Americans say that Russia and Russians are hard to comprehend. Russia has been called an enigma wrapped in a riddle, or was it the other way around? Doesn't matter. Russia and Russians are actually really easy to understand. Once you understand that Russia is a huge country that is sparsely populated with vast natural resources, you understand that it is a thief's paradise. Thus it is run by thieves. Anyone who is not a thief and smart enough to understand that it is a thief's paradise, is either killed or leaves the country. Thus the only people who can change it, are systematically eliminated or leave the country or become drunkards. The people that live there are simple and under educated and are given enough scraps by the government to stay alive. They will believe anything the government tells them because the government allows them to steal, and keeps them from being killed and gives them vodka to not too think too much about their lives. To not believe the government would mean that they are helpless and are allowing themselves to be used constantly by thieves. Think about it, how would you like to be the laughing stock of the world. For Russians to stop believing the government and face facts is like asking them to go insane because that is the only alternative. This is why the more repressive the government in Russia, the cheaper the vodka.
This is why Europe and the West are the constant emulant and the ever present threat. Because the belief that life in Russia is possible without thieves implies that you can over throw the thieves but fact is, you can't and to think you can is to invite insanity. So the West constantly tries to tell them that they can be free even though the reality is that they can't. Thus, they would prefer to believe the lies of Russian thieving government than the misunderstood and naive lies of the west.
Once you understand the sad predicament of Russia and its people, it is a very easy place to understand.
To understand Putin is also easy. He is Russian and for him to live in the land of facts is to loose Russia. He is not lying to Americans, he could care less about how his lies make him look to the west, what's important to him is to keep up the lie for Russians, because if he stops lying, Russians will kill him.
This is why Europe and the West are the constant emulant and the ever present threat. Because the belief that life in Russia is possible without thieves implies that you can over throw the thieves but fact is, you can't and to think you can is to invite insanity. So the West constantly tries to tell them that they can be free even though the reality is that they can't. Thus, they would prefer to believe the lies of Russian thieving government than the misunderstood and naive lies of the west.
Once you understand the sad predicament of Russia and its people, it is a very easy place to understand.
To understand Putin is also easy. He is Russian and for him to live in the land of facts is to loose Russia. He is not lying to Americans, he could care less about how his lies make him look to the west, what's important to him is to keep up the lie for Russians, because if he stops lying, Russians will kill him.
