I’ve travelled in Eastern Europe. Your job of “rebuilding” was somewhat substandard. Funnily enough, my family in Ukraine doesn’t bear you much gratitude, despite the free seven year trip to Siberia.
So your basic argument is as follows: if anyone ever did it in the past, it is acceptable for the Empire to do it. That’s very nice. Tell me, does this mean that your’e going to start emulating the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition now, because, you know, it happened in the past? What’s that? You already have medieval-type torture dungeons in Afghanistan and Cuba? Well, at lease you’re consistent in your savagery, I’ll give you that…
I’m afraid you have us at a disadvantage, Commissar. As an American, I can only wish we had the proud tradition of peace and human rights of the Soviet Union and China – it would be so much easier for us to point fingers at others if our histories were as blemishless as theirs. Alas.
How do you figure that, my silly little friend? At no point did I state that mankind should forget its own history. My point is simply that the rest of the world made mistakes in the past, then matured and became better; the Empire, on the other hand, kept wallowing in the cesspool of its own savagery. What is shameful history for the rest of humanity is today and tomorrow for you barbarians.
the people who brought you the Gulag, Siberia, pogroms, Joe Stalin, blood purges, the extermination of the entire Romanoff family, Leninism, the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovalia, and sided WITH Hitler until Hitler turned on them.
You are, literally, the only person I have ever heard claim this. Ukrainians always described themselves as Ukrainian, even during the Soviet era. Belorussians always described themselves as Belorussian. Russians always described themselves as Russian. Poles always described themselves as Poles, and so on. * Nobody* was a Soviet.
The closest you’ve ever been to the Soviet Union was hearing a Yakov Smirnoff joke repeated on a discussion board.
Because I am not an ultranationalist zealot, I believe that every country belongs in the circle of civilized nations. The question is how to get their populaces to realize it and to act accordingly.
You realize that the problem is a human problem, and not one having to do with national boundaries, yes? If not, take your place in the line of impotent hypocrites and cultivate the quality of silence from now on. We AMERICAN adults have to figure out how to stop an insurgent fascist movement. Thank you.
Yeah, but that was like fifty years ago. Commissar can’t expect someone to feel responsible for the actions committed by their nation that long ago. That would be crazy.
I see. So, because I do not fit into your juvenile stereotypes concerning Soviet people, your brain cannot process the fact that I am Soviet? How very American of you.
Anyway, it is not my job to convince you of my own heritage. If you would prefer to consider me non-Soviet, be my guest. Whatever preserves your fragile little mind, friend…
I was born in Belarus. Half of my family is Russian, half Bellorussian hailing from a region that used to be under Polish control pre-WWII. Kind of makes your proposed cut-and-dry classifications silly, don’t you think? What would you call me? A Polish Bellorussian Russian?
