I'm not Russian, but I am very interested to know if Russians miss the Soviet Union? Back in the old days, Russians had pride in their military. There were no Cheychen Rebels. Their country was a lot bigger. It seems that democracy is failing in Russia, I would hate to see a once-superpower become a 3rd world country.
Do Russians miss having the Soviet Union?
Yep, that's exactly right. I can't speak about communism from first-hand experience since I was too young to understand anything during the collapse, but my dad and family still in Russia are thankful for the fall of communism. The inability of the military is also especially frustrating.
MadeInChina
Active member
lol, if they could only see in the future how radical changes brings about harsh results
Well,
I don't think Russia will be heading back to Communism. However, I feel that the democratic reform was immature at the time. Russian people endured a lot of economic setbacks. I truely believe democratic system can be installed and succeed only based on wealth and education, especially for countries with thirld world economies.
Without firm foundation, democracy = anarchy!
I don't think Russia will be heading back to Communism. However, I feel that the democratic reform was immature at the time. Russian people endured a lot of economic setbacks. I truely believe democratic system can be installed and succeed only based on wealth and education, especially for countries with thirld world economies.
Without firm foundation, democracy = anarchy!
Excually, they don’t, the only thing they might regret is probably doing it too quickly. A Russian was saying this on TV the other day: “the democracy in Russia is like this, you have a fish in a jar for long time, and you release it into the ocean, it could not enjoy the freedom because it was in there for so long".
Dark Ventrue
Active member
Russia has always been run by a single leader more or less for as long as I can remember.
I belive again that they should perhaps be a bit careful with democracy since it has given birth to a very powerful criminal organizations over there.
At least the communists refused to share power with criminals.. 8)
Even if they perhaps where criminals themselves..
I belive again that they should perhaps be a bit careful with democracy since it has given birth to a very powerful criminal organizations over there.
At least the communists refused to share power with criminals.. 8)
Even if they perhaps where criminals themselves..
WarMachine
Active member
Wasn't it reckless however, to go right to capitalism after the collapse? I mean why not a socialist but democratic system? Imagine the problems america would face if we were to suddenly change to communism, we would become an ineffective power after that. That's exactly what happened to russia, they went into too fast, they payed the price and are now stablizing.
Dark Ventrue said:Russia has always been run by a single leader more or less for as long as I can remember.
I belive again that they should perhaps be a bit careful with democracy since it has given birth to a very powerful criminal organizations over there.
At least the communists refused to share power with criminals.. 8)
Even if they perhaps where criminals themselves..
Having democracy was a big mistake in Russia. I think they should have followed China's example of a capitalist economy.
godofthunder9010
Active member
The Russian people are unlikely to miss most of the realities of everyday life under the Communist regime. The KGB and other secret police organizations knew and tracked so much information about you and everyone else, that you could only hope that you didn't inadvertently offend some agent's finer sensabilites at some point. Don't ever talk about anything that doesn't coincide with the Communist Party Line or you might find your living circumstances becoming a lot colder, complete with an all expense paid move to Siberia. Everything you do might count against you. Not a fun way to live if you're just the average everyday citizen. I can't imagine the people of Russia will ever agree to go back to such circumstances.
There is the fact that ignorance is bliss. Their economy and overall status was never what they like to brag that it was. The USSR had a terrifyingly powerful military with up to date hardware comparable to the members of NATO. They did so by pretty much sacrificing everything else to achieve it. They also never mass-manufactured any car that anyone else in the world had any desire to import. They still haven't. They don't export elctric shavers, computers, clocks, watches, televisions, VCR's, videogame consols, microchips, vacuum cleaners, stereo systems, recreational ATV's, PDA's, power tools ... at the very least, they do not export any of those in any great quantity worth noting. They never did, did they? Maybe they did export some things to some degree when the nations of Eastern Europe were not given a choice of anywhere else to buy things from. They don't or didn't make a long list of things that other developed countries were making all throughout the Cold War. Those items they did make were almost never better quality than the Western countries did. The breakup of the Soviet Union was just the wakeup call to reality in my opinion.
There is the fact that ignorance is bliss. Their economy and overall status was never what they like to brag that it was. The USSR had a terrifyingly powerful military with up to date hardware comparable to the members of NATO. They did so by pretty much sacrificing everything else to achieve it. They also never mass-manufactured any car that anyone else in the world had any desire to import. They still haven't. They don't export elctric shavers, computers, clocks, watches, televisions, VCR's, videogame consols, microchips, vacuum cleaners, stereo systems, recreational ATV's, PDA's, power tools ... at the very least, they do not export any of those in any great quantity worth noting. They never did, did they? Maybe they did export some things to some degree when the nations of Eastern Europe were not given a choice of anywhere else to buy things from. They don't or didn't make a long list of things that other developed countries were making all throughout the Cold War. Those items they did make were almost never better quality than the Western countries did. The breakup of the Soviet Union was just the wakeup call to reality in my opinion.
Continue...
Well, many of you concluded that Russian democratic movement was bold but lack of reality check. Russian people suffered and still is with its third-world economies.
The Russian escapade also brings out an issue with the recent Bush Administration's preach on "democracy for all". Wouldn't be prudent for the US to preach Economic Reforms to ease the pain, instead of gung-ho political crusade?
Well, many of you concluded that Russian democratic movement was bold but lack of reality check. Russian people suffered and still is with its third-world economies.
The Russian escapade also brings out an issue with the recent Bush Administration's preach on "democracy for all". Wouldn't be prudent for the US to preach Economic Reforms to ease the pain, instead of gung-ho political crusade?
Dark Ventrue
Active member
Not all countries in the world work as democratic nations and perhaps never will.
Take Sweden for example..(I am from Sweden but live in England)
The king was the absolute power for a long time but we have always had a democratic undertone. We elected kings most of the time and if they were no good we killed them or replaced them.
So when the time came to have the king stepping down and hand over his powers to the government it went well. He is still head of state though.
Russia has always been ruled by one leader and it kept doing so even when it turned communist. This time the difference were that you had a party but they didn't allow any other parties to try and get to power, democracy has never worked over there but it might do one day.
Same thing with a lot of the arab nations they are ruled by royal houses or military leaders that have more power then the government most of the time.
We can't just bash democracy into others when we don't know if they can handle it.
Take Sweden for example..(I am from Sweden but live in England)
The king was the absolute power for a long time but we have always had a democratic undertone. We elected kings most of the time and if they were no good we killed them or replaced them.
So when the time came to have the king stepping down and hand over his powers to the government it went well. He is still head of state though.
Russia has always been ruled by one leader and it kept doing so even when it turned communist. This time the difference were that you had a party but they didn't allow any other parties to try and get to power, democracy has never worked over there but it might do one day.
Same thing with a lot of the arab nations they are ruled by royal houses or military leaders that have more power then the government most of the time.
We can't just bash democracy into others when we don't know if they can handle it.
Italian Guy
Milforum Hitman
I voted No. Anyways Red Army you said that back then there was no Chechnyan rebels. There were, but the system was too opressive to even let the nearby town know anything. Don't believe it was all chocolate boxes and roses downthere. It's just the russians didn't know what happened. Tight control.