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I have to agree with most of what AndreyE has said from my own experiences, my wife is Russian and I have had the pleasure of being in different parts of Russia many times. It's far from the grey, horrible existence that we are meant to believe by the media.
Speaking of failing states, vast majority of Russians who’ve moved to the UK will be absolutely baffled by the NHS specialist waiting times. Like, a few months to be seen by a consultant? Really? Don’t get me wrong, NHS has fantastic capabilities and for better or worse I know this first hand, but again, nothing’s perfect.
This is very true, I was stunned by how good the health service is in Russia, you don't just go to a doctor in Russia and they give you a quick 5 minutes if you are lucky, In Russia you get a full check up with bloods, scans as a normal procedure. Dentists are far beyond what ours offer, immaculately modern facilities, very much like a private set up. Russian medical training is excellent and it doesn't surprise me that the Sputnik vaccine was developed so quick and isn't a political hoax like everyone expected.
Police where I live does not care about vehicle theft and house burglaries (maybe not the right term, cases when there’s no one at home and thugs break in an steal stuff) and this is a nice area with good schools in London commuting belt yada yada.
My wife and many other Russians I know of who live here are stunned by how bad our criminal system is, that burglaries or assaults happen and nothing is done about it by the police, they find that crazy as it wouldn't happen in Russia.
Russia is changing as Andrey mentions, the younger generation are driving it and are living quite western lifestyles in the bigger cities, not just Moscow, with access to all the mod cons that we have here. Many of them are not Putin followers and would love change but we all know what happens with any form of opposition that dares to stand against him.
I can only speak from my own experiences and I can honestly say that the Russians I have met both here in the UK and in Russia have been some of the warmest, friendliest people I know.
......Oh and I don't work for RT either (or my wife) 😉
Just to remind you guys how bat**** insane the CCP and PLA are.....
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2019/08/chinas-military-pursuing-biotech/159167/
"Specificity of wounding. Precision injury is an embodiment of specificity. HGP and proteomics have greatly enriched bioinformation. If we acquire a target’s genome and proteome information, including those of ethnic groups or individuals, we could design a vulnerating agent that attacks only key enemies without doing any harm to ordinary people. We could also confine the attack to a more precise level. Injuries might be limited to a specific gene sequence or a specific protein structure. Through gene manipulation, we can attack or injure one or more key human physiological functions (the ability to learn, memorize, keep one’s balance, or perform fine motor activities and even act aggresively) without a threat to life."
And check out this gem entitled...
"The Command of Biotechnology and Merciful Conquest in Military Opposition"
Russian and American military journals tend to talk about deterrence and how to prevent war. Where as China likes to talk about nuts self aggrandizing stuff like "merciful conquest", which wouldn't be out of place coming out of the mouth of Kim Jong-Un.
To top all of that insanity off....
In the past, I have met Chinese officials who were known to brag that, with a population of 1.4 billion, China has a much better ability to survive a nuclear war than America. There is a role here for Russia’s nuclear experts to educate China in the realities of nuclear annihilation.
https://defense.info/re-thinking-strategy/2020/10/is-a-war-with-china-inevitable/
In the past, I have met Chinese officials who were known to brag that, with a population of 1.4 billion, China has a much better ability to survive a nuclear war than America. There is a role here for Russia’s nuclear experts to educate China in the realities of nuclear annihilation.
India has official policy for war with ****stan which is barely different to this, not opinion, actual policy.
As for the bio warfare stuff you don't see that in journals here because (a) they realise printing it isn't good for their image, (b) those papers and research did the rounds in the 50s.
They go a little bit beyond the "lets kill every man and his dog with weaponized smallpox" research of the 1950s.
It's the fact that they are openly discussing ethnically targeted bioweapons that is the most worrying. That's only a few rungs down from publishing papers on how to gas Jews more efficiently.
India has official policy for war with ****stan which is barely different to this, not opinion, actual policy.
Yeah I mean that's mad as well, but the point here is that the attitude makes China less predictable and more likely to go to war with the United States. The point being whilst an India/****stan nuclear holocaust would be terrible for us all, any shit China pulls is more likely to drag us into conflict.
But it does not mean that the country is at the end of its life, does it?
It's heading towards something pretty serious, I think, so in its current form you could be right. Other countries re-launch themselves every so often (e.g. French fifth Republic). If the Brits did this we'd be on about seven or eight by now, including one change after the war and another in 1979. Feels like another is due in the next couple of decades.
Taiwan.... 3 to 5 years.
Then you won’t mind if I take your opinion with a large pinch of salt…
No worries. I was referring more to the fact that I'm seen as a professional journo than anything else but hey ho 🙂 I don't watch RT or any TV for that matter - don't believe any of what they say and have been like this for 25 years or so 🙂
I have to agree with most of what AndreyE has said from my own experiences, my wife is Russian and I have had the pleasure of being in different parts of Russia many times. It’s far from the grey, horrible existence that we are meant to believe by the media.
Thank you! BTW, which part of the UK are you in? We're in Bromley. Too far for a BBQ?
It’s heading towards something pretty serious, I think, so in its current form you could be right. Other countries re-launch themselves every so often (e.g. French fifth Republic). If the Brits did this we’d be on about seven or eight by now, including one change after the war and another in 1979. Feels like another is due in the next couple of decades.
Eh. Look, both the UK and Russia have centuries of history. Both countries have been through a lot. One of the things about the UK which really catches the eye is the continuity of history and life, so to speak.
To elaborate on that - I was born in 1981, in USSR. By the age of 10 I was able to understand certain things. Then 1991 came and everything went upside down, what used to be bad was now good, and vice versa. It was a complete meltdown. Looking a bit further back, another such thing happened in 1917, with Russian Revolution. So in the last century or so Russian had 2 catastrophic events which completely interrupted, like, everything. The way country operates and thinks, culture, concenpt of property (private/public/government), ideology and everything that follows.
The UK, on the other hand, when looked at using a similar lens, is kind of uninterrupted. There are still dynasties, properties, and traditions which have been like this for centuries. This takes some getting used to. But it does not mean Britain was not completely shaken in the past.
So - yes, both countries will change and eventually adapt. The only thing I'd like to avoid is spending another 10 or 20 years in the heat and midst of adaptation, like in Russia's 90's...
Oopnorth - don’t go! It’s a ‘honey trap’!! 😀
Oopnorth – don’t go! It’s a ‘honey trap’!! 😀
He's a married man, to start with 🙂 🙂
And then, if I ever dare to post my picture, it will be more of an anti-honey deterrent, trust me.. 🙂
😂😂
a country which developed a proper working COVID-19 vaccine among the first and by now has literally removed all pandemic restrictions
Russia is a country of contrasts, they did develop a vaccine (which appears to be credible and a real achievement) and even sent PPE to Italy. Their recorded covid deaths are very low.
The problem is that they have suffered shortages of PPE and the number of all causes deaths recorded has jumped, so either there is a second pandemic in Russia or the stats don't add up.
Russia is expansionist, and the Baltic States and Ukraine know and fear this.
Not so long ago they were mapping the UK in detail the details were recorded in a military context and yes I think they have the finest military maps in the world.
There is a long history of state sponsored political assassination which is in overdrive at the moment
It's not a failed state, but it's not a functioning democracy.
I never said that Russia is a functioning democracy, rather the opposite - there's no real opposition in Russia as mentioned.
I would not call UK a fully functioning democracy either, although for totally different reasons.
As for the maps... This is what countries do. Say, Britain did devise plans to attack USSR literally at the end of World War II, while being allies:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable
I'm pretty sure given the general agenda in the media NATO not only keeps plans of offensive towards Russia but updates them regularly.
The problem is that they have suffered shortages of PPE and the number of all causes deaths recorded has jumped, so either there is a second pandemic in Russia or the stats don’t add up.
I'm still not sure what was Russia's COVID strategy if I'm honest. What I can attest to is that COVID cases are very much down - my mom's a medical doctor and she knows this first hand.
The excessive deaths are there, that's true. I think about 300,000 for 2020 but given the population size (double that of the UK) it does not seem that much off what the UK has. Difference being - Russia actually lifted nearly all restrictions internally a few months back.
I suspect they just used a mix of 'herd immunity' approach with measured lockdowns; the vaccine has been freely available to anyone for a few months, too.
Russia's ambitions extend to re-establishing the old borders of the Soviet Union. We know this, yet the West continues to present Putin opportunities in this regard by undermining NATO and retreating into nationalism. Putin has, and will continue to chew away at the edges of Russia's neighbours borders. We are currently making it easier for him to do so.
China wants to re-establish It's traditional borders by incorporating Taiwan and Hong Kong. Whatever the West does ultimately won't make a difference. The best we can do is get Chris Patten on the TV every now and again to tell the Chinese off.
Oh, and don't mention the (opium) war(s).
Russia’s ambitions extend to re-establishing the old borders of the Soviet Union. We know this, yet the West continues to present Putin opportunities in this regard by undermining NATO and retreating into nationalism. Putin has, and will continue to chew away at the edges of Russia’s neighbours borders. We are currently making it easier for him to do so.
You know this why? Because TV said so?
Depends on which TV channel you're watching.....
It's no great conspiracy theory, of course Russia would want a bulwark against NATO. The message is pretty clear, be like Lukashenko or Kadyrov (mini Putins) and we'll stay out of your affairs. Be like Zelensky and you better get a food taster on your staff pronto.
The irony is that the Western media 'propoganda' that you allude to is exactly what Putin wants the Western media to put out. Project fear is Putin's modus operandi.
Any Lithuanians or Estonians to the forum?