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Whether and to what extent Russians actually long for the Soviet era have left me a little confused. Of course, in youtube there are tons of comments under the Soviet Russian songs in the style of 'oh what a great era we lost!', 'the life was a real life back then' and so on. At the same time, of course, Russia is big and in Russian terms it may not show anything yet. Those who don't like Soviet time or who just aren't interested in it probably won't watch or comment on such videos.
I see it too (not just on Youtube, but on FB pages as well, ) and not coming from just older folks, but younger people too.
But what's the percentage of those who see things this way - I wouldn't know.
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During the soviet era, when I started reaching the teenager age and understand a little about the adult world I became more critical towards the soviet life. From time to time when we visited our relatives on the other side of Estonia, it was possible to watch television of a capitalist country (Finland) there. Without understanding the language, I was well aware of the colorful commercials that advertised colorful and high-quality Western goods, all that was virtually impossible to obtain in the Soviet system. I remember these ads fascinated me while also created a sense of inferiority a bit.
When capitalism reached here, I began to realize at one time that socialism (or whatever that Soviet system should be called) nevertheless had certain advantages of it's own. Tell me how many people today watch television ads with interest?...
I think back in the day the ads were more creative and less annoying.
P.S. Oh, this reminded me of yet another post from CAR thread I wanted to comment on.
This is inevitable. The “American spirit†is trans-national modernity, be it advertising, personal aspirations, or the essence of how a society ought to be built. Pop culture = American culture = modern culture.
We forget now, but before the present political tribulations, before the “war on terrorismâ€, the chief lament was American encroachment on the various national cultures. The French didn’t want McDonalds supplanting their national cuisine, and so forth. Russia was in this regard just another nation with a historically deep national culture, that lamented the amalgamation and common-denominator drift of the “American spiritâ€.
Russians don't lament the "American encroachment" on Russian culture; they are simply not aware that this is specifically American encroachment.
They lament the "Western encroachment," because they think that that's what it is.
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That's exactly it! The "American spirit" is less about immediately obvious talismans, such as poorly-built gaudy McMansions in the suburbs, than about a liltingly naive belief in the primacy of personal verve... that all that stands between one and one's success, is good attitude and the willingness to take risks.
Sorry I disagree.
Someone like Tony Robbins is as American as those poorly-built gaudy McMansions with his fake smile and willingness to *coach* anyone willing to pay him money, selling the fake ideas that any mediocrity can "achieve greatness," as long as he/she "works hard" ( whatever that might mean.)
In a way his *coaching,* the ideas he was selling were true and unique for America back in the day.
This was closely related to the booming market of the consumer goods in the post-war US, that saw increasing presence of different companies, need in sales people and in particular - door to door sales. And that's where the majority of the mediocre people could channel their enthusiasm after coaching, once they decided to "be great" and "to be rich." ( Buying shares of the new promising companies was another opportunity to *be great* and to *hit the jackpot.")
But once the market became saturated, the corporate mergers took place and the rest, all these "miracles" and "coaching" started bringing more and more yawning if anything, since it became more and more clear that all this hoopla was not realistic any longer. Then it was quietly buried in the US, and resold as "novelty" in such country as post-Soviet Russia, where those opportunities unique for the US never existed to begin with. Therefore it's one big feel good sham if you ask me.
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Likely this is because you're on an adventure. You have no one to impress, noting to prove, no preset objectives to achieve. You can position yourself to accept a broad range of outcomes, extracting an element of pleasure (or education) from them all. This allows you an easy-going spontaneity and expanse of unfettered intuition, really regardless of the host culture. So, it's less about Russia per se, and more about your status as a traveler.
Oh that's a little bit different.
"Good attitude," "being on adventure" - that's what stable political system and stable, predictable "rules of the game" give opportunity for. I still can see it in a small town where I live, and where the reputation and trust still matter, which gives good feeling in America. But in today's Russia, where such stability and predictability of the "rules of the game" is lacking, selling American ideas doesn't make much sense yet again.
This is also the case in some neo-capitalist "new" European countries. But the source from where those above mentioned "other people" had received their money is not specified.
No, of course not.
Most of these people live in some blissful unawareness of the background and long and bloody history of capitalism. Instead, they live in some happy place, some unique social formation called "freemarketism."
Sorry I disagree.
Someone like Tony Robbins is as American as those poorly-built gaudy McMansions with his fake smile and willingness to *coach* anyone willing to pay him money, selling the fake ideas that any mediocrity can "achieve greatness," as long as he/she "works hard" ( whatever that might mean.)
In a way his *coaching,* the ideas he was selling were true and unique for America back in the day.
This was closely related to the booming market of the consumer goods in the post-war US, that saw increasing presence of different companies, need in sales people and in particular - door to door sales. And that's where the majority of the mediocre people could channel their enthusiasm after coaching, once they decided to "be great" and "to be rich." ( Buying shares of the new promising companies was another opportunity to *be great* and to *hit the jackpot.")
But once the market became saturated, the corporate mergers took place and the rest, all these "miracles" and "coaching" started bringing more and more yawning if anything, since it became more and more clear that all this hoopla was not realistic any longer. Then it was quietly buried in the US, and resold as "novelty" in such country as post-Soviet Russia, where those opportunities unique for the US never existed to begin with. Therefore it's one big feel good sham if you ask me.
Out of a sudden I like all the recent news coming from Bulgaria recently, around 2010-2015 I thought the eu has made everyone liberal gay hippie, but o no they don't :P:
It is not looking good for Russia's Olympics aspirations. I'm sure they will blame the west for conspiring against them because we are afraid of competing against their superior (drugged up) athletes.
It is not looking good for Russia's Olympics aspirations. I'm sure they will blame the west for conspiring against them because we are afraid of competing against their superior (drugged up) athletes.
In an organization as corrupt as the Olympics I am not surprised. Besides, one of the best ways to hamstring your competition is through nefarious means.
I lost respect for the Olympics decades ago.
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