I met my first American in Moscow in 1988 in Pushkin Square. This popular downtown Square was a gathering place for independently minded people after Gorbachev initiated his Glasnost & Perestroika. You could find there underground newspapers, there were spontaneous meetings, and a lot of discussions.

My First American

I heard someone was speaking English. Two guys, one a young guy in suit and tie, obviously Russian, fluent English, and the other one, a tall middle aged guy, was an American. I joined them attracted by the fact that they were speaking English, as this was the first American I met, and for me he was from another planet...

For me it was a test in English more than anything else. The American was speaking at a slow pace and I was able to follow the conversation with not much problem. A Russian guy was very good, and he helped me a couple of times when I was stumbling for the right word.

The American was not new to Eastern Bloc countries, and was not just a clueless tourist. He was doing some business in Poland, maybe somewhere else. He said that America was boring, and we did not even understand how lucky we were in the Soviet Union (and it still was Soviet Union) because it was the most interesting political scene, unfolding before our eyes, and we were witnessing the historical events.

But the longer I was listening to the American, the less convincing he sounded for me. He was a bored wealthy guy from a free «boring» country and he lacked adrenaline in his blood. We were a different league. He was watching a jar full of cockroaches, and for him it was interesting how they fight each other. We, on the other hand, were those cockroaches. We did not have the luxury of getting out of this jar, we did not have the luxury of choosing boring over exciting...

It was like in ancient Rome. Watching gladiators fighting was very exciting. Being a gladiator wasn't.

And should I be happy witnessing the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed the Pompeii? Really...

It was 23 years ago. I am in the United States since 1991. Lately, I see more and more bored people, who are not happy with capitalism, who are so for the people, and against corporations... I hear more and more about making rich people a bit less rich, because those who are not rich would rather have somebody pay more for as long as it is not them. I hear more and more about fairness in distribution...

Guys, there are so many countries where these goals have been achieved, and in all fairness the most fair distribution is in North Korea. There are simply no rich people, none... I have nothing against North Korea. I even think that those, who want to do it here, should go there and enjoy the achievements.

But there is only one country like America. Why change it here, when there are so many exciting choices elsewhere? When people are getting into the jar, they do not know how that would end. I have been there. I was lucky, I could run.

If these forces trying to change the country (and, of course, they are doing it for the better, for the people, as if Lenin-Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, and many others were doing it for somebody else) succeed, where do we all run? There is not a single country to run to, so why don't we take the «exciting» options with less excitement and a bit more wisdom?

And who is bored, like my first American, can go to Russia and enjoy all the excitement they want. It is not going to be boring, I guarantee.

By the way, I have to be fair. His English was perfect. He used it brilliantly and came out as a complete moron from another planet. It happens.

* Image courtesy of Honza Soukup  via Flickr.com under Creative Commos License

 
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28 Comments on My First American

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

OCT
04
2011
816,662 Points 16 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I really enjoy your posts when it comes to comparing capitalism to your former government of socialism and communism in Russia. How do you feel now?
9:43am • #9
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

William - thank you
10:21am • #10
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Ginny - it is not about the tax code. And if we are talking about taxes, looks like we do not see a problem throwing the Constitution under the bus in order to make the taxes even more unfair

But again, it is not about taxes. It is about that social idea of "equalizing" the society.

It is about two diametrically different approaches: one to make it possible for every person to become Warren Buffet, and the other promise every person a tiny piece of Warren Buffet. Big difference. Now I may care less about stamina, hard work, brilliance, knowledge... Now it is about not pursuing happiness, but pursuing results of their success...

There never have been enough rich people to take from to satisfy poor. What you do next? You took a little more, and still did not make everybody equal... You will take a bit more again, and again...

I am not wealthy by any stretch of imagination, but I understand the danger of playing this "fairness" game and how it affects the very fabric of the society in ways you most probably don't even think about. Because it only seems that this is all about money...

the biggest loss is about people. Russia, China, North Korea, Cambodia and you can add countries to this list do not have even the notion of charity, or volunteerism...
10:33am • #11
424,614 Points 45 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

Jon,  The problem in America is that we are like frogs in a heating pot of water.  Things have slowly changed over time and we haven't even noticed it because it was in small increments.  Soon it will be too late to jump out of the pot.
11:15am • #12
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Carla - all you need is replace opportunity, and the right to pursue happiness with fair distribution, and the guaranteed right to the results of other's labor or success, and the spirit of America is gone. If you go to Russia, they are not happy people. they do not smile.

There is no spirit of opportunity, but there is a lot about fairness and taking from the fat
11:26am • #13
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Richard - this is changing fast, very fast and we do not even notice it
11:27am • #14
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Joe - agree.
11:28am • #15
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Ted - thank you for your very thoughtful comment.

"They use words like social justice - but they do not mean what I would mean if I used those words." This is very true. Popular slogans are dangerous.

Fair share of happiness can only be found in a mental institution
11:31am • #16
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Nicholas - to tell you the truth, I am scared. I also want to say that it is not government of socialism, at least not only the government.

Americans tend to think that they are one thing and the government is another. Maybe in America. Socialism does not hit just the government. It ruins people's very core...

Take Russia, it is a big coutnry where people expect the government be "for the people" but the meaning of it is the government that takes care of all aspects of life.

Bad roads, small pension, poor living conditions...
7:59pm • #17
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Tim - you are so right. Small increments is the key here. But the Stalin terror did not start in one day, we came to it in small increments, and the further we went, the less chance was there to stop.

And how could Weimar Republic conceive Adolf Hitler? In small increments...
8:06pm • #18

In order to quit progressing, we would have to become stagnant. That means no new technolgy and no new babies. As long as we keep overpopulating the world and technology keeps doubling itself every year, we as a society have to adapt. There's just no other way.

By the way, is 1991 what you think America should be? There are people from, say, 28 years before that, 1963, who would probably tell you that 1991 was horrible compared to 1963.

The past is always nice, theoretically, but I really don't want to go back to the cave age. Neither does my girlfriend; she doesn't want to be dragged around my the hair, and she likes not being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, she likes having a job, she likes to be able to vote, etc.
9:47pm • #19
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Eric - I do not follow you. Why are we talking about progressing? Going the capitalism of Socialist route, what it has to do with profressing. And babies are not progress, they are babies. You can have the deepest crisis, and the deepest stagnation, and at the same time make babies at the accelrated pace, so to speak.

I am not a political analyst, and I can't say where America should have been in 1991, and I have no idea where it was in 1993. And I am not calling to go back, because for me where Obama is going is exctly that, going to my before, or better say, closer to my before than ever before.

Liking having a job and being ble to vote is not a major characteristic of either capitalism or socialism.

Very confusing. And what I know for sure is that past is not nice for me, even theoretically. Of course, there was nothing theiretical for me living in the socialist society.

Is that where you want to "advance"? Why not go there and try to see what you might be preaching for? maybe you would not like it as much as you think you would...

Just thhink about it. There are millions of people who came from the Socialist countries and they live here. But there are practically no americans, who would move to a socialist country and stay there. Some when there, but I never hears about anyone staying there for more than a year

No, they did not like it there. So they returned. If that "advancement" is achieved here, where are you going to go, if you do not like what it became?

Again, everyone, who got high on the slogans and moved to the Sovient Union, returned back disillusioned
10:18pm • #20
OCT
05
2011
207,639 Points 3 Featured Posts Outside Blog Hit Router Called Shot Master

Jon - As usual your completely open comment gives rise to reflection.  Not so much of what we have compared to others, but for me rather what would I do if I didn't have the opportunities that this country presents.  Thanks for reminding us!
1:34am • #21
240,764 Points 5 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

Jon,  Those who are too young to remember the past, or too caught up in the latest technology to educate themselves about world history, only see the here and now.

They think socialism packaged with a new dust jacket called social justice is the last est best seller.  The use of the word progressing by Eric is just another form of the word progressive.

It's in part the mind set of that 20/30 something voting block - "the past is the past and this is the future" that put us where we are today.

History repeats itself.  Learn from history and the mistakes of other societies, least you get sucked into the same snare.

Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World should still be required reading.
9:59pm • #22
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

jack - thhis is an excellent angle. It is not what you would get, it is what you would lose, that we do not understand
10:51pm • #23
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Bonnie - thank you, This is so true
10:52pm • #24
OCT
06
2011
127,001 Points 2 Featured Posts

Jon what wonderful insight from someone who has lived it.   Ted makes very good points also.

Time marches on and much of history is lost unless someone keeps it alive.

Thank you.

5:19pm • #25
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Faye,

Ted is always very thorough and very knowledgeable
11:19pm • #26
OCT
07
2011
2 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Jon,

Building off what Faye wrote in her comment, I always remember the old saying 'Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.'

It's time for Americans with American values and common sense to take back this country.

Our FREEDOMS took a war to win, yet so many are willing to just give away those freedoms without a fight because they feel its politically correct to do so. I love what you said about North Korea being the fairest place with their equal distribution, and fully agree with your statement to any who wish to move there. STOP trampling on my rights for my own good... I am a grown woman and know full well what is best for me..

Great post... I look forward to following your future posts.
2:25pm • #27
1,210,622 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Cindy - yes, forget it and will will come back with the vengeance. Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment. Has political correctness became our biggest problem?
5:10pm • #28

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