. Americans are. I'd rather die poor and free than as a finely liveried slave in the traces.
But you do pay for it in privacy. Data is the new oil. The Persians again, they paid with real oil.
Rurik was likely of Finnish descent (what we today consider as Finnish/Finland), but his allegiance weren't towards any Finnish... community, but to the local vikings.
i doubt it. True Finns were nomadic herdsmen small in number and unable to defend themselves from the Swedes and their ilk. Rurik was more likely a Swede.
i doubt it. True Finns were nomadic herdsmen small in number and unable to defend themselves from the Swedes and their ilk. Rurik was more likely a Swede.
Yes, he was what we now call Swedes. Maybe from Roslagen.
But you do pay for it in privacy. Data is the new oil. The Persians again, they paid with real oil.
I see, so the rest here are more protective of their "private data" than me, apparently so)))
It figures, because when I was digging for material for my other thread, the "Dyatlov's Pass," I went through a lot of pictures of the dead people, so my anti-virus program became really concerned, up to a point that it sent me the *warning* that "other people might see what you are doing on-line," and offered me an additional layer of protection. For a price.))))
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Rurik was likely of Finnish descent (what we today consider as Finnish/Finland), but his allegiance weren't towards any Finnish... community, but to the local vikings.
"This page was last edited on 20 July 2017, at 18:26."
Who edited it? You?
P.S. But seriously, I don't think that it's a case.
"Finns" ( who were part of "early Russians"- part of this "new nation" so to speak, ) were identified by a different word in the Old Chronicles. ( Don't remember now what it is off top.)
Besides, the whole Rurik's court ( starting from Oleg of Kiev) had Germanic names, that were later russified it seems, and are regarded now as typical "old" Russian names. It looks like even the name "Oleg" comes from either Olaf or Helge; same with Russian "Igor" which is derived most likely from "Ingvar." ( And "Olga" of course most likely comes from "Helga")
Those are all the names of first princes of the dynasty, so it rather indicates specifically the Norse presence during the birth of Russian state.
Besides, I have my own biblical theory, but I am not allowed to progress with it here, because I am already discredited as it is in the eyes of the Milky Way resident)))
The problem with all these Ukrainians ( and "liberals" in general, Russian "liberals" including,) is that they slap these figures around ( like "average $ 60,000 income per year,) without looking for finer prints.
The kind of thoughts/ideas they project about the US, were true during Soviet times, even 30 years earlier, but A LOT has changed in the US since.
And a lot has changed in Russia too.
This is an example of "finer print" when it comes to the US;
1. The median household income in 2014 was $53,719, which means that half of American households make less than this amount, and half make more. Since the median is significantly below the average, it tells us that there are more households with below-average household income than above-average, and that the average is distorted by a small percentage of high-income households. And this median is based on total income, not AGI, which accounts for a few deductions, so the difference is even bigger than this implies. In fact, if you look at the percentile chart earlier, you'll notice that the median AGI lies somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000. If you've heard anyone complain about "income inequality," this huge difference between the average and the median shows that it's a real issue.
My daughters are both doing well I would say but they still struggle mightily. One has a second child on the way and it will not be easier. The costs associated with kids is tremendous. It was discussed in another thread just how much it takes to raise a family and $100,000 a year seems to be the mark. Combined income of my daughters family is about 60k with the other (single mom) about 35 to 40. One thing they have is they don't pay for childcare. Me and their mom cover that. Most Americans struggle, period. This country is no paradise by what I have seen.
Right. That's why I was not the one talking about the "friendship."
I used the word "partnership" instead.
Ok, I’ll give you the first one.
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I wonder sometimes - am I the only one whom google doesn't charge for using it - i.e. I can use the service for free, whenever and as much as I want?
Because these are the real reasons why Iranians have grief with the US ( and Great Britain as I've discovered)
Mossadegh had sought to audit the documents of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), a British corporation (now part of BP) and to limit the company's control over Iranian petroleum reserves. Upon the refusal of the AIOC to co-operate with the Iranian government, the parliament (Majlis) voted to nationalize Iran's oil industry and to expel foreign corporate representatives from the country.[10][11][12]"
This pretty much sums it all up. That's why Iranians didn't want the Shah to be there at the first place. They regarded him as a stooge of Anglo-Saxons, who replaced their democratically elected leader.
( Sorta similar story with post-Soviet Russia, wouldn't you agree? )
First of all, Google is a search engine, so don’t expect it to give you a definitive answer, especially when dealing with something as subjective as history.
I knew you would bring up the events of 1953, because it’s so predictable. You fell right into my trap. A lot of people use that date as an excuse to try and justify their position, while ignoring events that transpired beforehand. I keep reading how the Shah came to power in 1953 with the overthrow of Mossadegh, but that is an inaccurate statement since the Shah came into power back in 41 in a coup backed by the British and Soviets.
Another thing I have trouble grasping is how can people defend blind nationalism. Many of those oil companies were working in the country in conjunction with the local government and that helped pave the way for development, even if there was an ulterior motive to try and exploit the resources. How can the government just tell those companies to f*** off one day and then take advantage of everything they built? The same thing happened in Egypt with the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, even though Egypt was not the one that opened those waterways.
I talked to a number of individuals from the Iranian diaspora and no one had positive things to say about the current regime.
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I am aware what Iran is all about vs Saudi Arabia ( hey, I have relatives living in Iran as I've discovered couple of years ago,) so yes, I know)))
Here are a few things the two countries have in common:
The social issues:
Segregation of the sexes in most public spaces
Kissing a woman/holding her hand can land you in jail
Both countries practice capital/corporal punishment
Being part of the LGBT community will land you the death penalty
Alcohol is entirely illegal
Many forms of music are banned
Mass censorship
Political Positions:
Both are theocracies that enforce religious fundamentalism above all else
Religious persecution (Iran tolerates Christians and Jews but targets Baha’i)
Support for extremist groups
The main difference is that one supports Sunni’s while the other backs Shia’s. Do you know how many times Iran has threatened Israel with annihalation?
Here are a number of things carried over by the regime since the 80’s: assassinate political opponents around the world, bomb a Jewish Centre in Argentina then try to cover it up with the government, back the Mujahideen in Bosnia, fund Hezbollah...
So please do tell me how moderate that country is? Iran in its current incarnation is on the same level as Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
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As history showed us I'm sure on few occasions, some "mistrust and disagreements" can be set aside for a while, when the mutual interests outweigh them.
That is a good idea, it then it should be applied everywhere. What I don’t understand about your position is that you seem to believe that Russia and the US cannot rectify their differences because of the 90’. Ok, I’ll play along. Let’s say I entirely agree with your premise, how do you explain then Russia’s attempts to form a partnership with Germany? If Russia can ignore the bad blood caused by both world wars, then it means that history is irrelevant and therefore I see no reason why it could not form an alliance with the US in the future. That’s the thing with history, you either care about it in its totality or ignore it completely.
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That's what you think ( and most likely some other people,) however it's not removed. Ever wondered why?
I know it hasn’t been removed and I think it’s dumb. Why should an atheist have to praise god? On the surface it appears harmless, but the logic behind it shows an inability to seperate from the past.
It’s like the second amendment. Many Americans believe that trying to change gun laws goes against the constitution (I don’t know where you stand on this issue?), but those laws were set in place at the end of the 18th century when guns took a long time to reload. In today’s world, we have full autos.
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Right. That's when you promote your "view point" exclusively by the means of religion. Which I don't. I use Wiki a lot, and that's not a religious source the last I've heard)))
I don’t use religion to promote my viewpoint.
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You think god is doing my bidding? Hmm... let me think about that one.
I wasn’t referring to you. I said people claim that god is on their side and use that as an excuse to justify their actions.
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[
Did you personally talk to him? Did he say that to you?
What makes you think god is a he?
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Neither it should be; if you'd ever read the bible, you'd know the reason behind it)))
What I meant to say is that it’s not possible to prove or disprove the existence of a creator. There are a number of inconsistencies that arise though. How do you reconcile the discrepancy between the age of the universe? Religion claims its 6000 years old, while science gives us an estimate of 13.8 billion. That’s a pretty big gap if you ask me.
Even the implosion of the Big Bang doesn’t tell us the whole story. Did god set it in motion? Was it part of the Multiverse?
"Finns" ( who were part of "early Russians"- part of this "new nation" so to speak, ) were identified by a different word in the Old Chronicles. ( Don't remember now what it is off top.)
They were called Yem. It was a catch-all phrase for all Finnic-speaking peoples.
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Originally Posted by erasure
Besides, the whole Rurik's court ( starting from Oleg of Kiev) had Germanic names, that were later russified it seems, and are regarded now as typical "old" Russian names. It looks like even the name "Oleg" comes from either Olaf or Helge; same with Russian "Igor" which is derived most likely from "Ingvar." ( And "Olga" of course most likely comes from "Helga")
Those are all the names of first princes of the dynasty, so it rather indicates specifically the Norse presence during the birth of Russian state.
First of all, Google is a search engine, so don’t expect it to give you a definitive answer, especially when dealing with something as subjective as history.
I don't think there is anything particularly "subjective" about history.
And for the MOST part, if you google, you'll find sooner or later the info you are looking for. At least bits and pieces of it, if you are persistent enough. HOWEVER truth to be told, you ( usually) have to have some "hunch" first. And google either confirms it or disproves it. At least that's my experience.
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I knew you would bring up the events of 1953, because it’s so predictable. You fell right into my trap. A lot of people use that date as an excuse to try and justify their position, while ignoring events that transpired beforehand. I keep reading how the Shah came to power in 1953 with the overthrow of Mossadegh, but that is an inaccurate statement since the Shah came into power back in 41 in a coup backed by the British and Soviets.
Ohh... THAT was not a coup. Not coup at all. This was downright a command from the occupying forces to abdicate, and as the Brits have put it nicely - " Would His Highness kindly abdicate in favour of his son, the heir to the throne? We have a high opinion of him and will ensure his position. But His Highness should not think there is any other solution."
The very fact that it was joint BRITISH-SOVIET invasion is unprecedented, yet undeniably there was a cooperation between these two, because we are talking about the second world war. And the reason for this invasion was the following;
"The Anglo-Soviet invasion was instigated in response to Reza Shah's declaration of Neutrality in World War II and refusal to allow Iranian territory to be used to train, supply, and act as a transport corridor to ship arms to Russia for its war effort against Germany. Reza Shah further refused the Allies' requests to expel German nationals residing in Iran, and denied the use of the railway to the Allies. However, according to the British embassy reports from Tehran in 1940, the total number of German citizens in Iran – from technicians to spies – was no more than a thousand.[82]'
Reza Shah was not close to the Nazi regimes - not closer than probably Finns were to it, but as in case with Soviet invasion of Finland with a purpose of securing the safety of St. Petersburg, the British government didn't take any "nays" from Iran either, and didn't dilly dally around, when the lives of their people were at stake. So they united with Russians and did what was only logical in that situation.
But THAT was a matter of survival that could be understood and forgiven later by Iranians I'm sure, not a matter of taking over country's riches ( i.e. natural resources,) as we could see in the later coup d'etat of the 1953. And THAT's what got stuck in the mind of Iranians.
In the same manner probably, American presence in the Russian Far East during the civil war was never remembered by Russians. American role in the nineties however is widely remembered today, and in the worst way.
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Another thing I have trouble grasping is how can people defend blind nationalism. Many of those oil companies were working in the country in conjunction with the local government and that helped pave the way for development, even if there was an ulterior motive to try and exploit the resources. How can the government just tell those companies to f*** off one day and then take advantage of everything they built? The same thing happened in Egypt with the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, even though Egypt was not the one that opened those waterways.
Your point is well-taken, but can I talk about this particular subject separately, in a different post? Because it needs a separate consideration, so I don't want to digress too much here)))
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I talked to a number of individuals from the Iranian diaspora and no one had positive things to say about the current regime.
But that's why they don't live in Iran, do they?
Is it a secret that Iranians are usually the most adaptable people of Islamic background in the Western world? Particularly when it comes to their "intelligentsia" part.
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Here are a few things the two countries have in common:
The social issues:
Segregation of the sexes in most public spaces
Kissing a woman/holding her hand can land you in jail
Both countries practice capital/corporal punishment
Being part of the LGBT community will land you the death penalty
Alcohol is entirely illegal
Many forms of music are banned
Mass censorship
Political Positions:
Both are theocracies that enforce religious fundamentalism above all else
Religious persecution (Iran tolerates Christians and Jews but targets Baha’i)
Support for extremist groups
The main difference is that one supports Sunni’s while the other backs Shia’s. Do you know how many times Iran has threatened Israel with annihalation?
Here are a number of things carried over by the regime since the 80’s: assassinate political opponents around the world, bomb a Jewish Centre in Argentina then try to cover it up with the government, back the Mujahideen in Bosnia, fund Hezbollah...
So please do tell me how moderate that country is? Iran in its current incarnation is on the same level as Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
You can find significant differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia in their past though; Reza Shah's ( the father of the last Shah Mohammed Reza Pakhlavi,) biography will give you an insight into it;
"As his reign became more secure, Reza Shah clashed with Iran's clergy and devout Muslims on many issues. In March 1928, he violated the sanctuary of Qom's Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine to beat a cleric who had angrily admonished Reza Shah's wife for temporarily exposing her face a day earlier while on pilgrimage to Qom.[50] In December of that year he instituted a law requiring everyone (except Shia jurisconsults who had passed a special qualifying examination) to wear Western clothes.[51] This angered devout Muslims because it included a hat with a brim which prevented the devout from touching their foreheads on the ground during salat as required by Islamic law.[52] The Shah also encouraged women to discard hijab. He announced that female teachers could no longer come to school with head coverings. One of his daughters reviewed a girls' athletic event with an uncovered head.[52]
The devout were also angered by policies that allowed mixing of the sexes. Women were allowed to study in the colleges of law and medicine,[53] and in 1934 a law set heavy fines for cinemas, restaurant, and hotels that did not open their doors to both sexes.[54] Doctors were permitted to dissect human bodies. He restricted public mourning observances to one day and required mosques to use chairs instead of the traditional sitting on the floors of mosques.[55
Reza Shah was the first Iranian Monarch in 1400 years who paid respect to the Jews by praying in the synagogue when visiting the Jewish community of Isfahan; an act that boosted the self-esteem of the Iranian Jews and made Reza Shah their second most respected Iranian leader after Cyrus the Great. Reza Shah's reforms opened new occupations to Jews and allowed them to leave the ghetto.[38] This point of view, however, may be refuted by the claims that the anti-Jewish incidents of September 1922 in parts of Tehran was a plot by Reza Khan.[39]
And we are not talking about the 70ies here, we are talking the 30ies of the previous century. Do you see anything common with Saudi Arabia here? If not, then these are definitely two different countries, with different mentality, in spite of all the today's similarities on a surface.
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That is a good idea, it then it should be applied everywhere. What I don’t understand about your position is that you seem to believe that Russia and the US cannot rectify their differences because of the 90’. Ok, I’ll play along. Let’s say I entirely agree with your premise, how do you explain then Russia’s attempts to form a partnership with Germany? If Russia can ignore the bad blood caused by both world wars, then it means that history is irrelevant and therefore I see no reason why it could not form an alliance with the US in the future. That’s the thing with history, you either care about it in its totality or ignore it completely.
To make the long story short; I am not talking about the FUTURE. I am talking about what's going on TODAY. And TODAY any attempt of Americans to sway things their way, any attempt to establish the kind of government/government opposition in the country that would benefit them directly, are doomed to fail, because Russians' won't have any of it.
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I know it hasn’t been removed and I think it’s dumb. Why should an atheist have to praise god? On the surface it appears harmless, but the logic behind it shows an inability to seperate from the past.
How anyone really "separate from the past?" Whenever you look into today's problems trying to solve them, sooner or later you'll trace them back to the past.
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It’s like the second amendment. Many Americans believe that trying to change gun laws goes against the constitution (I don’t know where you stand on this issue?), but those laws were set in place at the end of the 18th century when guns took a long time to reload. In today’s world, we have full autos.
The way I look at it, living in America ( and observing it) long enough - this country has been built by men with guns, because initially they took over someone else's territory, so NOW they had to constantly protect it. Their way of life (independence, seclusion and self-reliance) yet again needed guns. Keeping slaves in check needed guns; the later sprawl of the settlements/( later suburbs) needed guns. So obviously this country has been built on gun culture and (yet again) taking in consideration the rural way of living/huge sprawl it's only logical for safety reasons to keep the guns. I mean even such a "left minded" person as Bernie Sanders understands it. (I do to.) But this of course, in turn brings a lot of problems. And as I've already said, all problems go way back into the past.
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I don’t use religion to promote my viewpoint.
You don't use google either)))
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I wasn’t referring to you. I said people claim that god is on their side and use that as an excuse to justify their actions.
I'm sure he is on my side. I just don't know what side is that - right or left)))
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What makes you think god is a he?
Uh, because he created Adam in his image.
If I'd be creating something in *my image* do you think I'd create someone like Adam?
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What I meant to say is that it’s not possible to prove or disprove the existence of a creator. There are a number of inconsistencies that arise though. How do you reconcile the discrepancy between the age of the universe? Religion claims its 6000 years old, while science gives us an estimate of 13.8 billion. That’s a pretty big gap if you ask me.
Why would it make any difference?
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Even the implosion of the Big Bang doesn’t tell us the whole story. Did god set it in motion? Was it part of the Multiverse?
Russians don't have money? You'd be surprised if you really knew about them. Some don't but the vast majority don't have debt either. When they buy a car they buy it cash. Americans buy one and finance it for 5 or 7 years. The interest Americans pay on financing things is debilitating. Credit kills lives and livelihoods. If we didn't have credit here things would be much cheaper too or so I have been told.
Russians aren't slaves. Americans are. I'd rather die poor and free than as a finely liveried slave in the traces.
1st part you said russians are rich
2nd part you said russians are poor but arenn't slave.
It's hard to define rich as it's a matter of perspective. I never used the word in referring to Russians from what I can check here. What is rich anyway?
I did say that Russians have more freedom than Americans but even then that's a matter of perspective also. We're going into philosophical areas now. What is freedom?
If you want to cut it right down the middle I think both societies are the same in structure, like two houses. The difference is the finishing touches. The American house is sterile and beige and all nice and neat. The Russian house is painted different colors and has ornate shutters on the windows.
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