larry johnson speaks in moscow about russia and the empire's perception of it;

With the benefit of hindsight I should have talked about Russia’s unique position with respect to the theme of “multipolarity.” Russia is not just a vast land mass, encompassing 11 time zones. How big is that? The United States of America contains six time zones — from Maine in the east to Hawaii in the west. Think about that distance and then consider the fact that Russia covers territory twice as large as the United States.

The real achievement of Russia is that it has at least 190 distinct ethnic groups and has managed to create a society where all of those groups identify as Russian while still embracing their unique ethnic heritage. Russia is not saddled with a history of racism like the United States and Europe. The average Russian does not recoil when confronted by a person with black skin. They embrace Africans, Arabs, Jews and Asians in the same way they treat Caucasians. This helps explain why many black Americans sought refuge in the former Soviet Union. Having black skin was not an obstacle to fully participating in Russian society.

I think that is the gift that Russia is in a position to share with the world, i.e., teaching the world to accept other ethnic groups as equals while preserving its national identity. I am not suggesting that Russia is free of social unrest. Wait a minute. What about the anti-Jewish pogroms? How does that square with what I am saying? The hotbed of anti-Jewish attacks was in the areas controlled largely by what we now know as Poland and Ukraine:...........more........