larry johnson brings us an american russian, sorta. oh, no, the russians are coming; 

 

Larry recently posted remarks by an American expat who shared his perceptions of life in Russia. In a follow-on to that post, Larry graciously offered to publish my commentary on the topic. My goal is to be as concise and brief as possible about a very complex subject. I’ll just provide some background information and then highlight some of the misconceptions and distortions about Russia that seem to persist. If that is not of interest, please just skip ahead to the next comment.

Background: After retirement, my Russian wife and I decided to spend more time in her hometown. Our purpose was to assist with the daily needs and medical care of her elderly parents. After decades of short yearly visits, we thought we could split our time between the US and Russia. Well, the phrase that John Lennon sang in “Beautiful Boy” – “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans” became “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” It’s not hard to imagine how Covid, rampant inflation, US real estate price appreciation, election results, massive immigration, sanctions and war have impacted American retirees’ lives over the last five years. So, we’re still in Russia.

Origins of Misperceptions: To those who will question my comments regarding misconceptions of Russia, I understand your position. We all were (still are) indoctrinated to view Russia as “bad”. In books, movies, “news”, or “history” classes Russia and Russians are frequently portrayed negatively. Take movies for instance. Research shows that even if people know the reality of something, they rely on remembrance of the movie version. Examples: “John Wick” – Russian gangsters or “The Equalizer” – degenerate Russian gangsters; “U-571” – who actually captured the enigma machine? “The Last Samurai” – were any Americans even involved in Japan’s Meiji Restoration? [spoiler – the British and no.]............more...........